WASHINGTON — Two hours after President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s inauguration, a couple hugged and kissed beneath sunlit campaign flags blowing in the January wind a few blocks from the White House. A militarized security buildup kept them a two-mile walk from the U.S. Capitol, where Lady Gaga sang and Biden swore his oath.

Anastasia Vakula zoomed on a motorized skateboard. Her partner David Tafuri rode a scooter. He hoisted her in the air. She threw her arms up in celebration.

“We are as close as we can get and as happy as we can be,” Vakula told Zenger News. “There are too many reasons to be dancing.” The pair stood on the giant letter “R” at the end of the words BLACK LIVES MATTER, painted in yellow on the D.C. pavement.

A National Guard deployment and bridge, road, and public transit closures left most of downtown Washington’s streets empty. The public stayed out of the January chill, watching on TV or streaming on the Internet.

One woman sat on the ground in Black Lives Matter Plaza, painting a message of love to “Joe and Kamala,” a reference to Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris.

It was a mild exhibit among signs that read “Stop Pretending Your Racism is Patriotism” and “SEDITION: When You’re White They Let You Do it.”

This same plaza was the site of protests 11 weeks earlier on Nov. 3, 2020 as polls closed and results poured in across the nation. Detractors of then-President Donald J. Trump erupted in anger over the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of police.

In the tense atmosphere that Election Night, two Americas continued the daylong, coast-to-coast clash. On Inauguration Day, two lovers embraced.

(Edited by Claire Swift, Kristen Butler and David Martosko)

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November 3, 2020 was supposed to be “the day.” This was supposed to be the year that the shifting demographics in Texas would assert itself and achieve the long-awaited miracle feat of political alchemy and change Ruby Red Texas into a Cool Azul Tejas. It was supposed to be a tectonic plate shift that would change the national, electoral landscape for countless election cycles. It was supposed to be a tipping point. But it did not happen here in Texas. It fell flat on its face, again. Why?

Death Valley Daze

My ancestral roots, mis raices run deep in the Rio Grande Valley, from Harlingen, through Corpus Christi and Brownsville and over to South Padre Island. El valle is where both sides of my family are from. They grew up good FDR, pro-union, New Deal Democrats, and they, like many other Mexican Americans from South Texas, migrated to California after World War II to escape racism and seek new opportunities in the Bay Area. After being born and raised in San Jose, California, I came full circle and returned to Texas, first Austin, then McAllen, and now San Antonio, and have always felt like I have returned “home.”

But considering what is happening on the border with the inhumane policies of Donald Trump and his neo-Nazi political advisor, Stephen Miller, because of their brutal policies of child separation, “detaining” immigrant toddlers in dog cages and denying asylum seekers their constitutional rights, it was stunning to see the residents of my beloved Occupied Territories, go for Trump by a slim, but significant margin. When you factor in Trump’s hatred toward all Latinos, I am still scratching my head wondering how he got one single Latino vote in the Valley.

The Specter of Socialism

Trump tries to scare America into believing if Joe Biden, a lifelong centrist Democrat, were elected president, he would don military fatigues, grow a beard, become Fidel Castro and walk around DC with a dog-eared copy of Das Kapital tucked under his arm. It is totally absurd. Neither Trump, nor his followers would be able to recognize a socialist from a socialite, or a Trotskyite from a fox trot.

Ask any Latino military veteran in Laredo if they want their VA Benefits revoked and you will get a dirty look that will make you regret you ever asked the question. The VA Program is one of the biggest and most successful so-called “socialist”, aka government-run programs in US history.

Ask a Latino senior citizen living in Del Rio to burn their social security, Medicare or Medicaid cards and you will get the same dirty look. Social Security and Medicare are the two most popular government-run, aka “socialist” programs among the American public.

Trump and the Republicans want to dismantle or get rid of those programs and replace them with…nada, zilch, zero, zip. So why did so many Latinos, and millions of others, vote against their own interests? Is it simply because they are frightened by the specter of socialism? That scary ass specter has been an integral, popular and enduring fabric of our social safety net in this country for generations.

Much Ado About Macho

Consider a recent New York Times article titled, The Macho Appeal of Donald Trump. The article outlines why so many Latino men as well as African American males, are attracted to the “tough guy” image projected by Trump. Hard to figure. That so-called “tough guy” image is actually more like that shimmering mirage you see in the distance when you are driving on the highway.

This rich, spoiled, privileged preppie man-child is a serial philanderer, sexual predator, accused rapist, con man, pathological liar, tax cheat and Putin’s puppet. Where is the machismo in that? Trump is barely a role model for cold-blooded reptiles, much less human beings and certainly not for Latino men. For positive, strong, enlightened male role models, think Atticus Finch not Attila the Hun.

Tripping Over the Light Fantastic Tipping Point

This was supposed to be the year the Democrats would flip the Texas legislature, but they fell way short of that goal. Additionally, the gender gap was also painfully evident as several high-profile female Democratic candidates went down to defeat, including Wendy Davis, Gina Ortiz Jones and MJ Hagar.

Had the Democrats been able to win the Texas Legislature, we would be able to redraw the gerrymandered districts Tom DeLay drew up to look like a Jackson Pollock painting that favors Republicans and marginalizes and renders politically impotent Latino and other minority communities here in the Lone Star State.

A Democratic Texas Legislature would have redrawn all the Congressional Districts to reflect a more accurate representation of a Latino dominant republico de Tejas. That change would not only have had huge repercussions here in Texas, but across the country.

The tipping point was right there at our fingertips on November 3. Had Texas gone Blue, as has been predicted so often during the 22 years I have lived here, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia would have been moot footnotes to this year’s presidential election. Had Texas gone Blue on Day One of the Election, it would have been lights out, game over, adios amigo for Trump and the Republican Party.

Message in a Tequila Bottle

But it is not all bad. As a San Antonio native, political activist, Eva Longoria said recently on MSNBC, “Latinos voted in Texas in greater numbers than ever before. The Latino vote played a significant role in Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia, where Latino communities are rapidly growing in numbers too big to ignore.”

Here in my adopted hometown of San Antonio, on election day we became one of a few Blue Dots in support of Biden, surrounded by a Sea of Red. But despite Biden’s win, this country is still horribly divided along racial and cultural lines.

Sometimes, I feel like Kevin McCarthy in The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Every night for the past four years, I carefully check the balcony and bathroom closet for large, mysterious pods. At night, I listen intently for any telltale musical strains of Amazing Grace being played on bagpipes.

Even though I am marooned on this blue island in the middle of a red ocean, now that  old uncle Joe will be our next president, I can sleep easier and not worry so much about things that go Trump in the Night. The tantalizing aroma of those famous San Antonio puffy tacos, filled with the promise of political landscape change, is still in the air. We came close. Unfortunately, close does not count in politics.

I am sending out messages of hope, in empty tequila bottles I personally drank dry during my four years of despair, hoping they will land on some welcoming, distant shore, with this message inside: TEJAS AZUL LA PRÓXIMA VEZ.

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Joe Biden has chosen Kamala Harris as his running mate.
“I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked [Kamala Harris] — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate,” Biden tweeted Tuesday.
Biden’s selection makes the California senator, the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, the first black person and first Indian person to appear on a major-party presidential ticket. She would also be the first female vice president.

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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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CA, TX, FL, & New York City Latinos Favor Democrat Candidate Joe Biden

As the nation prepares to hear from 20 Democratic presidential candidates during the first round of presidential debates that will air this Wednesday and Thursday on NBC, MSNBC. and Telemundo, the Telemundo Station Group today announced its first round of Hispanic voter opinion findings for the 2020 election cycle for key states/regions including California, Texas, Florida, and the New York City metro area. 

All day today, Telemundo stations will report the poll findings in their local newscasts (check local listings).  Complete poll results are available online at Telemundo station websites and apps. Access the polling data by region, in the hyperlinks listed below.

The polls were commissioned by the Telemundo Station Group and conducted by Mason-Dixon Strategies, Inc. Poll participants were given the choice to complete the interview in English or Spanish. Those interviewed were randomly selected from a phone-matched voter registration list for each state/region that included both landline and cell phone numbers. 

“We’re pleased to present this information to our viewers and report on the current pulse of the Hispanic electorate in these important states and regions,” said Ozzie Martinez, Senior Vice President of News, Digital and Standards, Telemundo Station Group.

These polls reveal that our audiences are paying very close attention to what all the candidates are promising on the campaign trail. Local audiences can count on their local Telemundo stations to continue reporting in-depth and insightful news on all presidential candidates and revealing polling data from key states for the next 15 months as we get closer to Election Day 2020.”

California

• A total of 400 registered Hispanic voters were interviewed statewide by telephone in CA from June 6 to June 11, 2019.
• CA poll results are available on Telemundo52.com or here.

Texas 

• A total of 400 registered Hispanic voters were interviewed statewide by telephone from June 7 to June 12, 2019. 
• TX poll results are available at TelemundoHouston.com or here.

Florida

• A total of 400 registered Hispanic voters were interviewed statewide by telephone from June 6 to June 11, 2019. 
• Poll results are available on Telemundo51.com or here.

New York City Metro 

• A total of 400 registered Hispanic voters were interviewed statewide by telephone in the New York City metro area from June 7 to June 13, 2019. 
• Poll results are available on Telemundo47.com or here.

Topline Results: 

QUESTION: If the 2020 presidential election were held today, would you vote to re-elect Republican Donald Trump or would you vote to replace Trump with a Democrat?

                        Re-Elect         Replace          Not Sure

CA                   26%                66%                 8%

TX                   25%                 69%                 6%

FL                    34%                56%                 10%

NYC                19%                 73%                 8%

QUESTION: Do you support or oppose impeaching President Trump?

 Support         Oppose          Undecided

CA                   47%                37%                 16%

TX                   50%                37%                 13%    

FL                   41%                46%                 13%

NYC                47%                37%                 16%

QUESTION: There are currently 24 candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for president. Which one of the candidates would you vote for if your state’s primary election were held today? (CHOICES NOT READ)

QUESTION:  How confident do you feel the state of the economy in the country will be in the next 12 months compared to now?

                        More  Less   Same  Not Sure

CA                  20%     36%     36%     8%

TX                   27%     42%     28%     3%

FL                    25%     33%     34%     8%

NYC                21%     38%     32%     9%

QUESTION: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the Trump administration’s handling of U.S. immigration policy?

                        Approve        Disapprove   Not Sure

CA                   29%                63%                8%

TX                   30%                62%                8%      

FL                   39%                53%                8%

NYC                23%                67%                 10%

Telemundo Station Group is part of NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal. 

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