Democrats and Latino Men

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Welcome to the 91st post of The Latino Newsletter, now being sent to 762 subscribers. We are completing our 18th week, and before I share thoughts about Thursday night’s “Latinos Ask… Kamala Harris Responds” Univision Town Hall in Las Vegas and also present Episode 11 of our podcast, I had some online issues publishing Thursday’s “The True Cost of a Car Wash” post.

What was sent to our email subscribers wasn’t fully edited, and I thought the post was synced to the latest corrections. Yes, as much as technology has helped this outlet grow at a steady clip, once in a while, it frustrates me. That happened Thursday afternoon, and I apologize for not taking that extra step to ensure all was well.

I understand that you have many newsletter and digital options to get your news, commentary, and audio, and I am grateful that you have chosen us to be part of your routine. We learn from the mistake (don’t publish a piece from a train!) and keep moving forward.

I wasn’t able to watch the Harris Town Hall as it aired live on Thursday night. I was in New York City for the first time in 14 months, attending the Knight-Bagehot 49th Anniversary Gala Dinner. I was with a great group of people across nonprofit and commercial media. It was refreshing to talk about The Latino Newsletter and what we are doing here. It was worth the trip.

I did catch the town hall early on Friday, and no matter where you stand politically, I was fascinated by how historic the moment was in American political broadcast history. Here was a diverse group of Latino and Latina undecided voters asking questions in Spanish, asking other questions in English, and giving Harris space and time to make her best case.

In addition, I was struck by how much uninterrupted time Harris had to give her answers. I would expect that the Donald Trump Univision Town Hall would get the same treatment next week, even though there was no live fact-checking for Harris, and there will be none for Trump. The live interpreter vibe also played a part in how Spanish-speaking voters received Harris’ answers and will receive Trump’s.

Univision is a player in the U.S. political space, and of that, there is no doubt.

If you did miss the event, it is available online.

Episode 11: Democrats and Latino Men

First of all, we decided to upload all our podcast episodes directly in our posts, with Episode 11 making the first time we are doing this.

For this episode, I wanted to explore the polling showing that Harris is trailing Trump with Latino men under 49 in Arizona and Nevada. It is a topic I addressed in my latest MSNBC opinion piece about the new “Hombres con Harris” tour. I also invited Ruben Navarrette to be my guest this week. I have known Ruben through mutual classmate friends when we were all Harvard undergrads in the late 80s. To this day, I have always respected Ruben for publishing A Darker Shade of Crimson: Odyssey of a Harvard Chicano back in 1994.

I have been following his incredible career ever since then, and I am also grateful for how Ruben was so supportive when I was working on Latino Rebels. He is one of the most fascinating journalists and commentators I have ever known.

When Ruben and I chat, it’s never a dull moment, and as you will see in this episode, we have some wide disagreements about political candidates. Still, I love conversing with him because I will always welcome the exchanges with him.

The Latino Newsletter podcast is also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, iHeart Radio, YouTube and on this site.

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What We’re Reading

Many Latino Voters Report No Contact by Either Party: On Friday morning, UnidosUS wrote the following in a media release: “Latino leaders across the nation expressed bafflement and sharp disappointment today with both the Democratic and Republican parties over their lack of meaningful outreach to Latino voters. In a letter to the chairs of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Republican National Committee (RNC), 15 organizations called on both parties to escalate their efforts to engage the Latino electorate, which could be decisive in several key battleground states in which the margins of victory will be slim.”

What Newly Naturalized Eligible Voters Are Saying: This past week, the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), America’s Voice, and the Equity Research Institute (ERI) at USC hosted a roundtable of newly naturalized citizens from battleground states. The discussion focused on the second round of the New American Voter survey results. According to The Hill, “Naturalized citizens are likely to vote at much higher rates than U.S.-born voters, potentially playing a decisive role in an election with razor-thin margins.”

Puerto Ricans and Status Preferences: El Nuevo Día published results from its latest polls about political status options and what people in Puerto Rico support. According to the poll, 44% of respondents support statehood, 25% support free association with the United States, and 19% favor independence. There will be another non-binding status plebiscite on Election Day.

About the Author

Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder and interim publisher of The Latino Newsletter.

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