Latino Pundit Grades Obama.
Following President Obama’s first year in office, it’s time for Latinos to channel Janet Jackson and ask the president: “What have you done for us lately?”
America’s largest minority is certainly entitled to the question. Nearly 10 million Latinos cast ballots in the 2008 presidential election. Two-thirds of those votes went to Obama, whose record with Latinos was scant; let’s recall that UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta, while stumping for Hillary Clinton, called Obama a “Johnny come lately” to Latino issues.
Still, Latinos stood by Obama, and now they expect him to return the favor. But has he done so? The results are mixed. In some respects, Obama has done a lot for Latinos. In other ways, not so much.
Let’s start with the issues. Polls show that the top concerns for most Latinos are the economy, education, and health care.
* The economy. Obama didn’t get around to creating jobs until near the end of his first year. Meanwhile, unemployment ballooned to double-digits under his watch. Grade: C-
* Education. Obama took on teachers unions with his “Race to The Top” initiative, which holds teachers accountable for student performance. Grade: A -
* Heath Care: Obama backed a government-financed public option to provide health insurance for the poor – then abandoned it. He also failed to address the costs of prescription drugs. Grade: B
Then there is the matter of personnel, hiring, and appointments. According to the Associated Press, Obama is on track to name more Latinos to top posts than any of his predecessors – including George W. Bush who is widely acknowledged to have had the most diverse Cabinet in U.S. History as relates to Latinos. Obama got off to a strong start by naming three Latinos to the Cabinet: Rep. Hilda Solis as Labor Secretary, Sen. Ken Salazar as Interior Secretary, and Gov. Bill Richardson as Commerce Secretary. (Richardson withdrew after he became part of a FBI investigation into political corruption in New Mexico. Richardson was ultimately not charged with any wrongdoing).
But where Obama really hit the ball out of the park was in nominating federal appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor was confirmed as the nation’s first Latina Supreme Court justice. According to the Associated Press, Obama has tapped more than 50 Latinos to senior positions that require Senate confirmation, of which thirty-five of them have been approved. In their first two years in office, Bill Clinton had 30 Latino appointments approved and George W. Bush had 34. On appointments and hiring, Obama did fairly well. Grade: A –
Finally, saving the most explosive for last, there is the subject of immigration reform. And frankly, Obama’s handling of that issue has been a major disappointment. While addressing the annual meeting of the National Council of La Raza in July 2008 as a presidential candidate, Obama promised to make comprehensive immigration reform “a top priority in my first year as president.”
Well, his first year came and went, and this “top priority” came down to 37 words. That’s how much space Obama devoted to immigration reform in his first State of the Union address. Here’s what he said: “And we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system – to secure our borders, enforce our laws, and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation.”
Note that Obama avoided phrases like “comprehensive immigration reform” or “earned legal status.” Instead, he emphasized positive phrases like “secure our borders” and “enforce our laws.” The president may still pursue immigration reform in 2010, but – after the health care debacle – it’s unlikely he’ll have much success. We’ll have to wait and see. Grade: Incomplete.
Add it all up, and you’ll see that Obama has been a better-than-average president as far as Latinos are concerned. And yet, at the same time, he has not been nearly as good as advertised.
So much for hope and change. It looks more like bait and switch.
Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board, a nationally syndicated columnist, and a regular contributor to CNN.COM. Contact him at www.rubennavarrette.com
