This week Mr. Trump made a strategic Cinco de Mayo display of enjoying a Taco Bowl prepared as Take-Out from his Trump Tower restaurant. He gave a plug for it as one of their best items. Of course it was seen as pretty weak pandering to the Hispanic voting population. It is not even on their menu as reported on the Telemundo nightly news. The addition of the Tweet tag “I love Hispanics” can only been seen as one of two possibilities: he is making a big joke at Hispanic expense or he ridiculously thought it would pick up votos de Hispanos. We hope it was a joke even though not funny because it at least might demonstrate his effort at satire.
Our Spanish language division here at SYJ has been enjoying following politics on Telemundo TV lately. No media is more powerful for the Hispanic community. As identity-based news, it does not appear too worried about being “objective” and there is a pointed and relentless campaign to expose Trump as an enemy of Latinos. Every night there is an often leading story that is damaging to Donald. It is often followed up with a friendly segment on an allied Democratic politician. Last night it showed the Cinco de Mayo concert in the East Room of the White House with both the President and Vice President coming out to speak and Obama promising that even after his presidency is completed in January, he will be working on immigration reform. Quietly the White House is scheduling Hispanic-friendly events and receptions, such as inviting the little girl, Sophie Cruz, who pleaded with Pope Francis not to let her parents be deported. She was shown on Telemundo in the White House embraced by both Barack and Joe. This footage doesn’t make it onto Fox or even CNN but as Hispanic news, it is shown. It is emotional and powerful as political theatre to a culture that values family above all else.
There are supposed to be 27 million Hispanic voters by November. That is up from 23 million in 2012, a 17% rise. Hispanic voter registration and naturalization rates are skyrocketing since Trump offered up the Wall that Mexico Will Pay For and the deportation of eleven million. Obama has just released a new proposed pricing scale for naturalization which had been quite expensive. Now the rates will be income linked, reducing the price by 50% for low income legal residents who want to become citizen. The price for average income people will be less than the $450 it costs to renew a green card. There is even a fee waiver for those who are truly poor. The rule should go into effect in 60 days.
Perplexed? Is Trump clueless regarding how powerful is the Hispanic voting community? Nevada: 17%, New Jersey 13%, Colorado 14%, Arizona 21% not to mention California’s 28%. If anything will doom him, it is this statistical truth: Hispanics will vote this year and he has declared himself their enemy. Trump could try to make nice on the other Spanish network, Univision, but that might be useless. Their esteemed star, Jose Ramos, was famously savaged by Trump at a news conference and then thrown out for asking a question. Furthermore, his daughter works for Hillary.
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First of all, I should announce that I am voting for Bernie Sanders. But I have felt I should be tolerant of The Donald, because he seems to represent a disaffected segment of the population that feels the government has failed them. And I secretly admire him for taking on the Republican Party that I find arrogant and phony. But when I heard Donald Trump denying climate change, he drew the line with me! So I’m hoping that Hispanics turn out en masse to vote against him!
Ama a tu comentario inteligente y precisa sobre Trump. Bravo!