The first day of the Democratic National Convention is supposed to set the tone. It did last night and Commentary felt very much included.
Let me say again, what I said yesterday and Friday here:
Commentary is not going to get worked up on who does and doesn’t speak at the Democratic National Convention next week. If they want to let GOP former governor John Kasich speak and Mike Bloomberg speak and they bring some of their friends over to vote for Joe Biden, have at it. Once Joe Biden starts speaking Thursday evening, we will have forgotten who spoke before him.
Here is today’s online headline of the Chron E-Board editorial:
Editorial: The Democratic convention is missing Latino, Texas voices. That’s a mistake.
Here is the headline from the hard copy:
Missed opportunity
Team Biden appears to be taking Latinos, Texas for granted at Democrats’ convention
Here is the beginning of the editorial:
No party should take for granted the votes of any group tied together by race, ethnicity, gender or religion. And yet for all the focus they’ve put on diversity in recent years, Democrats appear to be doing just that as they gather virtually beginning tonight for the party’s four-day online convention.
Latinos, part of a voting bloc that is expected to play a large role in determining the outcome of the election, are all but shut out of the prime speaking spots. In fact, Texas itself, where Latinos are an especially big factor and helping to make the state competitive for the first time in decades, is nearly absent from the podium. That’s a big mistake on both fronts.
Here is the entire E-Board take: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Editorial-The-Democratic-convention-is-missing-15490674.php.
Wrong.
Commentary knows as much as anyone on exclusion and inclusion politics. Eva Longoria hosted and emceed the first night of the convention and did a great job. Eva Longoria is an All Star in the Latino Democratic activist community in the USA. She is one of our leaders that is out front on our issues. She is also a Texan to the bone.
She has been part of the Latino Democratic effort across the country and in Texas for a decade and a half. She is one of our go to leaders. She rolls up her sleeves on our behalf time and time again. She doesn’t just show up every four years. She handled her duties well last night. She was prominent and substantive. Commentary was proud to see her front and center. To say we were excluded is dead wrong.
Nice job, Eva!
Arguably, one of the best lines from last night came from a Latina, Kristin Urquiza. Her father died from COVID-19 and here is what she said last night:
“His only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life.”
It was a great first night for sure.
Here are some of the featured speakers for Day 2: Former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Former Secretary of State John Kerry, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Former President Bill Clinton, and Former Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden.
No on to Bozo politics. Texas’ GOP state leadership will hold a press conference today to respond to defund the police.
BTW: They – Texas’ GOP state leadership – have unconditionally surrendered to COVID-19. Sad.
The Rockets start their playoff run late this afternoon.
The Astros have won five in a row. It is 2 pm start today. That’s good.
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