Could New Mexico governor Susana Martinez be back in the running as a possible running mate for Mitt Romney? A little-noticed Public Policy poll conducted July 12-15 among registered voters in New Mexico has some national GOP operatives buzzing. The poll found Romney trailing President Obama 49%-44%, with 7% undecided. But when respondents were asked how they felt about a Romney-Martinez pairing against President Obama and Joe Biden, they favored the two tickets equally (45%-45%). That means Martinez might actually help Romney capture a critical swing state in a region rich with Latino voters, which magnifies her potential value.
In fact, New Mexico, with just 5 electoral votes, wasn't even supposed to be competitive this year. Obama captured the state handily in 2008, and most observers say New Mexico is trending strongly "blue," just like neighboring Nevada (6 electoral votes), but in sharp contrast to Arizona (11 electoral votes), which has swung GOP for years. Normally, that makes Colorado (9 electoral votes) the most talked-about Southwestern "battleground." But if Romney wins New Mexico on top of Arizona, he won't necessarily need to carry the Centennial State to blunt Obama's momentum. In a presidential election this close, the unexpected "flip" of a single small Blue state could well prove decisive.
Of course, New Mexico is also critical because such a high percentage of the state's voters are Hispanic - a whopping 39%, the highest in the nation (compared to 16% in Florida, and just 12% in Colorado, for example). And that's another reason why Martinez, the nation's first Latina governor, commands such attention. Unlike another 2012 VP prospect, Florida senator Marco Rubio, Martinez is not a Cuban-American whose appeal might be limited to one smaller sub-population of Hispanics. She's Mexican-American, with roots in Texas, another big Hispanic state, and she looks and talks the part. In 2010, she won 40% of the Hispanic vote, a remarkable result in a state whose last Hispanic governor, Bill Richardson, was a dyed-in-the-wool liberal and where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 5-1.
And Martinez, unlike many US governors, is still extremely popular. In the latest polls, she registers a net favorability rating of 22 points - one of the highest nationwide. How did she accomplish that feat? Through skillful maneuvering, it appears. While Martinez is often depicted as a neophyte, she's already emerging as a formidable politician. With an assist from Sarah Palin's political PAC and the former Alaska governor's own personal endorsement, she came out of nowhere to win the GOP primary then cruised to a 7-point win in the general election. But after her victory, Martinez, a former Democrat, soon declared herself independent of the Palinistas. She strongly supports the Tea Party agenda of lower taxes and smaller government, but she hasn't been as aggressive on social issues like gay marriage and abortion as some would like. In fact, earlier this year, she caused outrage in Christian circles by naming an openly gay man to the state's powerful public regulation board. That defiant streak, perhaps, is one reason independents and Democrats continue to rate her so favorably.
But what really distinguishes Martinez from the Tea Party and from most other Republicans - except for Rubio, perhaps - is her public questioning of the GOP's strategy on immigration. An ex-District Attorney who enjoys widespread support from the state's law enforcement community, Martinez backs expanded border and workplace controls, but she's also pushing her party to abandon its hard line opposition to an "amnesty" program. Some observers believe her pronouncements on this score, which have included indirect criticism of Romney himself, may have already doomed her chances of getting the VP nod. But despite outward signs of tension, Martinez remains one of Romney's top Hispanic advisers. She still helps direct the special campaign team that oversees the candidate's Hispanic advertising and outreach efforts and is credited with having infused Romney's Spanish-language television ads with greater cultural nuance and resonance.
In fact, the closer one looks at Martinez, the more one gets the impression that she could prove useful to Romney well beyond Latinos. She's highly personable, as well as telegenic, and in her public appearances she conveys the kind of warmth and spontaneity that many find lacking in the party's presumptive nominee. She also clearly appeals to women - and not just GOP women. In the recent Public Policy poll, she not only boosts Romney's Latino share of the New Mexico vote from 34% to 39%, she also reduces his "gender gap" from 12 points to zero. Obama only leads by 7 points among women, matching Romney's 7-point lead among men. That's a remarkable shift, and an advantage that no other prospective GOP vice presidential candidate - except perhaps the pro-choice Condoleeza Rice, who's not seriously in the running - can provide. If Martinez could exert a similar impact nationally, she'd be a formidable presence indeed.
The two biggest arguments against Martinez are that she's simply too new and untested nationally and that like Romney himself, she lacks foreign policy experience. Romney apparently hasn't vetted her, formally, but there's clearly strong interest. In January he suggested that he would consider her for a cabinet post, but added that "other positions" were open, too. Those who dismiss her as a "Sarah Palin-type" candidate, as libertarian Gary Johnson just did, are probably missing the point. She has demonstrated crossover appeal - and a policy substance, at least on domestic issues - that Palin clearly lacked.
And for Romney, naming her wouldn't be a last-ditch "Hail Mary" option, as the Palin selection was for McCain. On the contrary, it would reflect his growing confidence in the power of his own candidacy. At the same time, naming the first Hispanic - and only the third woman, two of them Republican - to a national campaign ticket would also send an unmistakable signal to voters that Romney, contrary to Obama campaign propaganda, is looking to the future - not to the past.
Of course, that's exactly the same argument that's being used by those who are promoting Rubio's candidacy. But the fact is, despite his ability to galvanize the GOP base, Rubio doesn't appear to have Martinez's crossover potential, and even in Florida, the evidence suggests that his presence on the ticket might actually hurt Romney more than it helps.
In the end, it could be the raw politics that matters most. Romney's path to victory remains more precarious than Obama's, and as a result, every state counts. If Romney continues to struggle in Ohio, for example, it will magnify the importance of a GOP "breakthrough" in the Southwest. Romney, in fact, has recently narrowed the race in Colorado, a state with an unusually high number of independent voters, and where Martinez could conceivably exert an influence, too.
All of this points up the need for Romney to consider vetting Martinez more seriously for the VP slot. Demographically speaking, she is the quintessential "breakthrough" candidate. And yet, she appears to have unrecognized political value that far too many observers, including many in her own party, are ignoring.
 |
 |
|
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
http://newmexicoindependent.com/68416/martinez-taps-former-florida-official-to-head-education-department
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/new-mexico-license-data-point-to-fraud_n_1232024.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/governor-susana-martinez-hairstylist_n_1305009.html
http://www.ontheissues.org/Susana_Martinez.htm
It's worth noting that department heads often don't have experience in the field in which they are assuming management responsibilities. They are hired because they are good managers.
Hillary Clinton was never and ambassador or foreign service offiicer. She is a terrific Secretary of State, though.
It cuts both ways. Coming up through the ranks can mean that you know the terrain intimately; It can also mean that you have an entrenched institutional or professional viewpoint when a fresh perspective may be needed - that's almost certainly true in education.
Still, if she's that illiterate, it would be a concern, I would agree. (Though we did have a VP, Dan Quayle, who tried to correct a student's spelling of "potato" by insisting in full view of the press that it should be written as "potatoe.")
posted:
"My
understanding is that Hanna Scandara, wrote an e-mail, that was later critiqued
by one of the college's English instructors.
There was a lot of red ink. Very
disappointing. She supposedly has no
training as a teacher, but, heads that department. See link below for the NM Independent."
Here is the link to
the story:
Education secretary
memo gets poor marks
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S2449723.shtml?cat=0
This is a link, that
is self-explanatory:
Lawmaker: Skandera's
credentials might not fit the job
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/localnews/2011-Legislature-Lawmaker--Skandera-s-credentials-might-not-fit
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/localnews/071912FakedAudit2ndLd-Writethru
I do believe it gets to Martinez's governing. She should bear the responsibility of this board. She appointed them, they are her cronies. Balderas is just getting started. And now we are finding her breaking the sunshine laws concerning use of private e-mail accounts to conduct state biz. She will be tarnished goods come VP pick time, much as Richardson was.
We have a problem lol she is likable for sure! I read up on her
Even he doesn't believe his story.
Es un tono, y ya ha dicho muchas mentiras de su mismo vida
J
http://www.buzzfeed.com/zekejmiller/senate-candidate-claims-she-never-backed-social-se
http://www.dscc.org/news?type=press_release&press_release_KEY=2233
http://www.majority2012.com/2012/06/news/blog-posts/heather-wilson-get-to-know-one-of-the-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/
http://www.nmdemocrats.org/content/release-heather-wilson-thinks-ethics-rules-dont-apply-her
However, I understand that she has taken her name out of contention because of personal family matters (a disabled sibling, I believe). At least in the short-run, Governor Martinez has decided to place her family above country and remain in New Mexico. This idea only has me thinking she could be more formidable in future presidential campaigns. Then again, I thought John Huntsman was going to be tough and Tim Pawlenty the current nominee (I still think Yawn-a-Plenty is Romney's choice for V.P.).
One thing that would count strongly in her favor - but also Pawlenty's and Bobby Jindal's - is that she's a governor. It's looking like Romney is leaning toward having another state chief executive at his side, to highlight competency. Palwenty's record is not bad, arguably Jinda's is the best.. As far as I now, two governors have never run on the same ticket. Sarah Palin was the first gubernatorial VP in either party in some 40 years.
The argument - advanced very strongly by Dick Cheney - that a candidate like Martinez would be perceived as a another pandering "Palin-type" pick and should be avoided is misguided I think. Her Hispanic background is the novelty item and really trumps the gender issue. The fact that either parry name a Latino running mate cannot be taken lightly - and the fact that it was the GOP would set a precedent that cannot be denied.
There's a difference between politics and "pandering." No one thought it was pandering when Obama named the first Latina Supreme Court Justice. No serious Latino organizations would consider it "pandering" if Martinez gets the slot. It's too historic.
There may be a political calculation by Team Romney about not having someone with Washington experience. But I do not believe that Romney is prepared in the least to be in the Oval Office without someone who has some inside the beltway knowledge. Which, of course, puts Rob Portman at the top of my list.
Jindal would look like Romney would be comfortable with a person-of-color at his side (I'm not not so sure given his religious background). I'm also not sure Mitt Romney could have a woman at his side; and Martinez would look too much like the Palin pick you described. And my own phrase, Yawn-a-Plenty could be a safe pick because of his blue collar upbringing (I thought he'd be the nominee to begin with). But I think Ohio gets put in play with Rob Portman.....who has worked inside the beltway. Of course, the negative to Rob Portman - he worked for President Bush.
Pawlenty is the safe pick; Portman the better choice....just my two cents....and thank you for playing.
Furthermore, a latina running mate will lose him a lot of white southern blue collar voters, some of whom are paranoid about immigration and some of whom are just frankly, racist.
Romney's swung too far to the right, there's no way for him to swing back now.
The conservatives won't let him.
Even though her resume is better than Sarah Palin's, as a first-term Governor of a small state in the middle of her first term, Martinez still would be open to criticism that she isn't "ready" to take over as President if something were to happen to Romney. (Imagine a Democratic ad that includes Dick Cheney's recent criticism of McCain's selection of Palin as his VP candidate because she wasn't "ready" to take over the presidency).
In addition, Martinez has some baggage from having been fired when she was an Assistant DA and from when she was the elected DA of Doña Ana County that, while it didn't hurt her too much in New Mexico, might cause some concern to voters outside NM.