So here’s the burning question after last Tuesday’s elections in New Jersey.

How did Latinos do?

If your candidate didn’t win, stop moping for a second (and perhaps stop polishing your resume) and listen up.  Ditto for those who correctly bet on the winning ticket and are busy gloating (and polishing their resumes).

Did Latinos stay home like thousands of New Jerseyans because we thought there was no one on the ballot that made it worth our precious time to take a few minutes and head to the voting booths?

Were Latinos feeling disenfranchised, believing that no one listens to us in this so-called Garden State of ours, so why bother to get off the sofas?

Here’s some good news: Some 10 percent of the total electorate – the folks who cast ballots – were Latinos. Yep.

Compare that to 2001 when it was only 7 percent.

So that means that not only are we coming out to vote, our presence in those booths is increasing over the years.

Let’s break it down further.  Based on information provided to me by those who are better at numbers than I’ll ever be, the 10 percent figure comes out to 234,476 Latino votes.

I’m told Bendixen and Associates found 75 percent of the Latino vote went to Governor Corzine, or 175,857.  Edison Research says 65 percent of our peeps voted for Corzine, or 152,402.  And yes that means our other votes went to Chris Christie, although a few lone gatos went for Independent Christopher Daggett’s pitch.

The Bendixen data means that we surpassed the number of Latinos voting Democratic in 2005 and 2006.  If we use the Edison Research numbers, we are at about the same number as in 2006 when U.S. Senator Bob Menendez captured 154,000 votes.

Keeping in mind that we make up more than 16 percent of the state’s population, seems to me that these are numbers – an “amazing trend,” as one political operative put it — that all the political parties need to keep in mind as we move forward.  But those are also numbers we Latinos have to keep seared in the forefront of our own minds.

We just witnessed an election in New Jersey equivalent to having the rug behind yanked from under all of us – no matter if we voted Democratic, Republican or Independent.  For those of us who voted for Corzine, we’re still feeling a bit disoriented.  For those of us who said Christie was our hombre under the Golden Dome, we’re feeling almost giddy as we contemplate the possibilities of the untested waters.  For those of us who went the Daggett route, we’re feeling all of the above.

If Latinos don’t grasp this incredible opportunity to take a collective magnifying glass, if you will, and honestly and unflinchingly study what’s been going on in New Jersey when it comes to the political scene, then we deserve what we get.  Or perhaps better said, we deserve what we don’t get.

And let’s not pretend that this is a Republican Party versus Democrat Party problem or issue.

Yes the majority of the Latinos that came out on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly Democrat.  No surprise there.  “Although that doesn’t mean that the Democratic Party is the better party for the Latinos,” noted another statewide political operative who has been in the trenches for many years and doesn’t make that kind of observation lightly.

And it doesn’t mean the Republican Party is the better one.  And the Independent Party is still a bit of a mystery for most of us.

So if we are to move forward in this crazy New Jersey political world and not just be led along, I submit to you that we have to start our journey together.

We’d be fools to shut out fellow Latinos from our discussions just because they are – or aren’t – a member of a certain party.   Or because they do – or don’t — belong to a specific Latino organization.  Or because they do — or don’t — have roots connected to a specific island or Latin American country.  Or because they’ve been part of the Old Guard and we need fresh blood.  Or because they are young and don’t know what they’re talking about.

And I think some of us will agree we’ve been fools long enough.

When all is said and done in this election, I hope that we as Latinos in New Jersey can come together again.  I hope that this past election year has been a learning experience and not one which drives a nail in the coffin of unity.  Many of us, including myself, have had our feelings hurt and others have been attacked mercilessly by the media and other Latinos.  This election has proven to be a test of our will to stand together while acknowledging that we all have faults,  and shown that many in our community would sacrifice themselves for causes they strongly believe in.

Education is a great example of an issue that this year has caused great animosity among people who a year ago were brothers and sisters.  We fight for the side that we know in our hearts will be best for our Latino children.  Some will attack anyone who disagrees with their side.  They will attack anyone who agrees with what they consider the wrong side.

Why are we so passionate about education and our children that we are willing to risk the unity we have built?  I don’t want an answer! I was there in Dayton St. School, Franklin, Garfield, Elizabeth High, and too many others to mention.  I had my Spinal Cord Injury in my sophomore year but before that I experienced it all.  I was jumped by eight other students because I was Puerto Rican.  I chipped my teeth when another student tripped me.  I was told not to aspire to great things because nothing great ever happened to kids like us.   Teachers sometimes acted more like wardens than educators.  I was there with my brothers and sisters and our struggles were those of our young kids today.  In some schools fear still reigns as king and we pray for a better future for them.   I know why we would do anything — so that they can do better than us.

However, I was troubled this year by the disrespect we have shown one another.  I was more troubled by my willingness to entertain gossip, innuendo, and half-truths.  I did not like the way I spoke to friends.   The truth is we are trying to have our kids taught by one entity or another but we are the ones that need an education.  I started believing in the abilities of Latinos to unite and be empowered while at Rutgers, when survival instincts told us we better stick together.   We knew then what we have forgotten now.

I have spent the last 10 or so years as a delegate of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey. Throughout that time I have grown to value differences of opinion and in some cases differences of ideology.  It is what has made us a strong organization; in fact, it is the founding mantra.  We work and tolerate others’ differing beliefs because the substantive issues like immigration, diversity, discrimination prevention and, yes, education are workable by us.  We can do something about them, or at least try.

I don’t know who will win in November.  I support one person and others may support someone else.  The truth is that a day after the election we will still be faced with the same issues as a community. The same struggle to form a better future for our children out of blood, sweat and tears.

However, we must not continue the tone of disrespect, which has prevailed.  We must show our children that we are leaders who came together despite our differences for one purpose.

Them.

As I write this, I am full of emotion and awe: Judge Sonia Sotomayor is President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court.

A Latina! A fellow Boricua! A contemporary! A lover of Nancy Drew books! Dios mio!

As I watched the live announcement, I couldn’t wait to hear her first comments about her selection. And she certainly didn’t disappoint us.

After thanking President Obama, she quickly zeroed on the people who helped her throughout her life: her family and friends.

But then she singled out her “life aspiration” – her mother.

I know Latinos across this country who were watching were already choked up just for the simple fact that a Latina – an Hispanic – was being named. But I know that we all lost it in tandem when she began to speak in honor of her mother, Celina.

“I have often said that I am all I am because of her, and I am only half the woman she is.” said Judge Sotomayor who blinked rapidly to keep her tears at bay.

Awwwwwwwwwwwww!

I know many of us thought of our own mothers who did all that they could to make sure their kids had better lives. They fed us hot meals, forced us to go to school when all we wanted to do was hang out, yelled at us, went without so we wouldn’t, perhaps administered a few beatings with la correa, and were ready to give up their last breaths for us.

Today, on this historic day, Celina was the stand-in for all of our mothers who prepared us for our lives. But, for now, the spotlight was on her hijita.

“Awesome news about Sotomayor!” wrote Cynthia Maldonado Gonzalez, a Bronx native now living in Paterson, in a text message she sent me just moments after the announcement. She said her own mother, Miriam Maldonado, who is still in New York, got very emotional at the news. “Yeah, that’s us Bronx Puerto Ricans. That’s where my family made it out from housing projects and it’s a success for us all!”

Idida Rodriguez made sure she took breaks during her business meetings to get updates and share her sentiments about the nominee.

“It’s a great day for Latinos in this country, particularly for Puerto Ricans,” said the Paterson native who grew up in public housing just like Judge Sotomayor.

Idida said she was touched that Judge Sotomayor, who will be one of the most highest profile Puerto Ricans ever in history, described herself as just “an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences.”

Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz, who made history in 2008 when she became the first elected Puerto Rican female mayor in New Jersey (and considered to be the first one in the nation) described Tuesday’s announcement as “one of the proudest moments” for Latinos.

“This shows that we count,” said Mayor Diaz who as a child also lived in public housing.

I also believe that one of the best things about Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination is that people from around the world will learn a bit about Puerto Ricans and our roots. The mighty New York Times recently got such a lesson.

On May 16, 2009, they ran this correction: An article on Friday about Judge Sonia Sotomayor, a possible candidate for nomination to the Supreme Court, referred incorrectly to her parents. As people who moved to New York from Puerto Rico, they were United States citizens. They were not “immigrants.”

So felicidades Sonia Sotomayor! Felicidades to us all!

And, with all due respect, may I add the three little words that sums it up for Latinas all over this world?

You go girl!

I wasn’t sure where I wanted to watch the inauguration ceremony for Barack Obama. I thought it would be cool to watch it in Times Square. Or perhaps in a bar while sipping a drink (although I’m not one for drinking that early unless I’m in Puerto Rico and having lunch with my Tia Alicia who insists the only beverage that should accompany a meal is a vino tinto).

Instead, I chose to watch this so very historic moment in my livingroom as La Gorda de Oro took advantage that I was distracted and snoozed away on my favorite chair. So I felt free to shed tears.

I think initially they were tears of relief that this day had finally come. Today our world changed and I felt grateful that it - and we - would never be the same.

I am so in awe that a young man that I met a few years ago during a campaign stop in New Jersey – when he came to stump for my ex-boss Jon Corzine – is now our country’s leader. As I wrote in an earlier blog, I approached Senator Obama to ask for his signature on a program at the request of a local community organizer. He was sitting in a back room with his jacket off and looking a bit weary. Without a moment’s hesitation, he graciously signed the program as did then-Senator Corzine.

I remember noting that Senator Obama was left-handed. I again watched him use that left hand today as he signed his first official documents as president of the United States, and as a CNN commentator noted his “excellent penmanship.”

(On a side note, I was speaking to my brother Donato on Sunday while I watched Obama at his stop in Baltimore. I had to laugh when my brother recalled being in Baltimore back in 1960 and winning first prize in a dance contest. The dance? The Twist! )

In addition to a feeling of relief, I think I also cried today because President Obama – first time I type those words together – looked so achingly young as he walked to take his oath and as he slightly stumbled on the words after he placed his hand on the bible. My “Tia Ivette” mode kicked in and I wanted to hug him and tell him that everything was going to be alright.

As I wrote this blog, I spoke with Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz who was at her parents’ home in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico where she was wrapping up her vacation and celebrating her father’s 71st birthday. The mayor and a host of relatives watched the inauguration with pride – while also gleefully noting they were wearing shorts on a beautiful day on the island while thousands were standing outside and freezing back on the mainland.

The mayor said: “This is a proud moment … It’s about all of us.”

I do feel more optimistic about our country now that President Obama is in the White House. And I know we’re all going to be watching carefully how his administration deals with issues that affect Latinos.

But for now, I’m going to enjoy what happened today and put aside any worries. And tonight I will join others at a celebration.

And no more tears. Indeed, here’s a song from my college days that I think summarizes how a lot of people are feeling today.

Enjoy.

http://www.imeem.com/ilovemusic259/music/a0cjjsm7/eddie_
palmieri_un_dia_bonitoeddie_palmieri/

History will remember the election of 2008 – when Barack Obama was chosen to be our President – as a groundbreaking, unifying and uplifting moment for our nation. This is the stuff of history books, and it is a sign that the country we love is poised to head in a new direction.

In those same history books, I believe it will also be written that this was the time when the sleeping giant of the American political process – the Latino community – finally awoke.

Over the past year, I have been invited to speak in front of various groups to predict the Latino influence in the election. The message I delivered to those audiences was a simple one: Ya es hora. The road to the White House would come through the Latino community. This would be the time when the combination of a booming Latino population, a mass of Latino youths coming of age and ever-increasing registration and civic engagement within the Latino community promised to make the Latino vote a deciding factor. This is would be the political awakening many observers had long been waiting to see.

On November 4, Latinos did deliver in record numbers (a 25 percent turnout increase from 2004), and swung decisively for President-elect Obama (by a two to one margin). He was able to win in no small part because he parlayed Latino support in several key states into Electoral College votes. Because of Latinos, he broke the one-party rule over the Southwest and took the critical state of Florida. It’s a roadmap to the White House that future candidates will have to follow as the scope and influence of the Latino community continues to grow.

Latinos went overwhelmingly for President-elect Obama not because has was a Democrat, but because his policies and values are reflective of the values shared by many in the Latino community. His economic plan made sense to Latinos, who have the highest rate of unemployment. His health care plan showed promise to Latinos, who comprise the largest group of uninsured Americans. Even the rallying cry “Yes we can” spoke to Latinos who were familiar with the message behind Cesar Chavez’s Si se peude.

Of course, the point of turning out for a candidate and helping shape an election is not to have a blog post written about it – the point is to make sure your government is working for you. Now is the time for the Latino community to realize the power of its votes.

With Latinos having formed such a strong part of the coalition that carried President-elect Obama to the White House, I would hope that the Obama administration feels an obligation to include Latinos in all levels of the government, starting with the Cabinet . And it is our duty to assist and remind the administration of that obligation. The Latino community and its leaders will be watching.

I do believe that this administration and the countless other lawmakers elected on the strength of a forceful Latino turnout will be working hard to make sure they earned those votes.

That means greater attention to unemployment, health care and education in our community. It means dealing with the immigration problem in a way that doesn’t demean or demonize an entire segment of the population.

Ya es hora. Now more than ever, the Latino community has helped shaped the government. Now more than ever, Washington has a stake in the Latino community. The possibilities are endless.

Today was my first time voting. It was emotional, confusing, slightly exciting, but overall it was real. I woke up feeling calm, but as I walked closer and closer to the booth, all types of thoughts and emotions were in my head.

Is it even worth voting if I am not in favor of the candidates? Does my vote really count? If so, how much of a difference does it make?

I signed my name and was instructed to enter the booth. Standing inside that small space was so intimate, and still I felt so many eyes look at me. It was such a long moment. I stood there, closed my eyes, sighed and then I went for it. I pushed the button. I pushed it so hard it felt like I was smashing a cucaracha on the floor. At last, it was over.

What is interesting are the feelings I felt afterwards. As I walked to work, I was disturbed. I did not feel peace with my vote at all. I felt as if I was suffocating. I thought I would be more excited or at least peaceful, but I was not. I was really bothered and could not understand why.

Did I really vote for who I wanted or did I let myself be influenced? I wonder how I would have felt if I was African American or Caucasian? How about if one of the candidates were Latino? Would I have been more excited?

After having various conversations with myself I settled it in my heart that it is going to be alright. Tomorrow I will wake up with a new president, and the truth is that what is meant to happen, will happen regardless of who is in office. I know what my duties are as a citizen and I will stay focused in making this community better in any way I can.

Let’s stay tuned and see America reveal a new color.

For many years at the 8 PM time slot, “The O’Reilly Factor” hosted by Bill O’Reilly has consistently been the ratings winner over MSNBC. It is widely recognized and understood that O’Reilly is a conservative commentator who embraces Republican ideologies. It is also well-understood that O’Reilly’s network, FOX News Network, is a conservative-leaning news agency.

It is that reason that we find a very interesting development that has arisen recently. For the first time, MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” show has been beating the “O’Reilly Factor” for the 25-54 year-old group, according to Nielsen Media Research, which tracks television viewership. The recent success of Olbermann at the 8 PM time slot has caught O’Reilly by surprise. In fact, O’Reilly is so upset at his recent ratings losses in the Nielsen ratings, that he has even made Nielsen Media Research a target of his daily rhetoric and, further, is calling for an unrealistic government investigation into Nielsen. (Nielsen’s President & CEO Susan Whiting made relatively small personal donations to Democrats).

Here is what I think is really happening. You have Lou Dobbs on CNN giving his conservative commentary. You have Bill O’Reilly giving his conservative commentary. You have Sean Hannity on MSNBC giving his conservative commentary. The fact of the matter is that the competition for conservative commentary has grown increasingly fierce. MSNBC made a calculated decision to promote “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” as a balancing act between Republican-leaning and Democratic-leaning news shows. The strategy appears to be working.

There may be a correlation between the recent successes of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” over “The O’Reilly Factor” that could be linked to what may be a big victory for Democrats on Election Day. The sentiment around the nation is that the Republican strategy has not worked and is partly to blame for the recent economic crisis. Given that many of these voters know that they are not going to get unbiased opinions from the conservative commentators about Republican mistakes, they are switching channels to Keith Olbermann at the 8 PM time slot.

Olbermann and O’Reilly have a long-standing feud that has gotten very nasty at times. However, regardless of the winner when it comes to these two men, their news networks remains #2 and #3 in overall ratings respectively compared to CNN, which is at #1. CNN has seen record high viewership due to its unbiased coverage of the elections and the strength of “Larry King Live”, “Anderson Cooper 360″, and “Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull”.

I’m sure that CNN will be happy to see the feud continue between MSNBC’s “Countdown with Olbermann” and FOX’s “The O’Reilly Factor.”

I woke up to today’s usual screaming headlines about the presidential race and my head started to thump.

Our country is captivated by a race centered around two candidates — and of course Sarah Palin (Gosh darn it!) — who most of us will probably never meet. We think we somehow know them because we’re battered by constant advertising and news coverage. We think they somehow care about us.

So it was kind of refreshing on a recent Sunday when the doorbell rang while I was at my sister’s home in North Plainfield and, when I opened the door, I found a pleasant looking man holding a flyer in his hand.

“I’m running for mayor,” he told me.

I looked behind him and saw no entourage. He said another member of his team who is running for a council seat was a few doors away.

My sister Sula, who’s lived in her home for decades, joined us as we stood in the sun outside her doorway on a street lined with neatly maintained homes in a diverse neighborhood where working class families reside. Just down the street, some kids were raking the leaves that blanketed their lawn.

We had just returned from a local eatery where we joined a long line of Latinos waited patiently to pick up rotisserie chicken, chicharron, rice and beans, maduros and other items. Inside Sula’s house, other family members were already enjoying the food along with my sister Alicia’s famous flan that we all swear is the best flan in the whole world (well, actually second best if you count the flan that our beloved mother used to make).

Sula and I spoke for some time with the mayoral candidate who seemed like he was in no rush. He outlined his experience and asked politely if he could put a sign on her lawn. He promised he’d be back the day after the election to pick it up. I noted he didn’t say someone from his campaign would be back.

For just a brief moment, I felt like I was back in time, circa “Leave it to Beaver”.

This is America, I thought to myself.

A few days after that Sunday encounter, I was part of a lively discussion about the importance of having Latinos’ voices ring out loud and clear in today’s world. We spoke about how our culture may be a factor in why many Latinos prefer — in public arenas including the workplace — to not voice strong opinions.

Are we just too polite for our own good? Is it fear that keeps us from uttering what we’re really thinking? Does it have anything to do with memories of getting slapped as children because we dared to voice what was on our young minds?

One young woman spoke about growing up in Cuba. She described living with restrictions on speech and in other areas of their lives. She said she still is marveling at the freedom her family now enjoys in New Jersey. Her words made a big impression on us and reminded us about the choices we have here in the U.S.

We can choose to stay quiet. We can choose to tell it like it is.

We can choose to make a difference in all of our lives and have our voices heard on Nov. 4th.

This is America. Our America. And it’s made a little sweeter thanks to Alicia’s famous flan.

Recently a conservative group, Let Freedom Ring, Inc. started airing an anti-Obama message titled “Small Business - Mad Mike”. It shows a man on a farm speaking before a camera in a candid interview. While the ad is referring to questions about tax policy by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, there is a question as to whether there is there another message in this ad. Allow me to explain.

First, the name of the 527 Group that sponsored the ad, Let Freedom Ring, Inc. The phrase “Let Freedom Ring” was coined by the famous “I Have a Dream” speech by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King during the March on Washington, which took place on August 28, 1963. Is there a reason that this 527 Group named itself “Let Freedom Ring, Inc.” for the purpose of running an anti-Obama ad? You be the judge.

Second, the “Mad Mike” message. In the ad, Mad Mike talks about how his business would be affected if Barack Obama is elected president and he does it in an increasingly angry tone as the commercial progresses. During the interview, Mad Mike says “People, like Obama . . .,” “People, like Obama . . .”, “People, like Obama . . .” After saying those phrases three times, he ends the message by saying “They say they know . . . but they don’t . . .” Notice that the message talks not only about Barack Obama but also about “people.” Mad Mike doesn’t refer to Obama as “he” but instead as “they” which implies an inference to a group of people instead of one individual.

So my question to Mad Mike (and Let Freedom Ring, Inc.) is this: to whom are you referring to when you say “people” and “they”? Is the political ad message reminiscent of a speech by 1992 Presidential Candidate H. Ross Perot when he spoke before the NAACP Annual Convention in July 1992 and told an all-African-American audience “You people,” “You people,” “You people”? You be the judge.

Whether it was on purpose or unintentional by Mad Mike, his message may send different viewers a different kind of message. When you combine Mad Mike’s angry tone, his “People, like Obama . . .” message, and the end message that says “Let Freedom Ring paid for and was responsible for the content of this ad,” it equates to a political message that may insinuate a topic other than tax policy.

See the TV commercial ad for yourself and you be the judge. You can view the ad by visiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM0xlkkBccY or go to YouTube and search “Small Business – Mad Mike”.

Alert! Alert! The forecast for this season is chanting: “Change is coming! Change is coming! Change is coming!” as the candidates step up to the plate and promise that they are the ones that can bring about that change. Let’s take a closer look.

Barack Obama has been promising change since the start of his campaign. “Because real change isn’t another four years of defending lobbyists who don’t represent real Americans – it’s standing with working Americans who have seen their jobs disappear and their wages decline and their hope for the future slip further and further away. That’s the change we can offer in 2008.”

He pledges to stop new nuclear weapons development, crack down on al Qaeda, boost international aid, outlaw discrimination agauinst transsexuals, and even supply health care to every American. Short list right?

John McCain promised it in his speech as well. “ We need to change the way the goverment does almost everything,” he said at the Republican Convention in September. His list is short too: he pledges to end dependence on Middle Eastern oil, restore people’s trust in goverment, help smokers quit, protect doctors from lawsuits, and even combat hunger nationwide! Talk about unrealistic ambition! Geesh…

This is the promise of politics. Something is always wrong with the way the country is. Presidents always promise to get things moving again, once they are in power. It’s their sales pitch to paint the perfect world. “ We will clean the corruption.” “We will better the economy.” “We will bring world peace.” Is this a pageant or something?

The funny thing about all this, is that change is really coming this time. If we look at history, the promise of change is always the motivating factor that has impacted groups of people to vote for a leader. But what can transpire from a man promising change to a malcontent electorate is not always great. Remember Adolf Hitler?

I am no history scholar, but based on what I do know, the truth is that no form of government has brought about any real change. Somehow they have all been cursed with corruption or other type of conniving scheme.

One article put it best: “ The next American president will face a drastically altered economic landscape. His term could well be consumed with trying to survive the vortex of trends sucking the economy down.”

I think things are going to get worse. In fact, prayer might be the only solution for the woes and foes that the next president will face. To make matters worse, my heart is not beating faster for neither candidates. Both have failed to steal it.

November 4th is looking very interesting right now.