Obama's Puerto Rico Assisted Victories

So what happened to Obama in Puerto Rico? Why didn't he perform better? Afterall, he told Boricuas that he too was an islander, spoke Spanish, and even toured Ponce, the authentic city.

Yet, Hillary won in convincing fashion: 68% to 32. Where did Obama go wrong?

Political pundits have various theories, but they all assume that he seriously competed. But what if he didn't--by design? What if the real objective was to tie Hillary and company down in Puerto Rico so Obama and his strategists could focus on their priorities, i.e., Montana, South Dakota, Florida and Michigan?

My belief? We may have just witnessed a political headfake. A trick familiar to any basketball player, including Obama. The Obama camp gave the illusion of seriously competing for Puerto Rico, but spent their time and money elsewhere.

This tactic may have allowed an additional benefit of dampening voter enthusiasm. People in Puerto Rico (and elsewhere) are more likely to turn out if they can see and feel a true competition. Without the promised battle of the titans to excite, many Puerto Ricans lost interest. A weak voter turnout effectively denies Hillary the possibility of gaining a triple digit vote advantage.

A third benefit to the freeing of Obama's brain trust to focus on this weekend's DNC rules committee meeting. Anyone watching the proceedings could tell that the Clintonistas--who were thought to own the rules committee--were being maneuvered. The pro-Obama outcomes did not occur by happenstance.

(An alternative view is that allowing Hillary to dominate in Puerto Rico may be part of a "negotiated" exit strategy. That is, allow Hillary to leave on a high note, and to do so with a constituency that doesn't matter in terms of national elections, but is important to a New York politician with an eye on the next election.)

Clinton may have won a light primary in Puerto Rico, but it seems to me that she lost the wider war.

Puerto Rico Presidential Primary XIII: Lechón Asado

Lechón Asado

The Puerto Rico Primary
The Puerto Rico "primary" is a crypto-democratic act: We are selecting delegates who will be able to vote at the Democratic Convention even though they won't be able to vote in the general.

Clinton takes Puerto Rico after losing key party vote
A day after party leaders handed her a bruising defeat, Sen. Hillary Clinton consoled herself by winning the Puerto Rico primary, a contest that will produce a strong delegate count but little meaning for the general election, news networks said Sunday.

Clinton wins Puerto Rico primary
Hillary Rodham Clinton won a lopsided, but largely symbolic victory Sunday in Puerto Rico's presidential primary, the final act in a weekend of tumult that brought Barack Obama tantalizingly close to the Democratic presidential nomination.

Puerto Rico moves Obama closer to nomination
Barack Obama crept closer to clinching the Democratic presidential nomination Sunday, gaining at least 14 delegates in the Puerto Rico primary.

Hillary Clinton Projected Winner of the Puerto Rico Primary

Radio Isla 1320 and CNN projects Hillary winner of the Puerto Rico primary "by a large margin" -- 60% to 40%.

Reports of Disastrously Low Puerto Rico Voter Turnout

"Disastrous" is how a political analyst on Radio Isla 1320 describes what appears to be a Puerto Rico voter turnout far below official expectations. The expectation based on anecdotal evidence is that fewer than 350,000 voters island-wide will cast votes.

Polls close in 30 minutes.

Puerto Rico Presidential Primary XIII: Pasteles

Pasteles

Momma's Voting For Obama
I just got an email from my older brother who lives in the western part of PR. He is on his way to pick up my 80 year old mom and they will both vote for Obama today.

Democrats deal blow to Clinton ahead of Puerto Rico vote
The Democratic Party has restored the states of Michigan and Florida to its presidential convention with only half of their voting power, dealing a severe blow to Hillary Clinton ahead of Sunday's primary in Puerto Rico.

I Voted in Puerto Rico Today - Si Se puede!
Clinton's popular vote argument hinges on Puerto Rico now that Michigan has been removed from the equation. I am interested in how this plays out, because it could finally drive a stake through the undead heart of this silly argument.

Clinton Aims for Puerto Rico Win After Setback in Party Meeting
Hillary Clinton is counting on a lopsided win in Puerto Rico's Democratic presidential primary to shore up her argument that she is better able to beat Republican John McCain in November than her rival Barack Obama.

Puerto Rico Primary: Voters Head To The Polls
In Puerto Rico, some polling places in the capital of San Juan were busy soon after they opened while others were idle.

Puerto Rico gets its moment in the political sun
At 86, the Puerto Rican grandfather hardly typifies Obama's voter demographic. But Oms, wearing thick eyeglasses and a blue-and-yellow short-sleeved shirt with an Obama button, is enthusiastic and well-versed in mainland talking points.

Puerto Rico Goes to the Polls Today
Recession, war, high oil prices – all of these hit Puerto Rico hard, and early.

Clinton stumps, Puerto Rico wins
Sen. Hillary Clinton mounted a furious final day of campaigning Saturday across a halfdozen Puerto Rican towns in what is expected to be a victory for her against Barack Obama in Sunday's primary.

Puerto Rico Presidential Primary XII: Tostones

Tostones

Presidential primary brings attention, frustration to Puerto Rico
Puerto Ricans enjoy US citizenship but limited benefits from it. They serve in wars, are subject to payroll taxes - without getting the same benefits as state residents - and are not guaranteed all of the rights in the US Constitution,

The end is (probably) near
On Sunday, Puerto Rico holds its primary. Talk about a primary no one five months ago thought would matter. But like a string of other states and territories, Puerto Rico has benefited from this hard-fought primary season.

Rain Doesn't Dampen Clinton's Spirits in Puerto Rico
It rained on Hillary Clinton's parade.

Will Puerto Ricans boycott presidential primary?
BUT THERE ARE people in Puerto Rico who think the ultimate statement is one they can make towards the candidates – ignore both of them. Why, they wonder, should they take any interest in the U.S. presidential primaries when they don’t get any say in the general election, or any representation in Congress?

Limelight Falls on Colorful Puerto Rican Primary
Of course, Puerto Ricans want to protect their own culture, their own language, their own candidate in Miss Universe competitions, which they've won an extraordinary five times. And most mainland politicians seem more or less satisfied with the quasi-colonial status quo. So while on June 1st Puerto Ricans will exert more influence than they've ever had before in U.S. politics, by June 2, they'll still lack the right to vote for their commander-in-chief.

Will Clinton or Obama be voted off the island?
So even though Hillary, Bill and Chelsea Clinton have spent enough time wandering around Puerto Rico over the last few weeks that you could easily confuse them with tourists who got a good rate on a family vacation package, it's looking like the turnout for Sunday's primary won't hit the mark Clinton needs to take a lead in the popular vote before the Democratic campaign finally lurches to an end on Tuesday.

Stumping to island beat
Where the candidates see voters, Puerto Rico sees an opening. Local leaders, long frustrated by what they view as Washington's indifference, say the primary is a rare opportunity to focus American attention on island issues.

Clinton: 'This is Puerto Rico's time'
“I want to see Puerto Rico’s status resolved within my first term,” she said. “I have loved campaigning through Puerto Rico because I believe this is Puerto Rico’s time, that you have waited long enough.”

Puerto Rico inmates cast early ballots for Dem. primary
Arturo Vazquez is locked up for assault and robbery, but he and hundreds of other prisoners may have a say in choosing the next president of the United States, casting early ballots Friday in Puerto Rico's key Democratic primary.

Looking Ahead to the Hispanic Vote
Scott Simon talks with Gebe Martinez, contributing columnist to Politico.com, about the upcoming Puerto Rico Democratic primary and how the Hispanic vote could break down in an Obama-McCain race. Puerto Rico holds its primary on June 1.

Puerto Rico Presidential Primary XII: Arroz con Gandules

Arroz Con Gandules

Puerto Rico Update
I just got off the phone with a pro-Obama PDP leader in Puerto Rico. He told me that they expect turnout to be low, as low as 200,000.

Arrecia llamado a boicot primarista en Puerto Rico
A dos días de la primaria demócrata en Puerto Rico, resuenan con más fuerza las voces de políticos, religiosos y artistas llamando a un boicot. Sus razones para no acudir a las urnas son variadas, destacándose los que entienden que las primarias estadounidenses son un proceso ajeno a la realidad de Puerto Rico, un territorio estadounidense desde el 1898.

Puerto Rico's ironic role
The Puerto Rican vote in New York is large but nondecisive. The Hispanic vote in Florida could be the swing vote in a swing state. Obama now knows what Carl Rove found out in 2000.

Letter to a Puerto Rican Friend
So you see Don Pedro Albeizu Campos and his Cuban counterpart Antonio Maceo are true heroes to conscious black Americans who are aware of how our own black history transcends national boundaries and must include the Afro-Spanish, Afro-Brazilians (and Afro-Dutch, Afro-French and others of the African diaspora) who number over 200 million souls all over Latin America.

Benicio del Toro respalda a Barack Obama
El aclamado actor puertorriqueño Benicio del Toro respaldó el viernes a Barack Obama en sus aspiraciones a la candidatura presidencial por el Partido Demócrata.

This is a bit confusing
In Puerto Rico, they are United State's citizens, but they are not allowed to. So, when a Puerto Rican moves to a state, he/she doesn't have to become a US citizen, but they can now vote. If that is true, why the hell can't they vote in Puerto Rico? SnowItch

Hillary's Puerto Rico Problems
More to the point, though, Clinton isn't especially liked in Puerto Rico.

Favorece la papeleta de Hillary-Obama
La congresista puertorriqueña Nydia Velázquez ve con buenos ojos que Hillary Clinton y Barack Obama compartan la papeleta del Partido Demócrata, uno como aspirante a la presidencia y el otro a la vicepresidencia de Estados Unidos.

Clinton looks to Puerto Rico to boost her campaign
Sen. Hillary Clinton is spending her second straight weekend campaigning in Puerto Rico before the island territory's June 1 primary. It could be one of her last chances to boost her popular vote total.

Inequality in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has entered the 21st century facing a crossroads. Some of the mechanisms for economic stimulus and development that its political class had relied on have been eliminated by the U.S. Congress. Others have been rendered irrelevant by the re-positioning of Puerto Rico in the global economy

Puerto Rico's Primary Vote
Flavio Cumpiano, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Administration talks with The Hill about the Democratic Presidential Primary in Puerto Rico.

A Primary in Puerto Rico
For Puerto Rico, the Democratic primary has revived the island’s ongoing dilemma over whether to become the fifty-first American state or remain a territory.

Puerto Rico Primary Facts and Figures

Puerto Rico Presidential Primary XI: Sancocho

Puerto Rican Sancocho

Puerto Rico Primary Splits Island’s Independentistas
It's a sign of Puerto Rico's zany political scene that a famous comedian sometimes doubles as a pundit. Silverio Pérez, known for hosting TV shows on Telemundo and Univisión, is also unusual for another reason: he's an independentista, one of the small percentage of Puerto Ricans who advocate for the island to become independent, ending its 110-year history as a U.S. possession.

Puerto Rico, Obama and the Politics of Race
What does all this racial politics portend for the territory’s upcoming primary? Obama has swept U.S. states with sizable African American populations like South Carolina. Puerto Rico however could be another story however as it is by no means clear that island residents self identify as black. On June 1st, we may see Latinos continue to vote en masse for a white candidate over a black one.

Latin artists support Obama in music video
More than 20 stars from the Latin music and film community released a Spanish-language video in support of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Thursday, days before Puerto Rico's primary. The video, "Podemos con Obama," or "We can With Obama," features such Puerto Ricans as actor John Leguizamo and hip hop artist Don Omar, and international pop stars Alejandro Sanz and Paulina Rubio. Actors George Lopez and Jessica Alba also participated.

Puerto Rican primary presents confounding issues
This isn't to say that watching the candidates on television swigging Presidente beer or jigging to island music wasn't amusing. To this Puerto Rican, there's something mildly uplifting about seeing presidential wannabes making nice with Latinos on something other than immigration.

Curtain closes on long Democratic process, Hillary willing
This just in: Ricky Martin, the Latin singing sensation, has endorsed Hillary Clinton in advance of next week’s Democratic Presidential Primary in Puerto Rico. The entertainer has a good sense of timing – he’s doing his number right before the curtain comes down.

Puerto Rico Presidential Primary IX: Mongo

Pew Hispanic Center: Fact Sheet on the Puerto Rican Electorate
The Pew Hispanic Center today released a fact sheet on the demographics of eligible voters in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The fact sheet contains information on elections in Puerto Rico and data on the size and social and economic characteristics of the Puerto Rican eligible voter population. This fact sheet is based on the Center's tabulations of the Census Bureau's 2006 Puerto Rico Community Survey.

More yawns than cheers in Puerto Rico primary
Local elections routinely attract 80 percent of voters. And the Democratic primary is open to all registered voters of whatever party, because Puerto Rico doesn't register voters by party. Nevertheless, electoral officials predict fewer than 25 percent of the 2.3 million registered voters will turn out for Sunday's primary.

Puerto Rico: Apatía hacia la primaria: Muchos alcaldes del PNP son republicanos.
La movilización de electores a las urnas para la primaria de este domingo dependerá de la capacidad de los políticos locales en superar la apatía que tienen en sus filas: la gran mayoría de los alcaldes penepés son republicanos y algunos de sus homólogos populares no aplauden este proceso.

More On Puerto Rico
Thus, 32-23 Clinton on the delegates, a plus 9 in the delegate count for Clinton. This is based on Clinton winning by 57-43. My prediction today. Clinton picks up about 75,000 in the popular vote.

Todos Somos Americanos
“Ich bin ein Berliner”, was how John F. Kennedy in 1963, during the height of the Cold War, sought to reaffirm US support towards democratic West Germany shortly after the construction of the Berlin Wall.

Fast forward to 2008 and Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, in a keynote speech on his proposed policies towards Latin America evoked a similar notion of solidarity (and use of a foreign language catchphrase…) by declaring: “¡Todos Somos Americanos!” (We are all Americans!)

ALP: "Squeezed" and "Fighting for "Puerto Rico"
The American Leadership is an independent pro-Clinton group that has been running ads on her behalf.

Related:
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary VIII: Livin' La Vida Loca
Puerto Rico Primary Poll Questioned
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary VII: Partidos Politicos
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary VI
Hóla, Puerto Rico!: Puerto Rico Presidential Primary V
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary IV
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary III
Latinos Shift to Obama
An Obama Victory in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary II
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary
Puerto Rico to Pick the Next U.S. President? It may not be so crazy
Angelo Falcon: Puerto Rico & the U.S. Presidential Election
Puerto Rico's Anibal Acevedo-Vila Endorses Barack Obama
Independentistas Tap Puerto Rico's Anti-War Sentiment

Puerto Rico Presidential Primary VIII: Livin' La Vida Loca

Ricky Martin endorses Hillary
Pop star Ricky Martin is backing Hillary Rodham Clinton ahead of Puerto Rico's primary on Sunday. The Grammy-winning singer on Wednesday said Clinton has shown a commitment to the needs of the Hispanic community. Martin is one of the territory's top-selling artists, whose hits including "She Bangs" and "Livin' la Vida Loca."

Why Puerto Rico's Democratic Primary Won't Matter
There are a number of reasons why the Puerto Rican Democratic primary election set for this coming Sunday won’t matter, in terms of Hillary Clinton’s failed bid for the party’s nomination.

CNN sole network to get Puerto Rico polling
When Puerto Rico Democrats go to the polls Sunday for its potentially historic primary, CNN will be the only network to have access to exit polling.

Diary: To Puerto Rico with Clinton
[A] stop-by-stop diary of Hillary Clinton campaigning in Puerto Rico over the weekend from our campaign reporter who followed Clinton on the trip.

Clinton Has a Lead, But Not a Landslide, in Puerto Rico
A new poll confirms that Hillary Clinton is the clear favorite in this weekend's Puerto Rico primary, but perhaps not by the runaway margin that her supporters have been hoping for.

SEIU Urged: End Attacks Against Puerto Rico Teachers
A broad coalition of activists will gather Wednesday, May 28 in New York City to express support for Puerto Rico's embattled teachers and schoolchildren, to protest the decision of SEIU's leadership to launch an attack on the existing teachers union and to exhort SEIU to cease this activity.

Bill Clinton: Puerto Rico matters in '08
[Clinton and Obama] have received lukewarm receptions from islanders, who generally do not identify with any mainland party and who do not have the right to vote in November's presidential election.

Obama ready to crush Hillary with secret stash of superdelegates?
The secret stash is designed to put [Obama] over the 2,025 mark or, if the magic number gets bumped up this weekend, to propel him to an even wider overall delegate lead, which will come in handy for spin purposes if, as expected, she blows him out in Puerto Rico this weekend.

McCain has a BIG Hispanic Problem, Obama doing well.
The media has been trying and make a story out of Obama's low Hispanic vote turnout. They assume that since he lost the vote in many states, that he will lose the vote in Nov. I can not emphisis how stupid of an argument this is. We've seen the argument made with "whites," until Obama won the demographic in Oregon, only after winning Iowa, Wisconsin, Utah, Washington... you get the idea. Once again the media isn't doing it's job of conducting journalistic research. Here's what the real story is on Obama and the Hispanic vote.

Five Questions About the Puerto Rico Democratic Presidential Primary

Related Posts:
Puerto Rico Primary Poll Questioned
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary VII: Partidos Politicos
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary VI
Hóla, Puerto Rico!: Puerto Rico Presidential Primary V
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary IV
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary III
Latinos Shift to Obama
An Obama Victory in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary II
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary
Puerto Rico to Pick the Next U.S. President? It may not be so crazy
Angelo Falcon: Puerto Rico & the U.S. Presidential Election
Puerto Rico's Anibal Acevedo-Vila Endorses Barack Obama
Independentistas Tap Puerto Rico's Anti-War Sentiment

Puerto Rico Primary Poll Questioned

In a poll of Puerto Rico voters published today in the island's El Vocero daily, Hillary Clinton holds a 13 point advantage Barack Obama with just days before Puerto Rico's June 1st primary -- 51% to 38%.

If accurate, Hillary will easily win the Puerto Rico derby.

However, I do have questions about the integrity of the Vocero-Univision poll and here's why:

1) The Vocero poll is a co-production with Univison, a NYC and Miami-based Spanish-language television company owned by staunch Clinton partisan and financial backer Haim Saban.

2) The Vocero poll article is curiously missing basic poll information, including sample size, margin of error, and actual groups surveyed (residents, registered voter, likely voters, etc.). A search of the Univision and Univision PR websites turned up empty. Unfortunately, without the poll's particulars there's no way to properly judge the information presented--and that information/data could be inaccurate, misleading or worse.

For example, the poll found that only 43% of respondents will definitely vote, but it's not clear if those are the views of the general public, registered voters or likely voters--my guess is that it's of the general public. It's also not clear if the 51% favoring Hillary and the 38% favoring Obama reflects the views of the whole surveyed group or of a subgroup such 'likely voters'.

3) It's clear from my viewing of Univision's coverage of the Clinton-Obama contest that the network favors Clinton. For example, it was Univision's late minute debate "offer" that has been used to score cheap political points against Barack Obama, and it was Univision that has given Hillary a pass on her flip-flopping on licenses for undocumented workers, militarizing the US-Mexico border, the Iraq War, etc.

For argument's sake, let's assume that the poll is accurate and the people surveyed are registered voters. If 100% of the 43% planning to vote vote, a bit over 1 million islanders will cast votes on Sunday. If they vote in accordance with the poll results, Hillary will receive 510,000 votes to Obama's 380,000. A big victory but not enough to erase Obama's hefty delegate advantage.

Obama will end June 1st about 22 delegates short of winning the nomination, while Hillary will be short about 210. Favored in the final primaries of June 3rd in Montana and South Dakota, Obama will win the necessary 2025 delegates and lock-up the nomination.

Hillary will be the official loser. But so will be Puerto Rico if the voters of the commonwealth miss an historic opportunity to vote for true change.

Puerto Rico Presidential Primary VII: Partidos Politicos

The Campaign for Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico won't be a swing state in November. It's not even a state, and its 4 million residents aren't allowed to vote in the general election. Its partisan politics have little in common with the mainland's; the main competitors are not Democrats and Republicans, but "commonwealthers" and "statehooders," and while they are divided into reds and blues, the reds of the commonwealth party are more likely to favor Democrats, while the blues of the statehood party skew more Republican.

Democratic Primary a Big Moment for Puerto Rico
The close race for the Democratic presidential nomination has unexpectedly put Puerto Rico — and its 63 delegates — in the spotlight. Political analyst Juan Manuel Garcia Passalacqua talks with Alex Chadwick about the climate leading up Tuesday's primary.

A first person account of the Dem primary in Puerto Rico
Well, despite his tiredness, he charmed the pants off the island. The front pages this morning had full page pictures of his beaming smile and crowds of people. The headline in El Nuevo Dia was Obama Enchants Puerto Rico: Walks through San Juan, Dances Salsa. Meanwhile the headline for Hillary's visit was Hillary brings an Avalanche of Promises.

Puerto Rican nationalists predict low turnout
Leaders of Puerto Rico‘s independence party predict a low turnout for Sunday‘s Democratic primary.

Clintons campaign together in Puerto Rico
"Puerto Rico should support Hillary because she understands you better," Bill Clinton told the crowd.

Clinton Parties in PR, Acknowledges the Odds
Eager to put her controversial remarks about Robert Kennedy's assassination behind her, Sen. Hillary Clinton took off to Puerto Rico this weekend, where she shimmied to Enrique Iglesias, swigged from a bottle of Presidente beer and once again proclaimed her determination to continue her longshot campaign.

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Hóla, Puerto Rico!: Puerto Rico Presidential Primary V
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary IV
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary III
Latinos Shift to Obama
An Obama Victory in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary II
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary
Puerto Rico to Pick the Next U.S. President? It may not be so crazy
Angelo Falcon: Puerto Rico & the U.S. Presidential Election
Puerto Rico's Anibal Acevedo-Vila Endorses Barack Obama
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Puerto Rico Presidential Primary VI

Desperate to Change the Dynamic of the Race, Clinton Accepts A Debate Offer in Puerto Rico
Hillary Clinton said today that she would accept a debate offer from a major Spanish language television channel in Puerto Rico in the coming days because she said, “the issues facing Puerto Rico are serious and deserve a serious debate.”

Campaigning in Puerto Rico, Hillary Clinton speaks of faith in the face of setbacks
"There isn't anything we cannot do together if we seek God's blessing and if we stay committed and are not deterred by the setbacks that often fall in every life."

Democrats campaign hard in Puerto Rico
On the mainland, Obama is black, but not in Puerto Rico,” said Juan Manuel García Passalacqua, a political commentator. “Here he is a mulatto, and this is a mulatto society. People here are perfectly prepared to vote for someone who looks like them for president of the United States.”

Clinton, Obama Campaign in Puerto Rico
In his remarks to a small group of veterans Saturday, Obama criticized the presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain for opposing legislation that would provide college scholarships to people who have served in the U.S. military.

Statehood for Puerto Rico? Candidates Don’t Care
When it comes to Puerto Rico, the presidential candidates want to have it both ways.

Obama’s mulatto primary
A few things struck me about this. Number one, race isn’t an “obstacle,” racism is an obstacle. The problem isn’t that Obama is black, the problem is that some folks have a problem with the fact that Obama is black.

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Hóla, Puerto Rico!: Puerto Rico Presidential Primary V

Obama Campaigns in Puerto Rico
The beats of salsa and reggaeton were pulsing, the sun was shining and the waves of the Atlantic were rippling in the distance when Senator Barack Obama walked into La Plaza del Quinto to greet supporters one week before the Democratic presidential primary here.

When languages matter: Obama tests his Spanish in Puerto Rico
U.S. presidential candidates don’t often make it to Puerto Rico, so the language barrier is not usually a problem.

The Road to the White House Goes Through Puerto Rico?
Who would have thought that seventeen months into this nomination process, the two leading Democratic presidential nominees are battling it out in – Puerto Rico? Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have taken their campaigns to a territory with no constitutional right to vote in the general election and an island where the residents are not required to pay federal income taxes.

Obama Campaign Redoubles Efforts to Reach Hispanic Voters
"Hóla, Puerto Rico! How's everybody doing today?" Obama shouted to a crowd gathered in Old San Juan, before he led dancing supporters along the seaside battlements for a raucous caminata, the traditional candidate parade. "I am thankful, I am grateful. . . . If we do well in Puerto Rico, there is no reason I will not be announcing that I am the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America!"

Clinton Greets Puerto Ricans: Buenas Noches!
“Buenos Noches!”

Puerto Rico's moment in the sun
The throbbing beat of plena, blaring from a speaker truck, shook the Plaza del Quinto Centenario this afternoon as Barack Obama embarked on that most Puerto Rican of campaign appearances: the caminata.

In visit to Puerto Rico, Obama criticizes McCain for not supporting new veterans' benefit bill
Barack Obama told veterans Saturday that he cannot understand why Republican John McCain opposes legislation that would provide college scholarships to people who have served in the U.S. military.

Will Puerto Rico Determine the Dem Nominee?
On June 1st, Puerto Rico will hold its primary, the third to last contest of this long and drawn out Democratic race. Barack Obama spent the day campaigning in the territory, hoping to reap some of its 55 pledged delegates up for grabs next Sunday.

Obama stirs up South Florida crowds
Barack Obama whipped up some Cuban-American leaders in Miami and an arena-sized crowd in Broward County on the last leg of a three-day tour kick-starting his presidential campaign in Florida.

Comments Cast Shadow on Last Laps in Primaries
Yet even though Mrs. Clinton apologized for invoking the death of Senator Robert F. Kennedy on Friday — she said she was simply explaining how many races had gone on longer than hers, including in 1968, when Mr. Kennedy was killed in June — the reverberations have raised fresh questions about her motivations, overshadowing her campaign here and in the remaining two states.

Obama, Clinton Make Campaign Pitches in Puerto Rico
Barack Obama, campaigning today in Puerto Rico, pledged to improve health care and other assistance for the more than 150,000 military veterans living in the U.S. territory.

Puerto Rico con Obama - Plaza Las Americas Rally

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Puerto Rico Presidential Primary IV

Puerto Rico’s Moment in the Sun - NYTimes
The United States is overdue in re-engaging with this special place, which landed in our lap as a stepchild of imperialism in 1898, and which we have never seen clearly.

Primary News from Puerto Rico
PR for Obama's summary of the daily presidential primary news published in PR´s papers, radio and TV.

Obama, el primero en llegar a Puerto Rico - El Vocero
Obama, según fuentes de su campaña, será el primero en llegar. Su llegada está pautada para el viernes por la noche y se quedará hasta el sábado. Mientras, la campaña de Clinton ya confirmó que la senadora estará en la Isla desde el sábado hasta el lunes. Según se supo, su campaña espera que Clinton aterrice por Aguadilla.

Al rojo vivo la batalla primarista - El Nuevo Dia
La primaria del 1 de junio se convierte este fin de semana en el centro de atracción de la contienda por la candidatura presidencial del Partido Demócrata con la llegada de los senadores Barack Obama y Hillary Clinton a la Isla, en búsqueda de los 55 delegados que elegirán los electores puertorriqueños ese día.

De paseo por Ponce - El Nuevo Dia
El gobernador del estado de Nuevo México, Bill Richardson, junto al ex gobernador Rafael Hernández Colón, recorrieron hoy varias calles del casco urbano de esta ciudad pidiendo a todo el que se encontraban a su paso que votaran por Barack Obama en las primarias demócratas del primero de junio.

Puerto Rico will not give Hillary the popular vote edge, from someone who actually lives in PR
Puertorrican politics are like latinamerican politics. You don't choose a party, you are born into one. We don’t root for our parties, we fight for them, we scream, we ruin family meetings talking politics. We like our candidate strong, with personality, we like them to hug us, kiss us, dance with us. We don't mind choosing women (we had a female governor), as long as they are strong women. If you are a nice guy, if you can't dole out the punishment, you are branded as a "mongo", literally a local slang that means flacid. The label mongo is a death.

Democrats adopt boisterous Puerto Rican style - AP
Forget placards, stoic bodyguards and formal rallies. To win Puerto Rico's presidential primary, both the Clinton and Obama camps are campaigning in the boisterous, face-to-face "boricua style" favored on this Caribbean island.

Impugna uso de fondos públicos para primaria - PrimeraHora.com
La asignación de fondos públicos para la celebración de las primarias demócratas en Puerto Rico es inconstitucional porque no tendría “consecuencia legítima” alguna, ya que Barack Obama prácticamente alcanzó los delegados necesarios para obtener la nominación presidencial.

Michelle en la isla, Dia 2 - Zacharias
Fotos de nuestra fotoblog sobre la visita de Michelle Obama en Puerto Rico.

PHOTO: Governor Bill Richardson campaigning with formeer PR Governor Hernández Colón and Mayor Francisco Zayas Seijo in Ponce on behalf of Barack Obama.

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Puerto Rico Presidential Primary III

Puerto Rico...Obama Island?
Anthropologist, Blogger and DailyKOS Diaryist Denise Oliver-Velez (aka Deoliver47) notes that "Most United States citizens here on the mainland know next to nothing about Puerto Rico, and yet we are headed towards a primary there on June 1."

She then provides a comprehensive education on the Isla del Encanto, its people, politics and upcoming presidential primary. Very nice.

WHY OBAMA? by Hernandez Colon
Obama is precisely the type of leader that the U.S. needs to guide it in the post American world. He is free from mind sets of the past and can relate better than any other to those that the U.S. must engage with due respect in order to bring about a world built on cooperation not on confrontation.

Salen ganando los boricuas
Para el presidente del Senado, Kenneth McClintock, Puerto Rico ya está obteniendo ganancias de la primaria demócrata que tendrá lugar el 1 de junio en la Isla.

'Crece el apoyo a la campaña de Obama'
Miguel Hernández Agosto, ex presidente del Partido Demócrata en Puerto Rico, anunció ayer su apoyo a la precandidatura presidencial de Barack Obama. “Obama entiende esta nueva realidad y puede detener el descenso de los Estados Unidos ante el mundo y de su poderío económico."

Richardson to campaign for Obama in Puerto Rico
Former presidential contender Bill Richardson will campaign this week for Barack Obama in Puerto Rico, 10 days before the Commonwealth holds its Democratic primary.

Obama vs Clinton: La campaña en P. R. (WAPA Video)
Las primarias demócratas presidenciales en la isla, continúan al rojo vivo. En Decisión 2008, El Programa, Pedro Pierlusi -candidato a la Comisaría Residente por el PNP y co-presidente de la campaña de Barack Obama en P. R. - y Francisco Domeneche -líder local de Hillary Clinton y súper delegado- hablan sobre lo que esperan sean las tendencias en la Isla.

Puerto Rico relishes clout as ballot battleground
The island's June 1 primary is the biggest Democratic contest left, with 55 delegates at stake and perhaps giving Sen. Hillary Clinton a last-gasp opportunity to claim victory in the popular vote.

Obama cartel grandísimo cubre edificio en San Juan
Mira este cartel que los admiradores de Barack lo colgó en la Clinica las Americas en San Juan. ¡Viva Barack!

P.R. Primary Watch - Vigilia Primaria P.R./Obama vs. Clinton

Related Posts:
Latinos Shift to Obama
An Obama Victory in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary II
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary
Puerto Rico to Pick the Next U.S. President? It may not be so crazy
Angelo Falcon: Puerto Rico & the U.S. Presidential Election
Puerto Rico's Anibal Acevedo-Vila Endorses Barack Obama
Independentistas Tap Puerto Rico's Anti-War Sentiment

Obama Takes Oregon and Majority of Pledged Delegates

Obama has won Oregon by a significant margin!

More importantly, he has now won an absolute majority of pledged delegates.

Much is being made by the Clintonistas and the FOX propagandists about Obama's low appeal to Whites.

Four points:

1) No Democratic presidential candidate--and they've ALL been White--have won a majority of the so-called "White working-class voters" since 1964! And that includes Bubba himself!

2) A large number of Hillary's White voters vote Republican in nation elections--and few would vote for Hillary in the general election.

3) A larger percentage of Blue Dog Democrats voted for George W. Bush in 2004 than plan to vote for John McCain if Barack Obama is the nominee.

4) Oregon is overwhelmingly White--92%--and it just voted Obama! But then again so did all of these overwhelmingly "White" states:

- Colorado (91.91%)
- Iowa (95.79%)
- Vermont (97.95%)
- New Hampshire (96.97%)
- Idaho (96.81%)
- Kansas (90.87%)
- South Dakota (88.50%)
- North Dakota (93.19%)
- Utah (95.01%)
- Nebraska (93.06%)
- Washington (87.65%)
- Maine (97.81%)
- Wisconsin (91.00%)
- Minnesota (87.30%)
- Wyoming (96.01%)

Record Rally for Obama in Oregon (i.e., Hardworking Whites LOVE Obama!)

Barack Obama has been setting records for attendance at campaign events all season, but today's rally in Portland, Oregon was off the charts. 75,000 people gathered at Waterfront Park to catch a glimpse of the phenomena that is Obama.

Note to the Clintonistas and the anti-Obama wingnuts: Oregon is 92% White and only 2% African American. Hmmmm.

Video
Record Obama Crowd, the Size of a City
75,000 gather for Obama rally at waterfront park

An Obama Victory in Puerto Rico

Political pundits and Clintonistas assume Hillary wins Puerto Rico running away.

They cite as "evidence" three items: 1) Hillary's lock on New York Puerto Rican pols and votes; 2) Bill's pardoning of the FALN 16; 3) and a dated--and dubious--EL Nuevo Dia poll showing Hillary leading Obama by 13 points -- 50% to 37%.

IMO, The Puerto Rico primary will not be the blow-out that they're counting on--and that an Obama victory would be by far the better outcome. Here's why:

A. Puerto Rico is not East LA

Nothing against the good people of the Bronx, but to suggest that voters in Puerto Rico will vote like Puerto Ricans in the Bronx is silly. Moreover, to suggest that because Hillary won a majority of "Hispanic" voters in California and Texas that, therefore, she'll win the "Hispanic" Puerto Rico vote as well is just dumb or worse. Puerto Rico is not East LA, San Antonio or even Miami.

B. Different place and time

Much has happened since New York, California and Texas voters made their picks--and the evolving storyline is hugely different. Thank goodness! The scripted pageant of the Clintonistas, their allies in Miami and Los Angeles-based Spanish language television, and barrio Latino pols, has crashed with the rise of an authentic "people-power" movement known as Obama.

With specific needs, challenges and opportunities of their own, Puerto Rico's voters have an historic opportunity on June 1st to tell the U.S. and the world whom they believe will make the better leader for their cause, the American nation's interests and the world.

C. Use of the Race Card Doesn't Sell

While the Clintons do have many supporters in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico voters too are looking for change--and the Clintons don't measure up.

For example, Hillary's pro-Iraq War vote, combined with her recent and irresponsible rhetoric about obliterating Iran, is like the stench of "naplam" to a people quite aware that their sons and daughters are dying at a disproportionate rate for a bad war.

Additionally, the Clintons use of the race card against Obama and Hillary's claim that she's the go-to choice of bigots are views deeply offensive to the multi-racial nation that is Puerto Rico.

Hillary simply CANNOT be the candidate of BOTH White bigots and Puerto Ricans. NO WAY!

D.) Lack of Hard Data

Believe or not, but NONE of the national polling companies tracking voter primary preferences has conducted a poll of Puerto Rico voters.

The only "data" is from a dated survey conducted by the island's El Nuevo Dia newspaper in late March/early April. That poll had Hillary up 13 points with a margin of error of 4.4.

With all due respect to the good people at El Nuevo Dia, not only is polling not their strong suit, but they have NO experience gauging local preferences for national candidates competing in a first ever true primary election. None. So one must take any poll there with a grain of salt.

Additionally, the poll had a 4.4 margin of error, which means that the gap between Hillary and Obama back then could have been as little as 4.2 points. But more importantly, a political poll done in early April tells us nothing about voter preference today or on June 1st. Nothing. Nada.

An Obama Victory in Puerto Rico

It's clear Barack Obama--and not Hillary Clinton--will be the Democratic Party 's nominee for president of the United States. Given this outcome, and given striking commonalities between Obama and the Puerto Rican nation--a multi-racial heritage, a balanced world view, awareness of the consequences of economic dislocation--island voters have an historic opportunity to vote Obama.

The benefits of such an outcome would be huge for the people of Puerto Rico, an Obama Presidency and the cause for change.

Related Posts:
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary VII: Partidos Politicos
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary VI
Hóla, Puerto Rico!: Puerto Rico Presidential Primary V
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary IV
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary III
Latinos Shift to Obama
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary II
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary
Puerto Rico to Pick the Next U.S. President? It may not be so crazy
Angelo Falcon: Puerto Rico & the U.S. Presidential Election
Puerto Rico's Anibal Acevedo-Vila Endorses Barack Obama
Independentistas Tap Puerto Rico's Anti-War Sentiment

Puerto Rico Presidential Primary II

Esposa de Barack Obama hace campaña por primera vez en Puerto Rico
Pierluisi dijo que durante la reunión hablaron sobre "la política local", mientras que el grupo de campaña enfatizó a Obama que "Barack es un hombre justo y no es un político tradicional, que se identifica con el pobre de Puerto Rico y que será un excelente presidente".

Se suman alcaldes a candidatura de Obama
Pedro Pierluisi, quien encabeza la campaña de Obama en Puerto Rico, anunció hoy que el alcalde loiceño, Eddie Manso, y su homólogo de Añasco, Pablo Crespo, se unieron al grupo que apoya la candidatura del aspirante demócrata por las propuestas que presentó para la Isla.

Michelle Obama, Chelsea Clinton campaign for Democratic candidates in Puerto Rico
In the city's colonial district, Michelle Obama greeted the steering committee for her husband's campaign. She said only Puerto Ricans should decide whether the island will continue its commonwealth status, become a U.S. state or opt for independence.

Chelsea Clinton back in Puerto Rico to campaign
Chelsea Clinton is back in Puerto Rico stumping for her mother, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Extended race great news for Puerto Rico
Not since those Vieques protests has Puerto Rico received so much attention from Washington politicians and the mainland media.

Let's Listen to the Voters of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico deserves to be heard in the Democratic race for President. As the chair of Barack Obama's campaign in Puerto Rico put it this week: "As a Puerto Rican I know this is our chance to engage the candidates on issues that matter to our island." On issues ranging from health care to the economy, the voters of Puerto Rico want to be heard.