Julian Castro (D) for (Not Running for) President 2016

[McCamy Taylor]

I love Elizabeth Warren. But she says she isn't running. No one is running. Even Julian Castro said (last year) that he does not plan to run. At this point, our choices on the general election ballot in 2016 are slated to be:

Nobody (Democrat)
Maybe Jeb (Republican)

Now, an admission. I am a Texan. I would love to see a fellow Texan who is not in the pocket of the oil industries/banks/health insurance industry represent our state in the White House. Texas politicians (who are not the idiot sons of former presents who were elected because voters thought they were electing the father) are a tough breed---like former governor Ann Richards. They know how to fight. That is especially true of Democratic Texans. And doubly true of urban Democratic Texans, like the San Antonio mayor, who has to juggle the needs of his constituents in a state that would rather see the poor and uninsured die in the streets than accept billions of dollars in federal health care aid---the Medicaid expansion.

Here is Castro introducing himself in his own words during the last Democratic National Convention:

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=julian+castro+democratic+convention+speech&qpvt=julian+castro+democratic+convention+speech&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=58CD2AC65CE10B53BAAB58CD2AC65CE10B53BAAB

Here is some recent news about Castro:

“[Mayor] Castro is the poster child of leadership in the country for the hispanic community,” Garcia said. “San Antonio has been where we are now-we can learn from them and also grow with them.”

http://www.yourvalleyvoice.com/news/san-antonio-mayor-sowing-seeds-for-success-in-the-rgv/article_d30bff1e-955c-11e2-b405-0019bb2963f4.html

Our nation is a nation built by immigrants. In this era, Hispanic or Latino immigrants are important to the economic prosperity of the country. The Republicans want to force them into a kind of perpetual bonded indentured servant status with the US born children of undocumented immigrants denied citizenship and therefore denied education, forced to spend their lives working for less than minimum wage in places like the Koch Brothers Dixie Cup factories without benefits, without Social Security, without OSHA protections---the slaves of the 21st century, subject to expulsion from the country if they ever dare complain about their substandard living and working conditions. Since the workers in question will have been born in the U.S. many of them will have no friends south of the border. Many of them will not even speak Spanish. Rather than face deportation, they will do whatever is asked of them----and that is slavery in my book.

The Republican Party has seen the writing on the wall---or rather, the math. They suddenly understand that their policies have alienated the fastest growing demographic in the country. They will try to sucker Latino voters by offering them candidates with Hispanic sounding names---and Koch Brother values.

I humbly suggest that Democrats offer more than lip service and surnames. We need to make immigration reform a priority. As long as there are undocumented workers who can be exploited, employers can exploit everyone. Give Hispanic workers protections, and they will join and support unions. They will strengthen the middle class again---the way that generation after generation of immigrants have strengthened the middle class with their hopes, dreams and hard work which made them give up their homes and take a chance on coming to a new country and starting a new life.

And while we are offering Latinos a seat at the table, why not put all that resourcefulness and ingenuity and hard work to use at the head of the table, too? Who understands the needs of immigrants workers better than one who has lived it? That is why I am throwing my support behind the undeclared candidacy of Julian Castro.

Here is Castro going toe to toe with Texas State Sen. Dan Patric (R)

http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/15105/julian-castro-wipes-floor-with-dan-patrick-in-televised-immigration-debate

"We have to level with Texans about this issue. Nobody disagrees with you Senator when you talk about the need to clamp down on coyotes, on people who are crossing here illegally, to enhance border security," Castro said. "You and I can agree that we need to enhance border security. However, tonight we're going to talk, as well, about the fact that you've been part of the problem. It surprises me that you're saying you're not tough because out there on Twitter, in front of the Alamo, in your campaign, you've been huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf and now you are dancing around, tip-toeing, like little Red Riding Hood on this issue."

Julian Castro has been in the forefront of the fight in Texas to get the Medicaid expansion to our state:

Conservative Republican governors in Michigan and Ohio looked at similar numbers in their states and decided that expanding Medicaid was a no-brainer. I just wish our governor saw it the same way. Because with a stroke of his pen, he could save more than one million of his fellow Texans from financial ruin if they get sick and save taxpayer dollars in the process. And there's nothing foolish about that.

So mayors like me are going to keep working as hard as we can to make sure that Texans can get covered. In the meantime, states that have so far refused to expand Medicaid ought to reconsider and do the right thing. Let's stop denying millions of people health insurance just because of politics. Let's follow the lead of states that have already insured tens of thousands of their citizens. And here in Texas, let's do it better than anybody else.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/11/06/san-antonio-mayor-juli-n-castro-lets-stop-denying-texans-health-insurance-because-po

Julian Castro is for gay marriage:

"

Ending the official bigotry that Texas sanctions is both the right thing to do, and it is also good for business," Castro said.

snip

Castro, who is working hard to make San Antonio into a 'creative hub' by luring high tech businesses, says the young professionals who make up those industries, whether gay or straight, feel strongly that banning gay marriage is a civil rights violation.

Officials say they are beginning to see some stirrings of animosity toward Texas for maintaining laws which outlaw gay marriage among the 'creative class' that Castro seeks to lure to San Antonio.

They say having the image of being Alabama in 1962 when it comes to gay rights is not good for the growth of the city's economy, especially among young professionals.

Read more: http://www.woai.com/articles/woai-local-news-119078/exclusive-mayor-castro-says-texas-should-11434934/#ixzz307CNDpiv

Castro is a pro-choice Catholic:

There's no question that there's a teaching of the Catholic Church that's in contradiction with a pro-choice position, and there are folks who've made a lot of an issue of that. But if you look at opinion polls of Catholics, it's very clear that there's also a significant number of Catholics who are pro-choice. And so I feel like almost anything - whether it's a religion or something else, an ideology that folks subscribe to - you're not going to agree with it 100 percent. And you see that with regard to Catholics and reproductive rights. So I realize as a Catholic that I don’t have the same view as the bishops, as the pope, but I’m still Catholic.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/notre-dame-to-host-pro-abortion-catholic-mayor-for-event-on-civic-engagemen


I love Hillary. If she runs, I can support a Clinton/Castro ticket. But until then, I am officially going to back Julian Castro as my favorite of the undeclared Democratic candidates for president in 2016.

[Timez Squarez]

1. Can you focus on electing Wendy Davis now instead of worrying about 2016?

That's what it's all about - getting the right people elected in the House. You certainly have a bunch of 'baggers to get rid of...

Heck, whatever happened to the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate that Cornyn is trying to hang on to?

[McCamy Taylor]

2. I looooove Wendy. That's a given. But 2016 is just around the corner.

I'll go post something about Wendy in the 2014 elections section now. I promise.



See? Wendy gets three loveyas cause she is so super wonderful.

And here is the thread I just started for her in Politics 2014 and I gave her $50, too. But I still like Castro. A lot. He has plenty of experience. Remember, he is from a political family. Heavy duty political family---and not one of those rich, dynasty political families. A grass roots family. That means he has been eating, breathing, sleeping politics since he was young. I think he is ready. He just needs a little more exposure.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251361724

[TexasTowelie]

3. I'd like to see him get a little bit more experience under his belt before he runs for president.

However, if he runs in 2020 or 2024 he will certainly receive my consideration.