Thoughts on Viernes--1/20/2006
Happy Birthday Chooch!
I want to wish my best friend from high school, Chooch, a happy 35th birthday (along with his cuate, Jorge). Chooch is Jesus Alcorta and he and I became friends, and soon after best friends, in the second grade. We kept in touch all these years, but lost touch within the last four or five years (I think he's in Wisconsin somewhere still). How good a friend was he? Let's just say that the year that I decided to boycott prom and he amazingly got a date from our rival high school (quite a controversy), he had no idea how to dance to Tejano Music. For about a week, we spent our lunch hour and after school in Stace's School of Tejano Dancing. Yeah, I taught the guy--and it entailed actually dancing! And let me tell you this much--he and his date stole the show! So, Chooch, if you're out there and found DC, give me a buzz!!! And Happy B-day!
We lose a ballot topper
The news that Felix Alvarado was not going to make the Dem ballot after all provided me a little sadness. It's been a while since we saw a Chicano that high-up on the ballot. The two previous ones that topped our ballot (Danny More-or-less and Justice Raul Gonzalez) fell fall short of expectations when it came to progressive policy and judicial decision-making. And Victor Morales did something, but that's all I'll say. So, it's safe to say that, other than our Chicano/Latino Dem elected officials that grace the mid- to lower- portions of our ballot, there hasn't been a hard-core candidate since Ramsey Muniz, La Raza Unida Party's candidate for Governor in '72, energized the Mexican American electorate toward almost causing a huge Democratic loss. Since then, there's been some Party changes, but some argue more is needed.
I wasn't quite the true believer of that Kelly Fero, or other consultants, line that Alvarado not making the ballot means other candidates won't have to worry about Latino voters favoring the little-known Alvarado because of his last name. Anyone that would so easily buy that load of crap, or sell it, isn't even trying to do anything with the Chicano/Latino electorate--they're just going through the motions of an election and cashing a campaign check. But if it did provide some energy to get some people that hardly vote to the polls, then it would have been a good thing. Perhaps the Party and the consultant corps would be smart enough to convince them to vote for the high vote-getter in November. Being on the ballot could have been good, although the Bell supporter in me didn't want a run-off. But during a time in which a political party should be busy "selling" democracy, and not just candidates, Alvarado couldn't have hurt that goal.
And let's just say that if the Primary had only had Gammage and Alvarado, then I would have been happy to support and work for Alvarado. Why? Why not!? It would have given some of these high-priced consultants the chance to say, "He's only supporting him because of the Latino last name." Or as I call it: The usual excuse to not even try to spend money on the Latino vote.
So, thanks to Felix for providing a bit of intrigue, and perhaps some energy to some voters. Adelante!
Add on: And I didn't forget about Tony Sanchez. It's safe to say that he did energize the Mexican American electorate, considering most of his votes came from people of color. It was Anglo Dems that voted Perry. Oh well.
Carole Cougar Mellencamp Leaves out "Republican"
Not surprisingly, Strayhorn has taken "Republican" out of her TV ad. I guess she was alienating the Democrats she is hoping to get. Now, she's also going after the Union support. Union support usually means big money, especially if you get SEIU's nod. And we all know, SEIU wants to support OTD's (Other than Dem).
A Point on Immigration to Hone in On
The business-labor coalition opposes HR4437 (Sensenbrenner Bill) and is backing a bill sponsored by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., that would allow the workers to apply from within the United States.
Yep, the AFL/CIO and the US Chamber are working together to develop progressive immigration reform that provides for increasing our tax base with more taxpayers. The US Chamber is about small business, and if they truly want reform, then they need to know who is supporting parts of their agenda (and who isn't--Delay, Poe, Culby, and McCaul). This is a point to hone in on if you're running in a 50-50, 60-40, or even a 70-30 Republican district.
RIP: Cheryle Keck, News 13 Anchor
More later? Maybe...
I want to wish my best friend from high school, Chooch, a happy 35th birthday (along with his cuate, Jorge). Chooch is Jesus Alcorta and he and I became friends, and soon after best friends, in the second grade. We kept in touch all these years, but lost touch within the last four or five years (I think he's in Wisconsin somewhere still). How good a friend was he? Let's just say that the year that I decided to boycott prom and he amazingly got a date from our rival high school (quite a controversy), he had no idea how to dance to Tejano Music. For about a week, we spent our lunch hour and after school in Stace's School of Tejano Dancing. Yeah, I taught the guy--and it entailed actually dancing! And let me tell you this much--he and his date stole the show! So, Chooch, if you're out there and found DC, give me a buzz!!! And Happy B-day!
We lose a ballot topper
The news that Felix Alvarado was not going to make the Dem ballot after all provided me a little sadness. It's been a while since we saw a Chicano that high-up on the ballot. The two previous ones that topped our ballot (Danny More-or-less and Justice Raul Gonzalez) fell fall short of expectations when it came to progressive policy and judicial decision-making. And Victor Morales did something, but that's all I'll say. So, it's safe to say that, other than our Chicano/Latino Dem elected officials that grace the mid- to lower- portions of our ballot, there hasn't been a hard-core candidate since Ramsey Muniz, La Raza Unida Party's candidate for Governor in '72, energized the Mexican American electorate toward almost causing a huge Democratic loss. Since then, there's been some Party changes, but some argue more is needed.
I wasn't quite the true believer of that Kelly Fero, or other consultants, line that Alvarado not making the ballot means other candidates won't have to worry about Latino voters favoring the little-known Alvarado because of his last name. Anyone that would so easily buy that load of crap, or sell it, isn't even trying to do anything with the Chicano/Latino electorate--they're just going through the motions of an election and cashing a campaign check. But if it did provide some energy to get some people that hardly vote to the polls, then it would have been a good thing. Perhaps the Party and the consultant corps would be smart enough to convince them to vote for the high vote-getter in November. Being on the ballot could have been good, although the Bell supporter in me didn't want a run-off. But during a time in which a political party should be busy "selling" democracy, and not just candidates, Alvarado couldn't have hurt that goal.
And let's just say that if the Primary had only had Gammage and Alvarado, then I would have been happy to support and work for Alvarado. Why? Why not!? It would have given some of these high-priced consultants the chance to say, "He's only supporting him because of the Latino last name." Or as I call it: The usual excuse to not even try to spend money on the Latino vote.
So, thanks to Felix for providing a bit of intrigue, and perhaps some energy to some voters. Adelante!
Add on: And I didn't forget about Tony Sanchez. It's safe to say that he did energize the Mexican American electorate, considering most of his votes came from people of color. It was Anglo Dems that voted Perry. Oh well.
Carole Cougar Mellencamp Leaves out "Republican"
Not surprisingly, Strayhorn has taken "Republican" out of her TV ad. I guess she was alienating the Democrats she is hoping to get. Now, she's also going after the Union support. Union support usually means big money, especially if you get SEIU's nod. And we all know, SEIU wants to support OTD's (Other than Dem).
A Point on Immigration to Hone in On
The business-labor coalition opposes HR4437 (Sensenbrenner Bill) and is backing a bill sponsored by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., that would allow the workers to apply from within the United States.
Yep, the AFL/CIO and the US Chamber are working together to develop progressive immigration reform that provides for increasing our tax base with more taxpayers. The US Chamber is about small business, and if they truly want reform, then they need to know who is supporting parts of their agenda (and who isn't--Delay, Poe, Culby, and McCaul). This is a point to hone in on if you're running in a 50-50, 60-40, or even a 70-30 Republican district.
RIP: Cheryle Keck, News 13 Anchor
More later? Maybe...
posted by Dos Centavos at 8:28 AM
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