“The U.S. Mid-Term Elections”
The tuesday 26 of septiembre, the Dialogue, with the U.S. Embassy, supported a digital video conference with Antonio Gonzalez, President of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP).
The meeting took place in the Embassy of the United States of America in Argentina, Colombia 4300, and counted with the participation of diplomats, consultants, representatives of different foundations and several members from the press (Channel 9, America, Infobae, Clarín, Página 12 and the Cronista; among others).
During the activitie, the public discussed with González the current political trends in the U.S., and their impact on foreign/domestic policy, issues that will decide/affect the elections (immigration, foreign affairs, the economy, etc.), key races that point up some of the social/economic issues affecting voting patterns, the impact of minority voting (the Hispanic community in particular) on the outcome, and how shifting U.S. demographics will affect elections now and into the near future.
Antonio González, who last year appeared in the list of the 25 most influential hispanic in the States United, according to the Time Magazine, presides over the biggest and older organization for the participation of Latin voters in the United States: the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP), and also represents the Institute William C. Velasquez.
During his speach, he calculated in 43 million the number of Latins living in the United States, 2/3 of them Mexican or descending of them, and the rest of an increasing amount of diverse countries. Speaking of Argentina, he considered the average of people from that country, living in the U.S.A. in less than half of a million.
Also, he indicated that the Latins are in average the poorest racial group in the United States. Nevertheless, he emphasized, is interesting to consider that the gross product that they represents is equivalent to the one of Brazil and Mexico added.
In addition, he stressed the important electoral participation of the Latins in the North American elections. More specifically, nowadays around 10 million of Latin vote, and that is a number that will be increased, which also will grant more political importance to that sector. Tie to this, it is necessary to remember that the Latins are already the first minority in the United States, having exceeded the Afro-American. This also is reflected in the amount of official positions that they have, where they also have surpassed to the Afro-American ones.
A data that he contributed and one that interested the public, is that by the year 2050, the United States will be mainly of color, and the white will be a minority. He calculated that, on a population of 400 million people, for that time will be 250 of color, including more than 100 million of Latin, 60/70 of Afro-American and 30 million Asians.
Electoral speaking, and according with González, nowadays 60 or 70% of the Latins arein favor of the democrats. On the other hand, between the Afro-American the support to democrats would be of near 90%, whereas in Asians there would be a division 50 to 50 between those that endorse the republicans and those that do it for the democrats.
Between the issues that will influence the next election of November, González emphasized the problem of Iraq, the economic preoccupations of the middle and lower class and immigration.
On the basis of that, the speaker considered that the democrats have greater possibilities of recovering the majority in the House of Representatives in November, although he see it more complicated in the Senate. Calculating for 2008, he considers that there will be several candidates of importance in each one of both political parties, honoring at the moment Senator Hillary Clinton between the democrats and Senator John McCain and ex- mayor Rudy Giuliani between the republicans.
Asked on that matter, he made reference to the "embargo" against Cuba and to the agricultural subsidies. In relation to the first subject, he emphasized the importance of the Cuban lobby to prevent its rise; although a great majority of Latins, whites and the Afro-Americans are favorable of the reestablishment of relations with Cuba. With respect to the agricultural subsidies, in his opinion it is very possible that they will suffer some reductions, specially if we consider the weight that they represent for the economy, added to the pressures of differents sectors.
In order to finalize, and making reference to the present values of the Latin residents in the United States, González emphasized the greater attractiveness than exists in that group for a great government who can protects them, the biggest interest that they have for the things that happen in the world (explained in a large extent by its immigratory origin), and the fact of being characteristically more shared and more attached to the family.
Photo: Mr. Antonio González.
...| Accede to the cv of Mr. González
...| Accede to resources about the 2006 Legislative Elections in the United States (in Spanish)
