What's wrong with pandering to Latino voters?

Altura Ct.

Veteran Member
Will white people ever really wake up? I am beginning to wonder if most white Americans are just truly stupid. I really mean that. We, meaning white Americans have been taught, told, chastised, scolded and even worse for YEARS that there is no differences between peoples. That "white interest" don't exist and in fact it is evil, despicable and wrong to think that way. That there can not be a white only anything because that is "racist". If Hispanics, blacks etc have special interest by it's very definition that means they are not white interest and in many cases are adverse to our families, communities and survival.

Let me be the first to give the typical pathetic white person response. I don't care what color they are blah blah blah...

CNN) -- "Pandering." According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to pander is to: "provide gratification for others' desires." So is that what John McCain and Barack Obama are doing with Hispanic voters?

If you follow coverage of their speeches at three Latino events -- the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, the League of United Latin American Citizens and The National Council of La Raza -- the answer would be yes.

Why? Because the two candidates are talking about making immigration reform a priority if they reach the White House, and to make it there, they know the Hispanic vote can have a great impact.

More than 9 million Hispanics are expected to vote on November 4th. They traditionally favor Democrats, but many have supported Republicans in key races. In 2004, for example, 40 percent of the Latino vote went to President Bush -- so going after them makes political sense.

Do Hispanics care about immigration reform? Yes, they do. But it's not the only issue that concerns them. See where the candidates stand on immigration

They, too, pay more than $4 for a gallon of gas, and are worried about the economy, foreclosures, the war in Iraq and access to health care and education. But the debate on immigration has motivated many to apply for citizenship and many others to register to vote.

Hispanics aren't a monolithic group as many seem to believe. Some families go back six or seven generations. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens by birth. Cubans can stay if they make it to U.S soil. Latinos from all over Latin America come by plane.

Surprisingly, a majority of Latino voters show a deep interest in immigration reform, even though it wouldn't benefit them directly because they are U.S. citizens.

They believe reform would help in a community that shares a common language, even though it has many differences. They aren't naïve and won't be swayed with tall tales.

But to pander has a negative connotation and the concept seems highlighted when it refers to Hispanics, the largest- and fastest-growing minority in the nation.

This electorate is familiar with politicians making promises they don't always keep -- and surely will see that McCain favors border security before immigration reform, a reform he put his name on at great cost.
They are aware of the need to learn English in order to succeed, and not necessarily for every child to learn Spanish as Obama suggested. That could fuel fears about Hispanic influence, and spur some to use that fear to score political points.

In this case, the approach goes in two directions. It can be seen as pandering to a specific group for political gain, but it can also be portrayed as a challenge to Hispanics.

With greater clout comes higher responsibility; it means not only registering to vote, but actually doing it on Election Day, making those numbers count, showing that Latinos are more than a group with great potential.

Is pandering to Hispanics any different from pandering to other groups? Why isn't there a similar outcry when candidates address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on the future of Israel? Or the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People? Isn't that pandering?
Hispanics are coming of political age, and probably face a dilemma. But which is better -- being pandered to, or ignored? And no, it's not a trick question

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/16/hispanic.vote/index.html?section=cnn_latest
 

Wowser

Membership Revoked
Amen! Diversity is a one way street to Death for Whites.

Will white people ever really wake up? I am beginning to wonder if most white Americans are just truly stupid. I really mean that. We, meaning white Americans have been taught, told, chastised, scolded and even worse for YEARS that there is no differences between peoples. That "white interest" don't exist and in fact it is evil, despicable and wrong to think that way. That there can not be a white only anything because that is "racist". If Hispanics, blacks etc have special interest by it's very definition that means they are not white interest and in many cases are adverse to our families, communities and survival.

Let me be the first to give the typical pathetic white person response. I don't care what color they are blah blah blah.
..

CNN) -- "Pandering." According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to pander is to: "provide gratification for others' desires." So is that what John McCain and Barack Obama are doing with Hispanic voters?

If you follow coverage of their speeches at three Latino events -- the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, the League of United Latin American Citizens and The National Council of La Raza -- the answer would be yes.

Why? Because the two candidates are talking about making immigration reform a priority if they reach the White House, and to make it there, they know the Hispanic vote can have a great impact.

More than 9 million Hispanics are expected to vote on November 4th. They traditionally favor Democrats, but many have supported Republicans in key races. In 2004, for example, 40 percent of the Latino vote went to President Bush -- so going after them makes political sense.

Do Hispanics care about immigration reform? Yes, they do. But it's not the only issue that concerns them. See where the candidates stand on immigration

They, too, pay more than $4 for a gallon of gas, and are worried about the economy, foreclosures, the war in Iraq and access to health care and education. But the debate on immigration has motivated many to apply for citizenship and many others to register to vote.

Hispanics aren't a monolithic group as many seem to believe. Some families go back six or seven generations. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens by birth. Cubans can stay if they make it to U.S soil. Latinos from all over Latin America come by plane.

Surprisingly, a majority of Latino voters show a deep interest in immigration reform, even though it wouldn't benefit them directly because they are U.S. citizens.

They believe reform would help in a community that shares a common language, even though it has many differences. They aren't naïve and won't be swayed with tall tales.

But to pander has a negative connotation and the concept seems highlighted when it refers to Hispanics, the largest- and fastest-growing minority in the nation.

This electorate is familiar with politicians making promises they don't always keep -- and surely will see that McCain favors border security before immigration reform, a reform he put his name on at great cost.
They are aware of the need to learn English in order to succeed, and not necessarily for every child to learn Spanish as Obama suggested. That could fuel fears about Hispanic influence, and spur some to use that fear to score political points.

In this case, the approach goes in two directions. It can be seen as pandering to a specific group for political gain, but it can also be portrayed as a challenge to Hispanics.

With greater clout comes higher responsibility; it means not only registering to vote, but actually doing it on Election Day, making those numbers count, showing that Latinos are more than a group with great potential.

Is pandering to Hispanics any different from pandering to other groups? Why isn't there a similar outcry when candidates address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on the future of Israel? Or the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People? Isn't that pandering?
Hispanics are coming of political age, and probably face a dilemma. But which is better -- being pandered to, or ignored? And no, it's not a trick question

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/16/hispanic.vote/index.html?section=cnn_latest
 

Desertrat

Inactive
If you're "pandering" to the views of a Jesse Jackson or of LaRaza/Aztlan, you're not speaking in favor of the betterment of the majority of all blacks or of all Latins. You're indeed pandering to Ebonics and separatism--which benefits neither the blacks nor the Latins. Further, it harms the nation as a whole.

The nation as a whole is blacks, Latins, Asians, whites, Amerinds and those purple people with orange polka dots.
 

Topusaret

Deceased
Replace the word "Hispanics" with the word "Corporations" in the above article to determine where you stand on the hypocracy scale.

Pandering by any national politician to ANY special-interest group, be it race-based, income-based, region-based, or any other-based is self serving and wrong. Represent Americans, not who can squeal at the trough the loudest.
 

Desertrat

Inactive
topusaret, all groups have concerns, whether the group is a racial minority, small business, big business, environmentalists or the NRA. All of them have problems which they want government to address.

Where "pandering" comes in is when the candidate professes that he will be cooperative in solving these problems, even when the solution as proposed by the group is bad for everyone else.

Honesty would be along the lines of, "If your idea for government action won't harm others, I can work with you. If it harms others, harms the nation as a whole, I can't do that."
 

Digital Omnivore

Veteran Member
If the government wasn't giving out free stuff to victim groups, nor was giving out favors to business via regulations, tax breaks, or other chicanery then there would be no reason for pandering.

All of this stems from the concept that government should be redistributing wealth and regulating our lives.
 

Topusaret

Deceased
topusaret, all groups have concerns, whether the group is a racial minority, small business, big business, environmentalists or the NRA. All of them have problems which they want government to address.

Where "pandering" comes in is when the candidate professes that he will be cooperative in solving these problems, even when the solution as proposed by the group is bad for everyone else.

Honesty would be along the lines of, "If your idea for government action won't harm others, I can work with you. If it harms others, harms the nation as a whole, I can't do that."

Exactly my point. Thanks for defining better than I.
 

Altura Ct.

Veteran Member
all groups have concerns, whether the group is a racial minority

What about white concerns? Is it only "minorities" who have concerns? In addition if their concerns are different then whites how do we reconcile the idea of "no differences" and unless whites give up of themselves, their culture, history etc how do we get there from here?


Replace the word "Hispanics" with the word "Corporations" in the above article to determine where you stand on the hypocracy scale.

I don't necessarily disagree about screaming special interest in general or corporations but your analogy is completely apples and oranges. We are talking about racial interest here.
 
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