One down, one to go

The Democrats get ready for their convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Maria T. Padilla


One down, one to go.  Political conventions, that is.

 Political conventions are theater and the GOP convention didn't disappoint. Before moving on to the Democratic convention, which begins Tuesday, here's  a recap:

The republicans had an amazing display of Hispanic political stars on display, from Florida Sen. Marc Rubio to New Mexico Gov Susana Martiínez.  All spoke without mishaps and Rubio, in particular, had one of the better speeches. Rubio's homage to his bartender father was poignant and rang true for me. I pay attention to the "servers" everywhere I go, too.

However, although I know some Hispanics who were delegates,  it's hard to overlook the fact that there were few Hispanics at the convention. Just as Rubio pays attention the the "back of the room,"   the television audience pays attention to the convention attendees.

Recently, I was shocked to read that 0% of African Americans plan to vote for Mitt Romney. It's no secret that few Afro Americans will vote for Romney but 0%? That's a steady slide in support for the GOP ticket. Bush earned 8% and McCain earned 4%, so 0 % of an electorate that previously gave you some votes means  you've  really hit rock  bottom with this group and need to regroup.

In moment that didn't make  big, if any, headlines, Zoraida Fonalleda, a wealthy Republican from Puerto Rico, was booed after her introduction.  The Puerto Rican audience and press made a big deal of it. It seemed  as if  a Hispanic woman was being booed because she was Hispanic. Facebook and Twitter lit up. Pilar Marrerro of La  Opinion newspaper attributed the brouhaha to Ron Paul supporters, who were upset about losing delegates. But many folks didn't buy it and days later  were still upset about the incident, saying Fonalleda and the GOP lied. This is a good example of how Hispanics perceived a slight and how a TV audience may see things different from the convention crowd.  

Of course, the biggest upset of the convention was Clint Eastwood, whose  chat with an empty chair just minutes before Romney's speech sparked dismay and derision, at least among many in the TV audience, and created an unwanted social media sensation.   The better instincts of some convention goers, who looked shocked,  gave way to collective pressure and soon they were clapping along with the crowd. Bad call because Eastwood was truly awful.



Romney had to follow that act and made the best of it. He started off nicely with a very personal speech, then tapered off into a campaign stump speech with no specifics.  Paul Ryan, the vice presidential candidate who spoke the night before Romney,  didn't impress. I was put off by his dishonesty; he also comes across as way too young for the job. Maybe not in experience, but certainly in looks.
 
The big takeaway: The convention lacked  specifics and a touch of the common man and woman who is not a business owner.

When the delegates come marching in

By Maria T. Padilla

Skipping the political convention coverage this week and next?  You are not alone. Even the networks plan only an hour of coverage each night for each of the conventions. 

I, for one, will take in more than that.  I may not be there gavel to gavel --after all, there will be potty breaks-- but it will be close to it. As scripted and stage crafted as the conventions are, I still cannot resist.

I've been watching political soap opera since my college days, when they were more free-for-all than they are now.  While the changes have been many, and not all for the good, I still show up.

I sit in the cheap seats and wait for the unscripted moments: the gaffes, the laughs, the bloopers and awkward moments that reduce the whole convention to those 10 seconds.  I pay attention to the theater of it all and what the party is trying too hard to say.  And I wonder whether anybody is buying it.

Few people recall Jimmy Carter's gaffe at the 1980 Democratic Convention, when in a tribute to former Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Carter changed the name to "Hubert Horatio Hornblower." I remember it and still delight in the trip-up of words. The delegates clapped and whooped it up, as if they hadn't heard the error (and they probably didn't). The moment lives on in YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYDNH23c5S8.   


That same convention had the awkward, awkward moment of Carter and Ted Kennedy trying to make nice on stage, after Kennedy campaigned against Carter for the nomination and tried to steal his delegates. Body language doesn't lie!

Who can forget Texas Gov. Ann Richards' comments about President George H.W. Bush's propensity for gaffes. "He can't help it," she said with her Texas drawl. "He was born with a silver foot in his mouth!" Delegates ate it up. Although that probably was scripted, it was on the level.

President George H.W. Bush  once referred to his grandchildren by Jeb Bush (who is married to a Mexican) as "the little brown ones," though not at a convention. Say what?

More recently, in a weird moment of inclusiveness (the GOP is nearly 90% non Hispanic white), George W. Bush brought on mariachi players at the 2000 GOP convention.  He meant well, but everyone, from commentators to delegates, had that  "What's up with that?" puzzled look.  To his credit,  Bush did get a higher percentage of the Hispanic vote. Was it the mariachis?

Another thing you'll see at the GOP convention is television cameras panning the delegates looking desperately for ... a person of color.  Happens every time on all the networks.  Where in the world is Baldo?

No doubt, you may see awkward displays of affection.  Al Gore kissing his wife Tipper was a "eww" moment. It wasn't the lust; it's  the "you validate me kiss" that smacks of  desperation, the same sort of panic I detected when John Travolta planted a wet one on his wife on the red carpet for the benefit of Hollywood press, following reports that he propositioned several male masseuses. Ewww.
(BTW, NYTimes published a story today on the Gores, titled "End of the line." Read it here. )

Sometimes the overly scripted cute moments threaten to go off script.  At the 2008 Democratic convention,  Michelle, Malia and Sasha were on onstage talking with a jumbotron Obama.  Everything was going well, until Sasha appeared to go rogue and refused to give up the spotlight. She kept talking with her dad, who laughed nervously, until  Malia strong armed the microphone away, narrowly escaping a potential kids-say-the-darndest-things moment.

Political conventions generate a few darndest moments. Which ones do you recall? 

Back on the stump!

By Maria T. Padilla

First things first. I have missed this blog. Although I am a newspaper editor and enjoy my job, this blog is different. Orlando Latino belongs to me. It is a place where I ramble about the things that are on my mind and in my heart, where I can have a very personal, interactive relationship with my readers.  I love that.

After nearly a two-year absence --my last post was October 2010!-- I hope you will once again join me  and indulge me as I write away.  Writing involves more than you can say on Facebook and Twitter. Sometimes you need a little more space to develop an idea. And, as always, I am interested in your thoughts and opinions. No blog is complete without them, so please talk back!  If you like what you read, please tell your friends and family.

Glad to be back.

Tocando Punto en Otro Son

To all my friends,

If you're wondering why I haven't posted anything lately, here's the reason: I was named editor of La Prensa, the Orlando area's oldest Spanish-language newspaper, with nearly 30 years in the market.

It's been an exciting and challenging few weeks. Exciting because I didn't think I would return to journalism after five years of doing something else (marketing). I can confirm, however, that once a journalist, always a journalist. It's also been challenging because there is much to accomplish.

I will post at Orlando Latino from time to time, but probably not as often as before. I'd love for you to follow my progress at www.laprensaorlando.com . Share our stories with your network of friends. Join our Facebook page and follow our tweets on Twitter.

Gracias por tu apoyo,

Maria

Explore Your Rich Hispanic Heritage

It's Hispanic Heritage Month! I've been looking for exciting information to share with you on this the 22nd annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which was officially launched September 15.

For me, Hispanic Heritage Month is about deepening our understanding of who we are as pan Hispanic people in the United States, as well as acknowledging our individual roots, which in my case are Puerto Rican.

There's a very rich and colorful history to explore, so I've pulled together some Web sites where you can find fascinating information about—us! I invite you to come along on this magical heritage tour and to expand this article by adding Web sites and other information of your own. 

Recognize any of these words?

Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española — Have you ever been involved in a "revulú" or "embeleco"? Drank some "pitirre"? Been a little "chango" or experienced a "pasme"? These are words whose meanings can be traced "100 percent" to Puerto Rican vernacular or regionalisms. Listen to some well-known island personalities pronounce and explain these and other words as part of the campaign "Atrévete y dilo!"

Museo del Barrio —  For those Latinos who trace their roots to Nueva York, here's a fascinating look at the history of Hispanics in the Big Apple. This newly installed exhibit, titled  "Nueva York 1613-1945," got a good review in the New York Times by Edward Rothstein, titled "Looking South, Not East, Into New York’s Past." Rothstein said the exhibit is a "reinterpretation of New York’s relationship to the Southern Hemisphere through an unusual accumulation of artifacts, paintings, political cartoons, clothing, music, books and photographs, which reshape the city’s history." If you can't make it to the la Gran Manzana, be sure and read the review. Better yet, buy the museum's upcoming catalog.

Immigrants heading to New York.

El Diario La Prensa — New York's Spanish-language weekly published a wonderful article by José Acosta about the Hispanic experience at Ellis Island, titled "Ellis Island: Puerto de oro para hispanos."  As it turns out tens of thousands of Hispanics entered the country through Ellis Island. Read the article and explore the Ellis Island Web site. I plugged in my last name and found 312 Padillas who immigrated through Ellis Island from as far away as Ireland (hey, how'd that happen?), Spain, Cuba, Brazil and a few from "Porto Rico." Happy searching.

Borinqueneers training in Bayamón, P.R.

 U.S. Army — On the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War, the United States Army is paying homage to the Puerto Rican soldiers of the 65th Infantry Regiment. The Borinqueneers, as they are known, landed in South Korea in 1950. A year later, they overran the Chinese army’s 149th Division. "Puerto Rico’s Borinqueneers represent Hispanic Americans’ distinguished legacy of courageousness and selfless service spanning the American Revolutionary War to the present-day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan," according to the Army Web site.

Louis Castro's baseball card.

Who in the World is Louis Castro? —  He is not universally known, but Louis Castro just may be the first foreign-born Latino to play in Major League Baseball. Castro, who played only in the 1902 season as in infielder for the Philadelphia Athletics, may have been born in Medellín, Colombia, according to an article on the Smithsonian site. His baseball career is considered unremarkable, except for the speculation about his birthplace. Castro is "a mystical, mysterious, even phantasmagorical figure," according to the Smithsonian article. Maybe so, but today he would fit right into the MLB, where more than 25 percent of the players are foreign-born Hispanics.