Gilberto Hinojosa: The TT Interview
Gilberto Hinojosa is running for chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, a venture that would put him at the helm of a political organization that hasn't won a statewide election in 18 years. Even so, the lifelong Democrat seems eager to take the reins.
A little history: Hinojosa was raised in the Rio Grande Valley, educated at what is now the University of Texas-Pan American, earned a law degree at Georgetown University, and then worked as a lawyer for the Washington, D.C.-based Migrant Legal Action Program. He has served as a Brownsville school trustee, a state district ...
Comments (11)
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Might help if your elected officials weren't having to bail themselves out of jail- like today.
Tom Sweazea via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Texas was stolen by illegal redistricting in 2000 by convicted felon Tom Delay. I'd say start to take our state back by revoking his appeal bond and let him dance with the men in TDC.
Anya Khan
I like Mr Hinojosa's spirit, but I don't think his arguments are going to win over alot of voters. It could be me, but I felt like I was being condesended to, that I was considered unaware of what the issues were. Has any party won by insulting the voters.
Adele Roberson
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/arizonas-immigration-legi_b_1453141.html
Arizonas Immigration Legislation undermines our Christian values.
Any laws inciting hate and discrimination and intimidation in our democracy is simply not acceptable.
Adele Roberson
Gilberto Hinojosa I wish you well.
Watching politics for so many years I find it always astonishing that Hispanics will vote against their own self interests. Maybe you can change this as well as many other things in current Texas Politics
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Republicans never know Hispanics are even in this country except every two or four years when they need their votes. Hispanics get so excited they are even recognized they run out and vote Republican... then they all get ignored again until the next election.
Funny stuff. I remember when George Bush the Junior even spoke a little Spanish to the Hispanics... jeez..they turned themselves inside out. So thrilled. They rushed to the polls to vote for the Republican and then he said "who are the Hispanics?" funny stuff.
Hispanics need to pay attention. It was a Republican who said the first thing he would do when elected to the Presidency was electrify the fence at the border between America and Mexico.
It was also a Republican who said fifty times he would deport illegal Hispanics if they would not deport themselves. Republicans are running Arizona where Hispanics are persecuted and prosecuted every hour of the day. Insane Republican Sheriff. Numskull Republican Governor.
For profit "Republican" prisons. Everything a Hispanic should admire. (NOT)
Who do Hispanics think is doing all the screaming and chasing and beating up of Hispanics in Alabama. No.... it is not the Democrats.
We need to show Republicans the door. Enough is Enough.
Marilyn B Herrera
I appreciate learning about Mr. Hinojosa. I did not know he was running for the chairmanship of the Texas Democratic Party until I read this article in today's "El Paso Times." I hope that Mr. Ramsey will also write articles on the other candidates such as Rachel Barrios-Van Os, another Austinite. Equal exposure for all candidates! Please keep us voters informed! Thank you.
Patricia Budak
Mr. Hinojosa says, "...you have got to start talking like a moderate Republican..." If this is his strategy for winning statewide elections for Democrats, he will fail as his predesessor has. Rachel Barrios-Van Os would never talk like a Republican of any stripe. She would unite the base and make the Texas Democratic Party what it has been longing to be for so many years now: The Party of the People.
Marilyn B Herrera
I totally agree with Patricia Budak. The Texas Democratic Party needs someone who will unite all of us and not cater to any certain group.
Irma Mathis
Mr Hinojosa is not saying anything new or compelling....he is simply the "annointed" candidate and the reason he is being interviewed and not the others. I have read up on him and many in his own community are saying "say no to Hinojosa!" I can't see how elected officials would just ignore those voices and support him anyway...talk about insulting voters.
There are two other candidates, Rachel Van Os and Fidel Acevedo, both from Austin...I would like to hear from them and about them. Forget the frozen chosen.
Eddie Rodriguez
Patricia Budak: Wow! Take things out of context much? This is what he said, in context:
"We need to do the [energize the base]. When your philosophy is to bring back those people you lost, that Ann Richards lost in 1994, and that you have got to start talking like a moderate Republican to do that, then how do you energize your base? How does your base get excited and motivated and engaged to go out there and do the things that need to be done to get the votes out? It doesn’t happen.
They stay home because they don’t see any difference between you and the other party. They don’t think that you’re the party that’s going to deliver for them the things that they need to be able to lift up their families."
I am hoping that you merely misread that.
I think if you look a little deeper you will see that Mr. Hinojosa has the support and endorsement county chairs, SDEC members, current and former State Representatives and State Senators plus many other hard working Democrats. The goal is unify the party and he is bringing a coalition of Democrats together. He has worked hard fighting for and promoting Democrats his entire life.
Instead of trying to tear down a good Democrat, allow me to suggest that you promote you choice, Van Os, by speaking of her qualifications. We have enough fights out there without intrasquad squabbles.
Irma Mathis
Patricia Budak: Wow! Take things out of context much? This is what he said, in context:
I assume this comment was meant for me.. you were not specific, but I did not take anything out of context. I merely said he is not saying anything new and that people in his own community do not support him...and the fact that he does not understand why democrats don't win, well...hmmm. If you choose to support him, go for it.
TT: Why do you want to do this? Hinojosa: Because somebody needs to do it … Because I think I’ve been seeing how this party has been devastated in the last few elections, and it’s very difficult for me to understand why that’s happening given how our state is demographically populated now.
It would have been a more interesting read if the tribune had reported on all the candidates...that way those individuals that are attending the convention in Houston as delegates would have time to compare the three candidates. Obviously, that was not the intended purpose of this article. Otherwise, for anyone else it really does not matter...it is just a read and to perhaps attract financial supporters. And perhaps to let R"s know that a south Texas Hispanic party chair is going to bring in the Latino vote and finally turn Texas blue. It's all about that Latino vote. If you believe different you are sadly misinformed.
As for support from other elected democrats (insiders), of course he is going to get it as the "anointed” candidate.
Besides , the whole idea of campaigning is to compare and contrast the candidates and that includes democrats against democrats, not just d's vs r's. To assume that a candidate is the best simply because he has the endorsement of democratic elected officials says nothing about the potential of that candidate. The endorsement merely lends credibility, giving voters the illusion that that candidate will best represent them, then when nothing changes. … guess what... you wind up with “PO voters.” No democrat has won a statewide election in two decades- that fact speaks volumes.
There are dems that want change and there are dems that are quite content with the status quo. For the status quo it is not about creating change, it is only to maintain a very subjective power structure.
Oh and one more thing you said...
"Instead of trying to tear down a good Democrat, allow me to suggest that you promote you choice, Van Os, by speaking of her qualifications. We have enough fights out there without intrasquad squabbles."
This is not about qualifications. None of the questions asked about his qualifications, hence why I noted, “It is all rhetoric” ...as for tearing down a good democrat, that is really a matter of opinion. I do agree with him on one point and that is that the party is weak, but whose fault is that? There is plenty of blame to go around.
And if the party suffers from "intrasquad squabbles" as you so put it, obviously there is a problem with everyone being allowed free speech, something every American citizen is entitled too, so why would you want to squelch individual voice?
Perhaps because as soon as someone disagrees with party “choices” like this one SDEC member, you refer to it as "mudslinging” ... “You are beginning to sound like that loudmouth and very vulgar Dan Ramos formerly the Bexar County Chair till we took a stand and ousted him. If you want to build any type of following, you need to temper your speech. Why, this sounds like intimidation… is that democratic?
Tea, anyone?