By: Daniel Nardini
For the first time since 1976, a sitting president will go to visit the island of Puerto Rico. U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Puerto Rico after coming from a visit to Florida. Obama will be greeted by Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuno, and Obama will tour the island in an effort to gauge the condition of the island and the people. Obama will be the first sitting president to visit Puerto Rico since U.S. President Gerald Ford visited the island in 1976 as part of an economic summit held on the island.
One would ask why Obama—one of only three sitting presidents who have visited Puerto Rico—would go to Puerto Rico now? Only two sitting presidents, John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford, visited Puerto Rico while they were presidents. Why would Obama show an interest in Puerto Rico, and why now? Puerto Ricans themselves cannot vote in presidential elections since Puerto Rico is not a state. It is a commonwealth. One should note that before he goes to Puerto Rico he will also visit Florida.
Florida has the second largest Puerto Rican community on the east coast after New York State. There are 850,000 Puerto Ricans in Florida, and there are 4 million Puerto Ricans in the United States. This number is substantial, and you can be sure that most Puerto Ricans are registered to vote. Also, Florida is a key battle state for the 2012 presidential election. This is what Obama is looking at, and he has a very good reason for visiting Puerto Rico and for trying to woo the Puerto Rican vote. After the Mexican American community, the Puerto Rican community in the United States is the second largest Latino bloc.
No longer can any president take the Latino vote for granted, and it makes perfect sense that any candidate would do well to try and impress the Puerto Rican community in the United States. While President Obama clearly looks like the best candidate compared to any Republican contender (or indeed any Democratic one if any should arise), Obama knows that he cannot take any part of the Latino vote for granted. And in a number of ways he may be more vulnerable than the other contenders.
Since he is president, he has to try and address the needs of Latinos in general and Puerto Ricans in particular. He needs to address the unemployment rate among Puerto Ricans. He needs to address discrimination against Puerto Ricans and Latinos, and he needs to assure Puerto Ricans that he will keep promises he made during his last presidential bid in 2008. To his credit, he has kept his promise to visit Puerto Rico when he became president. Will he be able to do more for Puerto Rico if he gets a second term?
Getting the Puerto Rican Vote
By: Daniel Nardini
For the first time since 1976, a sitting president will go to visit the island of Puerto Rico. U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Puerto Rico after coming from a visit to Florida. Obama will be greeted by Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuno, and Obama will tour the island in an effort to gauge the condition of the island and the people. Obama will be the first sitting president to visit Puerto Rico since U.S. President Gerald Ford visited the island in 1976 as part of an economic summit held on the island.
One would ask why Obama—one of only three sitting presidents who have visited Puerto Rico—would go to Puerto Rico now? Only two sitting presidents, John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford, visited Puerto Rico while they were presidents. Why would Obama show an interest in Puerto Rico, and why now? Puerto Ricans themselves cannot vote in presidential elections since Puerto Rico is not a state. It is a commonwealth. One should note that before he goes to Puerto Rico he will also visit Florida.
Florida has the second largest Puerto Rican community on the east coast after New York State. There are 850,000 Puerto Ricans in Florida, and there are 4 million Puerto Ricans in the United States. This number is substantial, and you can be sure that most Puerto Ricans are registered to vote. Also, Florida is a key battle state for the 2012 presidential election. This is what Obama is looking at, and he has a very good reason for visiting Puerto Rico and for trying to woo the Puerto Rican vote. After the Mexican American community, the Puerto Rican community in the United States is the second largest Latino bloc.
No longer can any president take the Latino vote for granted, and it makes perfect sense that any candidate would do well to try and impress the Puerto Rican community in the United States. While President Obama clearly looks like the best candidate compared to any Republican contender (or indeed any Democratic one if any should arise), Obama knows that he cannot take any part of the Latino vote for granted. And in a number of ways he may be more vulnerable than the other contenders.
Since he is president, he has to try and address the needs of Latinos in general and Puerto Ricans in particular. He needs to address the unemployment rate among Puerto Ricans. He needs to address discrimination against Puerto Ricans and Latinos, and he needs to assure Puerto Ricans that he will keep promises he made during his last presidential bid in 2008. To his credit, he has kept his promise to visit Puerto Rico when he became president. Will he be able to do more for Puerto Rico if he gets a second term?