Obama Wins Re-election and Says Gracias to Latino Voters

By Estelle Gonzales Walgreen, Hispanically Speaking News

¡Si, Se Puede! – President Barrack Obama won re-election last night winning the electoral vote at 303 and the popular vote by 50%, thanks in great part to near-record levels of Latino support.

Obama received a very large portion of the Latino vote  – 75 percent- ensuring him a victory in key states like Colorado, Ohio, and Virginia.  Obama received 87 percent of the Latino vote in Colorado alone.  Lesson here for Republicans:  stop with the negative rhetoric and portrayal of immigrants as takers.  Enough with the chatter about electrified border fences and self-deportation, sit down and figure out a comprehensive immigration plan in a bipartisan manner.

Extremists in the Republican party must realize Latinos exist and not just in the form of illegal border crossers and are just like everyone else when it comes to their view on the economy and jobs, which means they support a combination of spending cuts and higher taxes.

President Obama must deliver on immigration reform with some form of economic and political inclusion for the undocumented.  Latinos are energized and won’t forgot and forgive any candidate that will run for President in 2016 without an outreach for their vote and respect for their culture.

Mitt Romney gave a graciously lackluster speech and self-deported himself and family back to home.  Unfortunately Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and California where he has homes did not give him a win so he is a man without a country so to speak.  He might have to buy another home in the Southern belt where he had decisive victories.

The slew of women winning Senate seats was a referendum on Republican men to stay out of the pants of the female voters.  Hopefully they have learned their lesson to keep talk of vaginal probes, “legitimate rape” and reproductive rights to the locker room.  A real gentleman, at least those that want to get elected, knows you only go inside a ladies pants if you are invited.

Lessons learn:  Sheldon Adelson better stick to betting on casinos and get better facial moisturizers, Donald Trump a.k.a Orangina needs to be committed to a mental health care facility funded by Obamacare, and Karl Rove needs to disappear and I don’t mean lose weight I mean become white vapor.

However, the most important lesson that should be learned in this election cycle:  Latinos react when marginalized, suppressed and vote for those who speak to them with respect.

Meanwhile I am going to celebrate by going to Colorado to enjoy some medicinal marijuana, attend a gay wedding in 3M country (Maine, Maryland and Minnesota) and vacation in Maryland as a thank you for passing the Maryland DREAM Act.  I will top off my celebration with a Mojito Diego rum drink to toast the next 51st state of the Union, Puerto Rico.

The reality is President Obama faces a deeply divided Congress and a first of the year deadline to avert a dive from our ‘fiscal cliff’ and of course he has to face Congress’ own weeping willow Rep. John Boehner.

But as Latinos say: “That’s mañana today we celebrate with a fiesta.”

This article was first published in Hispanically Speaking News.