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Archive for the ‘MBAPBSAllAmericaDem’ Category

obamaclinton.jpgThe debate between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has now shifted to if, when, and under what circumstances would either one meet with so-called “dictators” of other nations (read leaders of enemy states of the U.S.) such as Hugo Chavez and the leadership of Cuba. The Clinton camp is accusing the Obama camp of flip-flopping on its position regarding meeting with these leaders (also Iran, North Korea, Syria).

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richardsononimus.jpgWould you vote for a candidate who used the gay slur, the “f” word? It certainly didn’t help the career of Grey’s Anatomy actor Isaiah Washington. What if the slur were in a different language, say Spanish? Well Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson used the word maricón in an exchange over a year ago with shock jock (and racist) Don Imus and now Richardson is scrambling to apologize.

The New Mexico governor used the term as part of a joke instigated by talk show host Don Imus during a March 29, 2006, segment of his “Imus in the Morning” syndicated radio program, simulcast on MSNBC. “Bernard on the staff here has been claiming you’re not really Hispanic so– that you’re just claiming that for some sort of advantage or something,” Imus said to Richardson, tongue clearly in cheek. “You can just answer this yes or no and this will answer that question. Would you agree that Bernard is a maricón?”
Without missing a beat, Richardson replied in Spanish, “Yo creo que Bernardo, sí — es un maricón si él piensa que yo no soy hispano. [General laughter] Was that good enough or what? [General laughter]”
“That’s good enough for me,” Imus replied.

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Democraticforum%20002.jpgBetween last night’s debate and an early flight out of DC, I’m exhausted but thrilled to have gone and given the opportunity, not just to cover the event, but meet some other bloggers whom I admire.

That said. I sleepily searched through the Spanish language media for some report on the debate last night and found nada. Did I take a nap or was this ignored in the Latino press? Maybe the press was too preoccupied with the immigration issue?

Democraticforum%20004.jpgThere is discussion here as to the debate/forum. Many issues were not covered or were barely touched upon. If this really was a forum aimed at the people of color community why were there no women’s issues discussed? Sure these issues were touched upon in the areas of educating our children but what about reproductive rights and domestic violence, two huge problems plaguing women of color. Also the big story of the day was immigration and why was that not mentioned. Some bloggers are suggesting that if anyone needed to bring the issue up it should have been Ruben Navarrette, as the token Latino on the panel, or that Bill Richardson, who proudly touted himself as the first Latino to run for president, should have said something. This of course then begs the question : are latino issues only to be brought up by and for Latinos?

When I asked Governor Richardson (yes I asked him-look how sweaty he got upon seeing me) about such forums/debates for Latinos, he pointed to the upcoming National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed officials Democratic forum. But that forum, to my knowledge, isn’t televised nationally like tonight’s forum was. So are Latinos being pandered to but not really brought into the political process. Are we an afterthought/add on to other race issues?

Perhaps I expected too much. Perhaps I got caught up in the spin in the media room and lost my jaded edge and actually believed in electoral politics.

Democratic Debate Ends with Darfur

10:19 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · MBAPBSAllAmericaDem · Comments Off

28 Jun 2007

I think this is a legitimate issue because of the massiveness of it and the US willingness to intervene in other nations when it is convenient and highlights the trend of ignoring the killing of people of color if the US isn’t doing it directly. Kucinich made great points about this but he comes off as too kooky for most people.

Time flew, let’s see who comes back to talk in the media room. Rumor has it Obama will not be coming….

Democratic /debate : Right to Return / Outsourcing

10:10 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · MBAPBSAllAmericaDem · Comments Off

28 Jun 2007

The language of the right to return is language that is used also in the debate surrounding Palestibe which is interesting. Is post Katrina NOLA occupied by as Obama refers to, by all these corporations with government complicity.

Is outsourcing an issue_ The candidates are mixed on this so far. What must be said is that Hillary Clinton (as she winning this debate) is being the most concrete with all her answers. She lays things out in points that are easy to follow. The majority of the Dems seem to look at education as the way to go. Richardson is really coming off as pro-business which could hurt him in a debate when peope want to hear about people at the grassroots level.

The radical in me loves Kucinich for saying that NAFTA and the World Bank need to go but I know that won’t get votes.

Profiling and the Prison Industrial Complex

10:01 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Justice| MBAPBSAllAmericaDem · Comments Off

28 Jun 2007

These 30 second answers are leading to answers with zero substance. Basically what people are doing is the given, get rid of mandatory drug sentences but what is the focus on drugs, as if all POC are in jails and arrested because we are all crackheads, when it goes deeper than that.

Someone needs to do a word count on how many times the words drugs, crack, jail have been used because it seems like the candidates seem to think that is the root of evil rather than what causes those things to be used the way they are

Cold Hard Dinero

9:41 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · MBAPBSAllAmericaDem| Money · Comments Off

28 Jun 2007

Of course attacking Bush is the easy answer in terms of the question about the wealthy paying their fair share. The issue is about disparitiy and the why. Obama hit the nail on the head by making it a race issue (because yes race and class work together people). Mike Gravel got some looks when he mentioned wiping out the federal income tax. If people really think that will solve poverty, people need to look at Puerto Rico which has no federal income tax and has soaring poverty rates.

Bill Richardson (the great brown hope) is actually talking about more money for corporations going into the inner cities.

Joe Biden really needs to really stop using the word minority. Bill Richardson is so bored with the whole debate that he yawned right before it was his turn. I think its key that Richardson compared access to education to access to water, that is as a basic human right. But again why the term minority. Are we talking numbers or political power, that analysis has to happen when people, especially candidates chose to use certain terms.

Finally someone, (Obama saves the day), talks about the lack of money behind No Child Left Behind (although I won’t even get into the issue of the problems with the program itself.

What I am waiting for someone to mention are two issues about education: the tracking of children of color and the language access issues that essentially shu non-English dominant parents out.

Collective moans just filled the media room as Hillary Clinton said it takes a village to raise…yes we know, it takes a village of well meaning white liberals.

Live Blogging the All American Presidential Forum

9:07 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · MBAPBSAllAmericaDem · Comments Off

28 Jun 2007

I’m currently in the Blackburn Center at Howard Univeristy lie blogging the PBS All American Forum (after some tech problems). I’ve already mentioned that the debate is based on the Covenant with Black America which makes me think that while this debate is being framed as a forum for people of color, color is being looked at through the strictly black/white lens. Latinos need a national plan of action too especially if we are to become that swing vote that people have been saying we are.

The first question asked was if race was still the #1 factor today, especially in light of today’s Supreme Court decision which basically elimates race as a factor in terms of educational considerations for grades k-12. So far Hilary and Biden have given answers that everyone wants to hear but I wish that Bill Richardon would have conquered the issue of the black/white paradigm. And you know you have a problem when John Edwards can’t even say slavery.

As expected, the event is an Obama lovefest (someone please play that reggaeton song). I’m pleased that Obama did go beyond the black/white issue of race by at least mentionaing Latinos (although you have to wonder if he said that because Bill Richardson shouted himself out as the first Latino running for president.


Hola!

VivirLatino is a daily publication published by 2 Mujeres Media, dedicated to featuring all the latest politics, culture, entertainment of interest to the diverse and influential Latino and Latina community in the U.S.

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