By Elia Esparza
Politicians Eager To Reach Latinos Failed Miserably at Nevada Debate
The debate stage was set last night but there was one candidate missing. Tom Steyer. Climate justice was a key topic of the debate, what Steyer, the progressive businessman, and environmentalist has made climate change a centerpiece of his campaign. Yet he was not on the Nevada Debate stage. The other presidential candidates duked it out by playing the blame game and hammering Michael R. Bloomberg for his billions and his Stop and Frisk policy. No one addressed issues specific to the Latino community in a noteworthy manner.
“Well, I saw the person who won the debate last night whose name is Donald Trump,” Steyer told the Washington Examiner when he was asked about the debate.
“Because I saw so much bickering between Democratic candidates, tearing each other down and going after each other and forgetting the fact that what really counts is beating Trump in November of 2020,” he stated. “I saw people attacking each other’s personality and records instead of remembering that, in fact, the Democratic Party needs to win in November.” Tom Steyer Quoted in The Washington Post
This coming Monday, Steyer will have his say as he will start airing a new TV ad highlighting Bloomberg’s use of racist and discriminatory tactics during his tenure as New York City Mayor. But the ad speaks equally about the issues that plague this country and the “Black and Brown” communities in particular — social, economic and climate justice. With an initial seven-figure TV buy, the ad will air in Super Tuesday state markets starting February 24th.
Steyer’s long history of supporting Black and Latino communities in California and across the country is notable. The ad highlights Steyer’s record, including starting a non-profit bank for underserved communities, taking on corporate polluters, and fighting for clean air and water in communities across the country. As his campaign picks up steam as Steyer continues to make the case to all voters in Super Tuesday states, while he steers ahead to build momentum leading up to March 3rd.
Overall, an estimated 56% of Latino eligible voters live in states that have a Democratic primary or caucus on or before Super Tuesday this year, which is up from 29% in 2016, according to an analysis of 2018 and 2016 American Community Survey data. Nevada has 28% Latino eligible voters and that is where Steyer has taken a stronghold.
Steyer has a long track record of addressing the needs of Latinos. In 2016 the New York Times reported that he had come on board as the New Chairman Of The Latino Victory Fund, which helps elect Latinos to higher office, donating $250,000 to the fund. In a partnership with NextGen America, Steyer addressed immigrants and aligned with NextGen for an innovative program to identify, train and recruit naturalized immigrants to run for office. “Immigrants deserve the chance not just to participate in our society, but to lead it.”
In addition, Steyer is informed on the issues and he understands the need to surround himself with persons who know that community. In fact, he has over ten top leaders on staff helping run his presidential campaign.
Understanding the importance of how the media is portraying Latinos on images found in film and TV because those are the image seen around the world sees, the stereotypes. He has reached out to the working actor to get a bird’s eye view of the challenges. Hernan de Beky, Voice Actor and SAG-AFTRA Chair of Spanish language media committee is among the many actors who has endorsed Steyer.
Both Steyer and his wife, Kat Taylor have a long track record of fighting alongside the Latino community for immigrant rights, pushing back against environmental racism, and standing for justice issues that impact Hispanic and Latino communities throughout the country.
During the debate, the Democratic presidential candidates hammered Bloomberg that during his tenure as mayor of New York City, police officers indiscriminately stopped Blacks and Latinos during its controversial street-stop and frisk program, more than five million times between 2002 to 2013. What happened daily was thousands of detainees, the vast majority who were young Black and Latino men, for weapons that rarely materialized.
While other candidates have gotten some endorsement from Latino leaders, other than the inclusion of “Latinos” when addressing issues, there does not seem to be anything more concrete. The Los Angeles Times called Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren popularity among Latino voters more “sluggish than soaring”. As a former professor and attorney, she has devoted her time to the study of bankruptcy and the disastrous impact it has on the financial well-being of families. Recently, Warren critiqued Bloomberg for suggesting the end of redlining caused the crash. “Out-of-control greed by Wall Street and big banks, and the corruption that lets them control our government, caused the crash,” she tweeted.
Joe Biden‘s name recognition has held hearings on unfair lending practices and sponsored legislation to ban discrimination in the lending and crackdown on industry figures who did.
In the latest, Las Vegas ninth Democratic debate, Pete Buttigieg, Biden, Bernie Sanders, Warren, Bloomberg, and Amy Klobuchar tackled each other on all the main topics. Sanders attacked Bloomberg for acquiring a “grotesque” and “immoral” billions of dollars while Bloomberg called out Bernie’s “millions” and three homes.
LatinHeat.com is an entertainment industry film, TV, music and digital portal that rarely ventures into politics. But given how the current administration has outrageously attacked the Latino and immigrant communities, it’s impossible for us not to chime in. LatinHeat’s mission and objective have been on correcting the negative and stereotyped portrayals on all entertainment platforms, most especially on television.
Though Steyer did not make the Las Vegas debate, he still has the opportunity to make the South Carolina debate on Feb. 24, which gives Steyer time to obtain delegates he was short to participate in the Nevada debate or improve in polls.
The Washington Post headline of Feb. 17, 2020, said it all:
The presidential contest turns to African American and Latino Voters. For some candidates, that’s a problem” The Washington Post, Feb. 17, 2020
Some say Steyer is a long shot, but he is a worthy competitor who has recognized that the Latino community is vast and diverse and that Latinos will be the most powerful ethnic minority voting in 2020… and for this reason, LatinHeat.com recognizes that he is a worthy opponent.
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