Presidential Elections 2016

By Dr. Henry Flores, NewsTaco

Although it is still early to be thinking about who to vote for in the 2016 Presidential Elections, after all President Obama still has more than a year in office, the media is forcing us to begin thinking about our choices.  Valgame, the media is talking about debates and covering announcements and pre-announcement announcements, discussing background information of every person who thinks “they would be king or queen.”  So, rather than getting left behind I thought I would through my dos centavos out there as well.

Republicans 

Bueno, it may be easier to state who is not running for president rather than identify the “cast of thousands” who think so highly of themselves that they are either announcing that they are running or announcing that they are going to announce that they are running.  So far we have at least ten that have formally announced including a medical doctor, former governors, sitting United States Senators, a news commentator, Donald Trump (when does he not run?), former military officers, and corporate executives.  Among this motley crew is one woman, the corporate executive Carly Fiorina who almost ran Hewlett Packard into the ground.

Speaking of “poor performing executives,” the track record – both past and presently being made – of this massive crowd is not good.  We have some who cannot handle their own personal finances and recklessly spend money they don’t have on luxury stuff like yachts and over-priced homes, Senator Marco Rubio.  This is what happens to young folks of poor backgrounds who want to show everyone they have made it.  His reckless spending habits don’t speak well for his decision making abilities.

Then we have candidates who wish to show everyone they have the wherewithal to lead our nation by internationally alienating world leaders and equivocating as to whether he would have sent troops to Iraq, Jeb Bush.  His “wishy-washiness” in foreign affairs may lead us into World War III!  Then we have Governor Good Hair from my home state, Texas, the one who during the last presidential campaign could not remember which cabinet department he would close down if elected and has turned our state into the poster child for how to speed-up climate change.

The rest of the pack have backgrounds that reveal them to be anti-immigration, anti-workers, anti-healthcare, anti-education, anti-tax, anti-everything!  Seems like not one of them has said what their agendas would be, only what they are against; spouting the usual rhetoric we’ve heard before.  Basically, this chorus is not giving the people anything new or any reason to vote for them.  Frankly, [pullquote]Latinos need to think carefully before voting for any of the candidates of this party because this mob has little to nothing to offer us.[/pullquote]Latinos need to think carefully before voting for any of the candidates of this party because this mob has little to nothing to offer us. The quality of the Republican presidential candidates reminds me of what a famous presidential scholar once said that anyone who says they want to be president doesn’t understand what the job entails and thinks too highly of themselves.

Democrats 

The list on this side of the aisle is much shorter and includes, for now, Hillary Clinton, Senator Bernie Sanders, former governor Mark O’Malley and Lincoln Chafee.  Two folks have name identification, two do not, except to the political cognisanti. [pullquote]We have a former first lady and Secretary of State who has a great deal of experience, foreign and domestic, to be the president but is sometimes hard to get along with.  [/pullquote]We have a former first lady and Secretary of State who has a great deal of experience, foreign and domestic, to be the president but is sometimes hard to get along with.  Then we have Senator Sanders who is on the left-wing of the left-wing; O’Malley, who is no friend of people of color and Chafee who is a former Republican, Independent and now Democrat.  Again, at least three of these fit the characterization of the old presidential scholar.  Only Clinton and Sanders have made clear policy statements, Clinton on voting rights and Sanders on the economy.  Latinos need to watch Clinton carefully because she is appointing Latinas to important positions in her campaign and has taken a strong position on both immigration and voting rights.  She may be a difficult personality but she does give you a reason to vote for her, if you’re a Latino.

Waiting in the Wings 

On the Republican side of the ledger we still have another five or six people waiting to announce and one on the Democratic side.  None are particularly attractive to Latinos and only a couple are well thought of by the people telling them to run.

Bueno pues, it’s still early so todavia tenemos tiempo para evaluar los tipos “who think they would be king.”

Henry Flores, PhD, is the Distinguished University Research Professor, Institute of Public Administration and Public Service; Director, Masters in Public Administration (MPA); Professor of International Relations and Political Science at St. Mary’s University. He is the author of Latinos and the Vorting Rights Act: The Search for Racial Purpose.

 Latinos and the Voting Rights Act: The Search for Racial Purpose.