Filams are ‘nervous’ over Obama’s chances

By Jennie L. Ilustre

WASHINGTON-Filipino American Democrats are getting nervous over Sen. Barack Obama’s chances in the Nov. 4 presidential elections. But they hope the national convention, held Aug. 25-28, would energize and unite the party that had been split raw when Obama beat Sen. Hillary Clinton
in a bruising primary.

Obama, 47, is the first African American with a shot at the presidency. Pundits say this a Democratic year. They point to surveys showing Americans fed up with the war in Iraq and eight years of Republicans in power. Poll after poll shows 80 percent in the country say the country is headed in the wrong direction.

But Obama’s poll ratings have been going down. And his announcement Aug. 23 that he had chosen foreign policy expert and Senator Joe Biden to be his running mate, while generally considered a
plus by pundits, has received a mixed reaction from the community.

Eric Lachica, executive director of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans based here, wrote in an email from Denver: “Biden is a great, wise choice of Obama,” he wrote. “As a longtime chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden would be crucial in fostering US-RP relations and world peace.” He also said that over the past decade, Biden has supported Filipino veterans bills in the US Congress.

On hearing the news, Mail editor Bert Alfaro said, “Biden won’t be able to help boost Obama’s rating, which is now falling.”

He added: “Hillary could have been a big boost, considering the number of votes she got during the primary, especially in conservative, red states. Not picking Hillary will now make her supporters stay home or vote for McCain.”

Vangie Matreo of Virginia said in a 15-minute interview the day after Obama’s announcement, Although I was really disappointed that Obama did not choose Hillary as his running mate, I think Senator Biden is a good choice.”

She was impressed with Biden at the January Iowa caucus, where she was assigned as a field worker for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). She said Biden had a clear grasp of the issues facing the country.

“On-line political contributions for Obama went up after he announced his choice of Biden, so he’s probably going to help the ticket win,” she added. “My co-workers are now in Denver, and they believe the convention will generate more support for Obama.”

Mrs. Matreo is an office assistant at the research department in AFSCME. The top labor group, based in the nation’s capital, switched its support from Hillary to Obama, when he won the primary in June.

Dana Bandiola LaVigne, a community leader in Denver, Colorado, is smarting over Obama’s snub of Hillary. “He would probably have better chances if he had chosen Hillary as his running mate,” she said in a phone interview on Aug. 24.

A Hillary supporter, she gave a curt “No!” when asked if she would vote for Obama, reflecting the sentiments of other pro-Hillary Filipino Americans in the area. She also said the Filipino American community in Colorado is “50-50″ for Obama and McCain. “There are many Republicans
here,” she added.

WASHINGTON – Filipino American voters who have watched the recent Q-As at a California forum hosted by Rev. Rick Warren are still laughing over the answer of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain to the question of how much is considered rich.
When asked, McCain, whose family assets are in the range of $100 million, jokingly said: “Five million!” When the same question was asked of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama whose family’s annual income is about $4 million, he said $250,000.
Some Filipino American leaders who are Democrats but who begged to remain anonymous said this perception of riches by McCain, although made jokingly, shows the stark difference between the two candidates for president. “This is probably why McCain’s attack ads are raising the fear of more taxes by Obama. Under Obama’s tax plan, the middle class will be exempted while those who are rich will be taxed.
These Filipino Americans are also making fun of the recent answer of McCain as to how many houses he and his wife have in the US. The Arizona senator did not know and had to ask his staff to provide the anwer.
These Filipino Americans, however, have expressed doubts over whether America is ready to elect a Black candidate for president of the United States. They said that while the young and educated voters are for Obama, the conservative voters in the so-called Red States could spell victory or defeat for him in the coming polls.
Filipino Democrats have expressed dismay that Obama picked Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate, not Sen. Hillary Clinton. “With recent polls showing him in a dead heat with McCain, Obama should have selected Hillary to boost his sagging image,” said a Hillary fan. “Biden will probably help boost his image on foreign policy, but he will not boost his electability,” said another. “In the primary campaign, Biden had not gotten even 10 percent of the votes. His selection will further anger the Hillary supporters.”
Many Filipino American voters have expressed fear that McCain, a very impulsive, warlike leader, could lead the country into another “wrong” war abroad. “His response to Russia’s recent attack on Georgia that ‘today we are all Georgians,’ is a sample of such knee-jerk reaction on a foreign policy issue,” they said.
They point out that Obama’s reaction was to call for restraint on both sides while attempts to resolve the dispute were being made. “Our Number One enemy today are the terrorist Al Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden who had actually attacked the United States and killed more than 3,000 innocent civilians,” said another Filam observer, adding “efforts must be redoubled to wipe them out”.
McCain knew his crack about richest might give the Democratic-inclined mainstream media more fodder for to attack him.
In a recent question by Politico, McCain was asked how many houses he and his wealthy wife actually own. McCain said he wasn’t so sure and would ask his staff to provide the information.
Later, the McCain campaign told Politico that McCain and his wife,
Cindy, have at least four in three states, Arizona, California and
Virginia. Newsweek recently estimated the two owned at least seven
properties.
On the campaign trail, McCain doesn’t refer to his wife’s wealth,
estimated by some at $100 million and based on her late father’s Arizona
beer distributorship. McCain’s campaign didn’t respond immediately to a
request for comment.
Obama’s campaign has been trying to make their wealth more widely known to blunt criticism that Obama is an elitist out of touch with ordinary Americans. Obama owns one house, the family home in Chicago, his campaign said.
In the 2004 campaign, Republicans tried to use wealth as a dig against
Democratic candidate John Kerry even though President Bush and Vice
President Dick Cheney were multimillionaires themselves. In 2005, Kerry
reported a net worth between $165 million and $235 million, most of it
controlled by his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

According to her 2006 tax returns, Cindy McCain had a total income of $6
million. She has not released her 2007 returns, which she files
separately from her husband. McCain’s tax returns showed a total income
of $405,409 in 2007.

In a forum last week with Rev. Warren, McCain was asked to
define the word “rich” and to give a figure. After promoting his tax
policies, McCain said: “I think if you are just talking about income,
how about $5 million?” The audience laughed, and he added: “But
seriously, I don’t think you can – I don’t think seriously that – the
point is that I’m trying to make here, seriously – and I’m sure that
comment will be distorted – but the point is that we want to keep
people’s taxes low and increase revenues.”

Obama, asked the same question at the forum, said those making $250,000
and higher are in the top 3 to 4 percent and “doing well.” Obama and his
wife, Michelle, reported making $4.2 million in 2007.

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