D.C. Filams Split On GOP, Dem Bets

February 18, 2008  --  Got something to say?
Print This Post Print This Post

candidates.jpg
WASHINGTON D.C. The primaries in the tri-state area of Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. last Tuesday (Feb. 12) may ultimately break the dead heat between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the Democratic party nomination.

But it will not resolve the split among Filipino Americans over the choice of which candidate can best lead the country. The Democrats in the area are still split between Hillary and Barack. The same thing is happening in the ranks of Filipino American Republicans some of whom arent too happy with the leading bet, Sen. John McCain.

Hillarys supporters expect her to perform well in the so-called Potomac or Chesapeake primaries Tuesday because they think she has a lot of support among Filipino and Asian Americans in the greater Washington D.C. area. McCain, on the other hand, is expected to gather more delegates to virtually wrap up the Republican nomination.

But not all Filam Republicans are happy with the withdrawal of Mitt Romney which now makes McCain the frontrunner.

Among the rabid Filipino American supporters of Hillary in DC are Gloria Caoile of the Asian Pacific Labor Alliance (APALA), community activist-journalist Jon Melegrito (he is a Manila Mail columnist), Irene Natividad and other top community leaders. As far as is know, theres no known Filipino or Asian American group in the DC area who is campaigning for Obama.

Even among blacks, Obama has lost the endorsement of an early supporter in the predominantly black and Filipino American community in Prince Georges county in Maryland. PG County Executive Jack Johnson who earlier pledged his support to Obama has changed his stand in favor of Hillary.

Caoile, Melegrito, Natividad and others have been actively campaigning for Hillary in various primaries in several states for the past several months.

Filipino American Republicans in Virginia led by Atty. Warie Azarcon, also a Manila Mail columnist, have thrown their support behind McCain. Previously, their preference was for New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani because they belived he would be the strongest candidate against Hillary, if ever she emerges the winner in the Democratic party.

Results from the more than 20 states that voted in the primaries or caucuses showed that the Asian American votes have been crucial in the victory of Hillary in vote-rich California. Today, various polls show that if the contest will be between Hillary and McCain, the result will be a tie. But if it will be between Obama and McCain, the former is expected to win handily.

And for the first time in US political history, the mainstream TV and print media outlets have credited the Asian American and Latino votes as the key to Hillarys win in the West Coast while majority of blacks leaned more towards Obama.

Azarcon, the leader of the Filipino American Republicans in Virginia, says my first preference was Rudy Giuliani, but Im happy with McCain. He is a practical conservative. I think McCains surge is fueled by a strong perception that he has the best chance of winning against any Democratic nominee. McCain may have piqued some GOP hardliners in the past, particularly on the issues of campaign finance reform and the failed immigration reform, the thought of a Democratic presidency, particularly Hillary Clinton will make some disagreements with him on a few issues tolerable. Ronald Reagan won decisively twice because he got a good slice of the independents and the so-called Reagan Democrats. With the exit of Guillani, McCain is the one with the best shot of winning the independents and even some Democrats. Whoever wins the independent vote will likely take the White House.

He emphasized the despite criticisms from talk show hosts, McCain is really a conservative, strong on national defense and consistently pro-life. He is committed to eliminating wasteful earmarks and making Bush tax cuts permanent.

Another GOP leader disagreed. Maurese Owens, a top community leader, said: I am disappointed. McCain is not a true conservative, which is why he attracts the moderates and the independent vote. Im still going to vote for Romney in the Virginia primary and see where that leads to.

Melegrito said in a statement that Hillary is more competent and capable of translating rhetoric into action than Obama. Besides, he said its about time a woman with leadership experience runs this country. I think shell be a better president than Bill (Clinton).”

As for Obama, Melegrito said undecided voters are having doubts about his substance and his ability to deliver on his promises. The poetry of his candidacy is seductive and compelling, harking back to the glory days of John F. Kennedy.

He added: Having been in the trenches for more than 20 years, shes more seasoned and tested and thus gives a solid assurance that she can solve the complex problems of the nation such as health care, education, the economy and even the war in Iraq. Waxing poetic, Melegrito added: …voters are also beginning to realize that it will take the prose of governing, rather than the poetry of campaigning, to truly change the reality of peoples lives, as Hillary has demonstrated.” He warned about independent voters adopting the cult of personality developing around Obama, at the expense of really focusing on who can best tackle the bread and butter issues that matter to ordinary Americans. He went on to cite the achievements of r children, women, minorities and working families. As for the negatives he said they are for the most part created by the media.

But another Manila Mail columnist, Becky Pagsibigan, said she is for Sen. McCain. Many are saying that he does not represent the true conservative ideals of the Republicans, but I think that he is balancing the issues on immigration, on tax reforms and the Iraq war. He is not playing safe, but he is thinking of whats good for the country. It is extremely difficult, but with his vast experience in the military, he knows the position of the US, national and international, protecting our major interests.

For some Filipino Americans, the main quality they seek in a candidate is whether or not he or she is friendly to Filipino and Asian Americans. Even before the campaign started, Hillary was always close to Filipinos. One of her biggest supporter in New York is businesswoman Loida Nicolas Lewis, former chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA).

On the other hand, observers say, Obama rarely mixed with the Asian American community since he began his campaign.

Among Filipino Americans, Hillary is seen as the most experienced candidate, having been in the White House for eight years and in the Senate seven years representing New York. Others view her as more of the same while Obama represents the new breed of politicians who could repair the growing divide between Red and Blue states, something that is replicated in the halls of Congress and elsewhere where confrontation is the rule.

Obama has excited the electorate, particularly the young, with his call for a truly United States. Obama is seen as an agent of change, the outsider with new ideas and fresh perspective that are necessary to revitalize the countrys image abroad.

McCain, on the other hand, is seen as very strong on defense and sympathetic to minority causes, including supporting the controversial immigration reform bill that failed to pass last year. McCain also supported the Filipino Veterans Equity bill and the veterans reunification bill. They also think he is different from the mold of the ultra conservatives who see everything in black and white.

But the ultra conservatives are said to be rebelling, mainly because he is not a real conservative.
Both Hillary and Obama have supported issues close to the heart of Asian and Filipino Americans, including the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill and reunification of Filipino American war veterans.

As one pundit puts it, Obamas background as the child of an immigrant father and a member of a minority group appealed to a number of Filipinos who feel that he of all the candidates understand best what its like to be an outsider done good. The child of a Kenyan father and white American mother, Obama was born and raised in Hawaii and spent several years of his childhood in Indonesia.

His sister Maya is half-Indonesian and married to a Chinese-Canadian. He has referred to his multicultural background numerous times in speeches and press releases.

Filipino American Vida Benavides, Chair of APIA Vote, correctly predicted that In these unpredictable races, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have the ability to impact the vote.”
Nationwide, approximately 7 million Asian American Pacific Islanders are eligible to vote, and close to 3.5 million have registered to vote.

Nearly 3 million Asian American and Pacific Islander voters cast ballots in the last presidential election.
Marjorie Asturias-Lochlaer of Balita news service writing from California said Hillary and Obama appear to be the main contenders for the Filipino American vote. Among Filipino Americans, she said, Clinton is seen as the experienced, politically savvy candidate with battle scars from her eight years as First Lady in the White House in addition to her seven years in Congress as the Senator from New York. Others see Obama as the agent of change, the so-called outsider with the new ideas and the fresh perspective necessary to revitalize the country after two war-torn terms under President Bush.”

She said the Clinton campaign jumped into the fray early and launched a national initiative called Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Hillary, led by California Representative Doris Matsui, in May of 2007. The timing appeared to be evidence of the growing influence the Asian-American community has on the political scene. In addition, the appointment of Irene Natividad, renowned Filipino American activist and president of Global Summit for Women, demonstrated the enormous potential for Filipino American issues to be taken seriously by the former First Lady and powerhouse fundraising Senator. Healthcare in particular is becoming a flashpoint for many Americans who find their purchasing power diminishing in the wake of higher insurance premiums and escalating healthcare costs. Few can forget Senator Clintons ill-fated foray into the healthcare debate in the early years of Bill Clinton?s first term in the White House. However, its safe to say that not only has she learned her lesson from such a bruising experience, she has obviously not forgotten her original mission and is determined to continue the dialogue once again.

Walter Alarkon of The Hill newspaper said Asian Americans, whose voting power has been much less scrutinized than of African-American and Hispanic voters, were a significant factor in Sen. Hillary Rodham Clintons (D-N.Y.) victory in Tuesdays California Democratic primary.

He said Asian American voters made up 8 percent of the Democratic vote in the Golden State and supported Clinton by a 3-1 margin. They are now poised to be a factor in upcoming contests as the battle between Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) continues.

He continued: In Washington state, which caucuses Saturday, Asian Americans outnumber blacks. In Maryland, which votes in a primary Feb. 12, both Asian Americans and Hispanics account for 4 percent of the population. And in Hawaii, which votes Feb. 19, they make up nearly 41 percent of the population, more than any other demographic.

Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have longstanding ties to Asian American communities, which they have relied on at the polls and to raise campaign funds. Those relationships appeared to help Clinton in California, and could further boost her campaign.

Obama also has ties to the Asian American community, some of which are more personal than Clintons. Some members of Congress, however, suggest Clinton has an edge because she has been on the national stage for so long, and as a result Asian Americans are more familiar with her.”

Rep. Mike Honda said Asian Americans have been overlooked in a campaign so far that has sometimes focused on whom black and Hispanic voters will support. Honda said neither the candidates nor the media have sufficiently addressed issues important to a potential swing demographic.

Its just that theyve got to understand [they have to] mention our community, said Honda, who hasnt endorsed a candidate.


Posted by News Team | Filed Under Articles/Stories 

Comments

Got something to say?





Authentic Diecast Model Cars