Do you vote based on the candidate, or on the party they received their nomination from? This is a profound question, especially after the election we just went through. We recently learned that women vote, mainly, based on party. The Republicans voted for Palin and the Democrats voted for Hillary.
Now, the latinas are banking on Sotomayor.
While I was at Regis, we had a "Town Hall Meeting" regarding new publicity tactics that the school proposed to take to boost enrollment (yes, they asked the opinion of the resident/commuter students. See, Somerville, branching out can lead to amazing results). I spoke (shock!) on behalf of some friends and told them that we needed to see, as I put it, more black people. The late Katie Lynch followed suit saying that she would've liked to have seen people in wheelchairs, people with disabilities. The importance of this meeting hit me as I read articles regarding Sonia Sotomayor's hearings today. People need to look higher and see something or someone to relate to. Someone just like them who grew up just like they did in a place that looks just like their home.
Every social class in America promotes a political candidate that mirrors the "look," "feel," and moral belief of that class. Don't match the expectations? Don't expect the publicity or the nomination? This is really common sense.Look at any candidate's donator list and you will, most likely, see contributions from people who have a lot in common with the candidate.
I have always tried to see the inner meaning to any choice made by a political figure and Barack's decision to appoint Sotomayor was no exception. After traveling every avenue of his desire to have her on the Supreme Court, I kept coming to the conclusion that she was, basically, the minority, female, version of David Souter. They have both been described as voting "center to left" and neither has made a signification (significant not meaning controversial) ruling. Sotomayor gained fame for her pro-player ruling in the 1995 MLB strike. That's pretty much it.
At her hearings, Sotomayor insisted that she does not make her decision(s)based on her race or upbringing. The noise you heard after that were her consituents sighing in disappointment. This begs the question, do you realize why you were nominated immediately followed by the answer, because you're a New Yorican woman and Barack wants to grab the women and latino vote if he were to run for any office again.
The mistake that Obama made is the same one that McCain made. He allowed his decision to be predictable, obvious, and the opposite of what the public wanted them to do. If the voters had their way and political analysts wanted their yearly bonus, Obama should've picked Clinton and McCain should've picked someone that looked like Biden. Neither picked correctly...just my opinion.
Sotomayor was picked because she stood for nothing; she had no significant rulings on the hot topics of today: gay marriage, abortion, or legislation against white collar crime. This was perfect for Obama because he would not rock the Supreme Court boat and Sotomayor preplacing Souter is six of one-half dozen of the other. In the eyes of the house, if she stands for nothing, she will fall for anything and that, my friends, es no bien!
What I wish is that Obama just owned his decision. I feel that by making the admission, the nomination would have been better recieved; less opposed.
Lets do an exercise...
In five seconds, name me three professional athletes that denied using human growth hormone. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Now, in the same five second, name me three professional athletes that admitted using them, or had no idea that were being injected. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Honestly, did you have trouble with the latter? If you did, you're not alone. The public loves honesty and transparency and cannot argue when everything is exposed. Who argues with truth?
What Sotomayor needs to do is the one thing that she hasn't done her entire career, stand up for something...anything. Be more than just your heritage and up bringing. Be more than your home town and the language you speak. By relating to specifics, you are limiting your support. The truth of the matter is, not one social class can put someone in office. However, numerous social classes believing in one candidate can put that candidate anywhere they want to.
Vote for you and not anyone else,
Courtney O'Keefe
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