In this morniongi’s NY Post, El Diario columnist and NY1 political analyst, Gerson Borrero weighs in on the Espaillat-Rangel contest.
Borrero, an astute observer of Latino politics wrote the following insightful passage.
Espaillat has to walk a fine line with how far he pushes the Dominican flag and nationalistic pride. There is already some negative feedback as a result of the talk,
by some overly enthusiastic Dominican supporters, that “our time has come.”
It’s a political tightrope. If not done with a degree of respect towards other groups, playing too many ethnic cards by the Espaillat cadre could result in a voter backlash.
And that takes for granted that Espaillat has the Dominican vote locked up — which is no guarantee.
So far, that hasn’t been easy for the native of Santiago. There is no sign of a groundswell of support coming from the residents of “Quisqueya Heights” and no evidence that they view this as an Obama-type history-making election as some of Espaillat’s supporters are trying to sell his candidacy. While they all share their love for mangue — one of the best known Dominican staple dishes made of platanos — they may not share a taste for his efforts. In fact, in the 2005 borough of Manhattan elections, Espaillat failed to carry his own Assembly district in the Democratic primary.
Dominican infighting could prove more devastating to Espaillat’s campaign than any black vs. Latino face-off.
Rangel, meanwhile, is no political neophyte. He has courted Latino politicians and voters for decades — and the diversity of his endorsements reflects that.
Borrero ends his OpEd by warning against counting Charlie Rangel out. I think Borrero is spot-on in his assessment of the state of Latino unity in La Gran Manzana. Hispanic rivalry is not confined to the politically ambitious. It is alive in the Catholic parishes in East Harlem, the senior centers, and in the sports leagues.
Victory for either man lies in a political platform that appeals to the progressive interests of voters, not their ethnic allegiances.
Read more of what Gerson Borrero has to say: Hispanic vote not uno -fied – NYPOST.com.
