http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/12/obama_team_clai.html
Some say….that is impossible to satisfy everyone…and yet we must not forget those that helped us acquire power.
For that reason, it seems to me that Obama is making his appointments based on a “time-to-pay-back dues” mentality rather than picking his appointees for what they may bring to the table. He picked Hillary to satisfy her democratic voters who voted for Obama and Richardson to “payback” the Hispanic community.. the debate now is among Hillary’s supporters and the Hispanics who made the difference by voting and helped win Obama win presidency. It’s no longer a debate of which group made the difference in the elections but instead which group will get repaid better?
Yeah, I agree that by picking Richardson to be part of his cabinet, Obama has helped the Hispanic community make a progress but what are his real motives for his choosing each senator? These answers will remain unknown until we see action.
Obama’s new choice, Ken Salazar is senator with Hispanic background (his grandparents were Mexican-American) represents another progress in the Hispanic community but not a true representative; since although he may have a Hispanic background, a person cannot fully understand the struggles of a community if he hasn’t lived them or learned about them through a close relative.
I’m glad Obama choose another “Hispanic,” I just think it would have meant more to the Hispanic community if this new nominee were a true Hispanic like Bill Richardson.
Again I don’t think race should matter when Obama picks the people he will work with and advise him over the next 4 years.
I don’t think that every person has to experience the “struggle” to fully understand it. I’m sure that even though he didn’t experienced it he was told about it by his grandparents that went through it.
This is a great post mayo!!! This goes hand and hand with the Ay dios mio post I put up earlier this month, Well this is sort of a update to my post. I’m glad for the Hispanic communtiy that they got there quota number of cabinet heads they desired,..lol but I feel as though if anything the Hispanic community should have been upset that Richardson was snubbed for secretarty of defense becuase he was more than qualified, not just because he is Latino.
The exert that stands out to me most from your post mayo is the comment made by incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, where he says “we have more Hispanics in senior positions than under…President Bush or President Clinton. This statement stood out most to me because, why should it matter how many Hispanic’s are in senior office, the only thing should matter is that you have the right people in office to put America back on track. But I still feel for Bill Richardson, he was snubbed, he backed Obama in the primaries and this is how he get’s repaid, Thats wrong and is certainly not “A change I can believe in”