One of the reasons I was disappointed that Ken Salazar and Wellington Webb both bowed out of the senate race (although I can't fault either of their decisions) is that I believe Democrats need to do a better job of getting people of color into positions of power, and the US Senate is the most glaring example of lack of diversity on the Dem side. If it weren't for the two Senators from Hawaii, Campbell would be the only non-white Senator. And there are no Latino or African-American Senators from any party.
I've also mentioned before the GOP's game plan on race: to simultaneously run candidates of color in some races while using racial attacks on Democratic candidates of color in others, with the goal of frightening white Democrats into not supporting minority candidates (because they "can't win"), then going into communities of color with the argument that the GOP is the real party of minority opportunity. For example, Republicans have run Campbell for Senate and Bobby Jindal for Governor of Louisiana and look ready to nominate Mel Martinez for Senate in Florida. On the other hand, Republicans used a racist smear campaign against Democrat Cruz Bustamante in the California recall election. Closer to home, Marilyn Musgrave's campaign for the open 4th Congressional District seat against Stan Matsunaka featured commercials depicting the fourth generation Colorado native of Japanese descent in front of phalanxes of foreign-looking red flags while telling viewers that Matsunaka was "not a real Coloradan." (That's racist!)
| Go back for the rest of Colorado Luis' "Race and the Senate Race"
posted in weblogs on December 29, 2003 2:29 AM | t (0)
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