Elsevier, The Netherlands

Brown Voters Do Not Want a Black in the White House.

By Rick Kuethe

Translated By Dorian de Wind

February 1, 2008

The Netherlands - Elsevier – Original text (Dutch)

Once in Sarasota, Fla., in a rather grubby tent, I spent a whole evening talking without interruption with a good-looking black woman.  All this attention for me came only because the man who took a seat at the bar at the other side from this ebony-colored princess was Hispanic.

He had a nice face.  “I hate those guys” she said, completely unsolicited, when Pablo Martinez—or whatever his name may have been—suddenly left.

The First Prize

One of the most important questions for presidential candidate Barack Obama is whether he will get a significant portion of the Latino support.  For the moment at least, it does not look that way.  During the primaries on Super Tuesday, February 5, there are 22 states at stake, some with a substantial Latino population.

Such states are New York, Arizona, New Mexico, Illinois (where Obama is from), New Jersey and, above all, the “first prize” California where 35 percent of the population comes from Latin America.

The ten-year census in 2002 showed, for the first time in history that Latinos numerically surpassed the black population and that they now constitute the largest minority in the country.  This marked achievement has not occurred without having its psychological effect.

Animosity

Traditionally, the leaders of both communities have often spoken of a natural alliance between brown and black in a land dominated by whites.  The black Reverend Martin Luther King spoke about brothers in the fight for equality.  Barack Obama, half black half white, said something similar last year.

But the political weight of the Latinos is still less than what their number would suggest. That is because many of them are in the U.S. illegally or because they are not yet eighteen years old .

“Animosity between Latinos and Blacks is the worst kept secret when it comes to relations between the races,” writes Earl Hutchinson, author of the book The Latino Challenge to Black America.

Too lazy

One-third of all blacks are convinced that Latinos pinch their jobs.  Conversely, more than half of Latinos think that their black brothers are too lazy “to dance for the devil.”  Why don’t they do as the Latinos and through work elevate themselves out of their misery instead of always loudly complaining, is an oft-heard question in those circles.

Tom Bradley, the black mayor of Los Angeles who was reelected five times, had to pretty well do it without the Latino vote.  Lee Brown tried in 2001 to become mayor of Houston.  In the final round he received less than 30 percent of the Latino vote.

A couple of weeks ago, a big rumor arose when a Hillary Clinton staff member said in an interview that the Hispanic voter does not show much willingness to support a black candidate.  By saying it in such a way, Obama’s assertion that he is a bridge builder who can unite all Americans is undermined.  Moreover, in so doing, the “black” label is skillfully stamped on Obama.

If you don’t do it to yourself, your opponent will.

ORIGINAL DUTCH TEXT HERE