Clinton Campaign Chair: Obama Has A Latino "Problem"

Ken Vogel reports that the Clinton campaign is using the results to openly argue that Barack Obama has a problem with Hispanic voters -- an idea Clinton backers have previously mentioned only behind the scenes.

"It was a 100 percent Hispanic primary and it shows that he has a problem with the Latino community," Terry McAuliffe, campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton, told a handful of reporters after polls closed Sunday. "He cannot close in this key core constituency," McAuliffe added.

Voters in Puerto Rico are in some ways different from Hispanics living stateside, both because there's a long tradition of racial mixing and because elections here tend to center around the debate over whether the island should remain a commonwealth or become a state or an independent nation. They also don't vote in November.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[whiteboyblues]

McAuliffe has a serious drinking problem.

[eej]

Terry McAuliffe has an alcohol problem.

(Look at the other McAuliffe thread on this site.)

[hillarysupporter]

Obama has more than a Latino problem. He has a problem with women, with Catholics, with working people, with people in the Midwest states, with people from largest states.......
but, he did win those ridiculous caucuses, didn't he? We'll see how much weight they actually carry
in November.

[BruinForLife95]

"ridiculous caucuses"???

HillarySupporter, I bet you have lived to see more than a couple of presidential elections, and I'd also bet this is the first time you have uttered a word about how "ridiculous" the caucus system is. You've posted this comment or something similar here many times today.

Could it be due to the fact that your candidate did not win caucus states? Are you attempting to argue that had caucus states instead used the popular vote that your candidate would have emerged as the winner?

[Deparis]

With these types of assertions you still want to force this woman on an Obama ticket? No way, I will lose all my respect for Senator Obama if he gives room to the Clintons' camp pressure and put her on his ticket. I have the utmost respect and regards for him and I hope he does not deceive me.

[OMauriceS]

Terry McAuliffe needs to hang out for sometime in South Bronx, New York, where the problem between African-Americans and Puerto Ricans + other hispanic groups are very evident! He has a Clinton problem! Obama has a Clinton problem! Bill has a Hillary problem! They have a "money" problem!
Obama supporters and many Hillary supporters have a "Hillary and her surrogates" problem!
"It took a Clinton to clean up after a Bush and it will take a Clinton to clean up after another Bush!"
Anyone remember these words spoken by Hillary Clinton? Is it any wonder that she has an "entitlement" problem? To add to this, over 100 superdelegates that broke for her BEFORE the democratic race got underway? Considered as the presumptive nominee BEFORE the race began?
Is it any wonder her present ego and state of denial?
Must be really hard to accept the fact that she lost to a black man commonly described as an elitist, condescending, unpatriotic, inexperienced, weak, can't win against McCain, junior senator from Illinois with a funny sounding Muslim name plus MUCH more!
In these last 7 or so primaries, Barack Obama was busy keeping McCain in check while fighting off Hillary, Bill, the main stream media, attacks on his patriotism, racism, blamed for sexism etc? Does this sound like a weak candidate to you?
Hillary Clinton will NEVER be as politically astute and skillful a politician as Obama is right now...taking this honor ironically from her own husband!

[justobserve]

McAuliff: It's time to look at what problems your candidate, Clinton, had so you can run a better campaign; or do you want to run a campaign for the Republican against your party's candidate, Obama?

[independent32955]

I'm not voting for HRC because I REALLY can't stand this guy...the constantly smiling routine and shouting everything he says just annoys the crap out of me. voting for obama ensures that this guy wont have a government job for the next 4-8 years.

[debrouillard]

To her credit though she does lead in one measureable criteria,NEGATIVITY. No other presidential candidate has managed to top that. Hillary,finally you win on something.

[debrouillard]

Obama has a Latino problem, Well that would mean Hillary ha an American problem. Because America has said NO to her. By the way,the "Latino problem" couldnt stop him from winning the primary in which there is a "Latino loved" candidate,then i dont see it being a problem when he faces a canaditate who has NO "Latino Love strings"

[Dandrea]

THe Puerto Rican vote is just that because hispanic groups are far from homogenious. In fact, language is probably the only commonality. PR's are citizens who have every American right except the right to vote. They do have some perks- they don't pay federal taxes, the US pays for their defense and their citizens receive welfare with 60% qualifying for welfare.
I don't think Terry McAuliffe should generalize about the win in PR as a sign of an Obama Latino problem. " Latino" is a culture not a race.

[independent32955]

you're REALLY expecting the chae-white guy to understand the latino dynamic? come on!

[SouthFloridaDem]

"Voters in Puerto Rico are in some ways different from Hispanics living stateside ..."

This, and McAuliffe's statements, show quite a bit of ignorance. Hispanics aren't some big, homogenous group just because they're Hispanic. A Puerto Rican isn't a Mexican isn't a Cuban isn't an Argentinian, any more than a white person from Georgia is like a white person from New York. Misleading blanket statements are typical of the Clinton campaign. Republicans have always wrongly treated black voters as one homogenous group.

[biffer]

Hillary has an idiot problem, and it is within her own campaign. Her people couldn't get the nomination after it was practically handed to them 15 months ago.

"It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you place the blame."
Oscar Wilde

[CostaMesaJoe]

When push comes to shove; Latinos are voting Democratic.

There is no way they are going to vote for the party that wants to seal the border. That's the bottomline.

I love how McAuliffe managed to make a sweeping generalization about Hispanics.
Yup, Puerto Ricans, Mexican-Americans and Cuban-Americans (et al.) all share the same agenda (EYE ROLL).

Go away Hillary and take Terry with you.......

[111]

The junior senator from New York should be aware that Puerto Ricans do not represent all Latinos and a win in PR cannot be extrapolated out to say that Obama has a Latino problem. Hispanic Americans come here from a wide variety of countries and cultures. They have the Spanish language in common and one group does not represent all Latinos.

Her lack of awareness is the typical outgrowth of a childhood in homogeneous rural PA where she had no exposure to other cultures or ideas. Her political life focused on categorizing people according a system of measurements and further pigeon holed people.

She continues to generalize, distort and when necessary, lie. This is another distortion.

[BruinForLife95]

Geez, Obama has "problems" with latinos, white women, all of appalachia, "hard working" white folks, "not so hard working" white folks, the elderly, southerners, Rev. Wright, Father Guido Sarducci, and Sherman Hemsley, as "Rev." on the old show "227."

With so many "problems," HOW DID THIS GUY WIN THE NOMINATION, ANYWAY?

Don't believe the hype! Obviously, folks of all stripes are getting behind Obama.

OBAMA '08!

[hillarysupporter]

The caucuses, that's how he won. He won all those caucuses that don't represent Most of the people.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

He hasn't won anything yet. Unless I missed something in the last hour or so.

[DAVESEAN]

HOW COME UR CANDIDATE COULDN'T WIN THE CAUCUSES THEN..........HAD SHE GOT A PROBLEM......NEVER THOUGHT SO