Today Hillary arrives in Puerto Rico. The other campaign has already been there, first sending surrogates like Richardson, then Obama himself arrving on Friday. But the Lady in the Pantsuit arrives today! And none of this would have been possible if Hillary just quit as the other side, the establishment and the media continued their attacks to hand the election to their chosen , instead of the PEOPLE choosing their preferred candidate to be President.
And Puerto Rico has all eyes on them, because the Lady doesn't quit.
Puerto Rico matters! And they know they will make a huge impact.
It is the first time in American history that Puerto Rico has experienced a serious presidential campaign. Their June 1 Primary has no history with the political media, sending beltway reporters scrambling in search of connections and good contacts on the island in case it becomes the location for the last great smackdown of the 2008 primary season.
“It’s an amazing time for Puerto Rico,” Francisco told me. “We've participated, but we really haven't mattered in the primary period -- it's been more symbolic than anything. It's exciting, it's historic -- we're witnessing history.”
And Puerto Ricans know they can count on Hillary to keep her words and deliver good change for them and our country.
“Although Chicago has a huge population of Puerto Ricans, the third most of any mainland city, Senator Obama's never cared or paid attention to our needs until he looked at the electoral calendar. The Clintons know us -- they pay attention to us, they care about us, they know our issues,” Francisco says, particularly the divisive issues of determining Puerto Rico’s ultimate political status. “But when it comes to Puerto Rico, Obama is all talk. We know where Hillary has been, and where Obama has not.”
And as even though elections past haven't weighed the importance that this election does, they take know politics, are well educated and have always been active in their elections and have had routinely 80 percent turnout.
Like on the mainland, the economy is not taking a back seat in this election.
In terms of the issues that matter, just as on the mainland, the economy will be of great significance for Puerto Rican voters. The old maxim was that “when the mainland sneezes, we get a cold.” But now, Puerto Ricans are facing their first true island-born recession in a generation
And today, Puerto Rico gets the opportunity to hear Hillary's Solutions for Puerto Rico as she conducts her Townhall for “Solutions for Puerto Rico’s Families” town hall in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
“Barack Obama may have a 100 delegate lead by the convention. But that's nothing going into Denver when you haven’t proven you can win the important states in November,” Francisco says. “Kerry lost in 2004 in Ohio. Gore lost in 2000 in Florida. Hillary Clinton has won by such wide margins in so many critical states, and we have to gamble on the possibility of Obama winning in Ohio, in Florida, and in Pennsylvania – as a Democrat, I just don't feel safe about that.”“That's why I tell my superdelegate colleagues and fellow citizens: when its’ time for us to cast our votes, we should be looking at a lot more than just a small pledged delegate lead. We should be looking to win in November.”
In a cycle where so many pieces of conventional wisdom have gone out the window, it’s only fitting that Puerto Rico should play a decisive role.
And we agree!
|
|
|
Permalink :: 24 Comments :: Post a Comment
|
In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.
If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.
