Elections in the US: Singing Rancheras

Published in El Universal
(Mexico) on 28 May 2015
by Mario Melgar Adalid (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Tristan Franz. Edited by Alison Lacey.
Porfirio Diaz declared to the foreign press (Creelman 1908) that Mexico was ready for democracy. One hundred years later, democracy is still not ready for Mexico. While we continue to trip on our shoelaces on the eve of the midterm elections, the presidential race is beginning in the U.S. It's likely that it will come down to the Bushes and Clintons again, making one question the example of the great Western democracy, which looks more like an inheritable aristocratic monarchy than the republic its founding fathers had imagined.

The Bush and Clinton families have been tenants of the White House for 20 years, apart from their years as vice president (George H. W. Bush), secretary of state (Hillary Clinton) and governor of Arkansas (Bill Clinton), Texas (George W. Bush) and Florida (Jeb Bush).

Hillary will represent the Democrats despite some things against her: her age (69), conflicts of interest, the fixation on her personal appearance, her questionable response to the attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, and the transparency of her personal finances. Martin O'Malley (governor of Maryland) and Senator Bernie Sanders are also Democratic candidates.

Things are more complicated in the Republican Party. The list starts with Jeb Bush and goes on: Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry, Lindsey Graham and Jim Webb.

When there are presidential elections in the U.S., the question in Mexico is who would be better for us. It's difficult to answer, but ideologically speaking it should be the Democrats, though some Republicans haven't been such bad neighbors. One thing is for certain: The Latino vote is in the interest of both parties. Marco Rubio, for example, a son of Cuban parents, with his waitress mother and bartender father, could defeat Hillary in Florida, which accounts for 29 electoral votes, a decisive factor. But Rubio would concede many other votes to Hillary as not all Latinos will vote for him. Mexicans, Caribbean [peoples] and South Americans in the U.S. are quite removed from the Cuban-Americans, who are more American than Cuban.

Closest to Mexico is Jeb Bush, who is married to a Mexican and who, when asked to describe himself, went as far as to say he was "Hispanic." Speaking Spanish well and eating enchiladas in your home doesn't make you a member of a minority. Another Republican that Latinos love is Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, who visited Pena Nieto and Rafael Moreno Valle and even ate tacos at El Caminero.

Mrs. Clinton's connection with Mexico is Julian Castro, secretary of Vivienda, former mayor of San Antonio, who plans to run as vice president with Hillary. Castro is effectively the son of Mexican parents and has a twin brother who is a member of the House of Representatives. A few years ago, during Julian's mayoral campaign, he had two important events overlap. He got the bright idea to ask his identical twin Joaquin to take his place at one event while he attended the other. In the end they were discovered and had to ask for forgiveness. It's highly likely that they throw that in his face when he gets to the big leagues and that his Hispanic background is discovered to be a mere political play. Castro is the ethnic mascot of the Democratic Party. He ought to at least learn a few words in Spanish or sing some rancheras like Ted Kennedy did (SEE HERE).

While it'll take nine months for a new American president to be born, Mexico faces its own midterm elections, which are as uncertain as our democracy is strange. In the U.S., the candidates will at least have time to learn to sing a ranchera.


Porfirio Díaz declaró a la prensa extranjera (Creelman 1908) que México estaba listo para la democracia. Después de 100 años la democracia no está lista para México. Mientras se dan tumbos en víspera de las elecciones intermedias, en EU inició la carrera presidencial. Es probable de que se vuelvan a enfrentar los Bush contra los Clinton, lo que hace dudar de la ejemplar democracia occidental que más parece una monarquía aristocracia hereditaria que una república, como la imaginaron los padres fundadores de esa nación.

Las familias Bush y Clinton han sido inquilinos de la Casa Blanca 20 años, además de otros años en la vicepresidencia (George H.W. Bush), el Departamento de Estado (Hillary Clinton) y gobernando los estados de Arkansas (Bill Clinton), Texas (George W. Bush) y Florida (Jeb Bush).
Hillary será la candidata del Partido Demócrata a pesar de sus debilidades: edad (69), conflictos de interés, la manía por su apariencia personal, las dudas sobre su actuación en el ataque a la embajada estadounidense en Benghazi y la opacidad en sus finanzas personales. En el Partido Demócrata aspiran además Martin O’Malley (gobernador de Maryland) y el senador Bernie Sanders.
En el Partido Republicano las cosas están más complicadas. La lista que encabeza Jeb Bush es larga: Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry, Lindsey Graham y Jim Webb.
Cuando hay elecciones presidenciales en EU la pregunta en México es con quién le iría mejor. Es difícil contestar, pero por supuesta afinidad ideológica se supondría que con los demócratas, aunque algunos republicanos no han sido tan malos vecinos. Lo cierto es que el interés de ambos es el voto latino. Marco Rubio, por ejemplo, hijo de cubanos, la madre mesera y el padre cantinero, su tarjeta de presentación, podría vencer a Hillary en Florida, estado que aporta 29 votos electorales, factor decisivo. Rubio le restaría a Hillary muchos votos hispanos, sólo que no todos los hispanos votarán por él. Mexicanos, caribeños y sudamericanos en EU están alejados de los cubano-americanos, más americanos que cubanos.
El más cercano a México es Jeb Bush, casado con mexicana y quien al describirse exageró al decir que era “hispano”. Que hable muy bien español y coma enchiladas en casa, no lo hace miembro de una minoría. Otro republicano que enamora a los latinos es Chris Christie, gobernador de Nueva Jersey, que visitó a Peña Nieto y a Rafael Moreno Valle, y además comió tacos en El Caminero.
La conexión de la señora Clinton con México es Julián Castro, el secretario de Vivienda, ex alcalde de San Antonio, que se piensa iría como candidato a la vicepresidencia en la fórmula demócrata que encabezará Hillary. Castro es efectivamente hijo de mexicanos y tiene un hermano gemelo también político, miembro de la Cámara de Representantes. Hace algunos años, durante la campaña de Julián a la alcaldía, se le empalmaron dos reuniones importantes. Se le ocurrió pedirle a su hermano Joaquín, dado que es idéntico, se hiciera pasar por él, mientras atendía otro compromiso de campaña. Los descubrieron y tuvo que pedir perdón. Es altamente probable que se lo echen en cara a la hora de jugar ya en las ligas mayores y se descubra que su hispanidad es mero recurso político. Castro es la mascota étnica del Partido Demócrata, pero le convendría aprender algunas palabras en español o cantar rancheras en las campañas como hacía Ted Kennedy: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r958GpasFrM).
Mientras pasan 9 meses para que nazca el nuevo presidente estadounidense, México tiene unas elecciones intermedias inciertas como nuestra extraña democracia. Allá los candidatos tendrán tiempo para cuando menos aprender a cantar una ranchera.
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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