At debate, only Martin O'Malley talked about 'our' issues

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editorial from AL DÍA News:


At debate, only O'Malley talks about our issues

Latinos who tuned in to the Democratic presidential candidate debate Sunday night were in for a surprise — namely, that the journalists asking questions and candidates answering them completely ignored issues of surpassing importance to Latino voters. Everyone, that is, except the candidate who is polling in the single digits and who was given the least time to speak: Martin O’Malley.

Martin O’Malley — who was rarely asked a direct question by NBC interviewers Lester Holt and Andrea Mitchell, and often left out of the questioning altogether — kept bringing up issues you see us write about frequently on our website and in the pages of the print edition of AL DÍA: immigrant detention, deportation, the need for comprehensive reform of our disastrously unjust immigration system.

And in his closing statement — a 60-second uninterrupted space of time he hadn’t been allowed at any point in the debate — O’Malley not only led with a statement about detention centers, but followed up with a statement about the economic violence being done to Puerto Rico. Here is his statement in whole:

“There are so many issues that we haven’t been able to discuss here. We have not fully discussed immigration reform, and the deplorable number of immigrant detention camps that our nation’s now maintaining. We haven’t discussed the shameful treatment that the people of Puerto Rico, our fellow Americans, are getting treated with by these hedge funds that are working them over.

“We haven’t discussed the fact that in our hemisphere we have the danger of nation-state failures because of drug traffickers; and Honduras, and Guatemala and El Salvador."

“I guess the bottom line is this, look we are a great people the way we act at home and abroad based on the beliefs that unite us. Our belief in the dignity of every person, our belief in our own common good. There is now challenge that is too great for us to overcome provided we bring forward in these divided times, new leadership that can heal our divides here at home and bring our principles into alignment abroad.

“We’re on the threshold of a new era of American progress and I believe we have only need to join forces together and cross that threshold into a new era of American prosperity.”

Immigration was mentioned three times during the two-hour debate, twice brought up by O’Malley, once by Clinton. Puerto Rico got only O’Malley’s mention.

Given that Sanders got 30 minutes of speaking time, Clinton got 27 minutes and O’Malley only got 14, the number of mentions of issues of special importance to Latinos gains even more significance...

And the Democratic candidates...

Clinton’s response to all of this has been very weak (and until very recently, issued only through spokespeople). Sanders’ response — though much more strongly worded and far prompter than Clinton’s — also lagged.

Who was the first of the Democratic candidates to raise his voice against the raids? O’Malley. And he persisted with his critical questions until the other two candidates had to issue some response.

O’Malley’s polling numbers are ridiculously low. There was talk he wasn’t going to be invited to the Democratic debate at all. It is in Latinos’ best interest to see that he continues in the primary battle — because no other candidate is willing to address these topics in substantive and genuine ways. No matter the foregone conclusions the NBC moderators denoted with their lopsided questions; no matter the party machine manipulation so that ongoing coverage favors the favored — Latinos don’t have to play along.

In fact, it behooves us not to. It behooves us to make sure that those who are addressing matters of grave concern to us stay in the fight long enough to make those who barely see us or think of us (when they aren’t baldly pandering) reconsider their routine erasure of us and ours.

And to O’Malley we say: We hear you. We’re listening. You got our attention.


read: http://aldianews.com/articles/opinion/debate-only-omalley-talks-about-our-issues/41844

[BlueMTexpat]

1. I really wish that the moderators

would have given MOM more time, instead of continuing with the "horse race" between HRC & SBS.

I say that as an HRC supporter. Martin has a lot of good things to say and he says them well, when given the chance.

The only group with a genuine reason to complain about the lack of media coverage of their candidate is the MOM supporters group, IMO. But you are all quite gracious and a real credit to your candidate.

[bigtree]

5. me too, BlueMTexpat

...maybe not as gracious as O'Malley:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511025015

[FSogol]

2. K & R. n/t

[NCTraveler]

3. While I disagree with respect to the debate alone.

O'Malley has been out there every single day focusing on issues very important to me. What really makes me like him even more is that I know he isn't going to slink back into an office if he isn't victorious in his endeavor here.

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4. heh

...someone here just asked who will get his supporters when he drops out.

Lol. Smh.

[snoringvoter]

7. I hold no opinion of O'Malley

and hope he'll make a decision soon, rather than later.

[bigtree]

10. we're focused on Iowa and NH

...obviously, any talk of him withdrawing is self-serving to whoever else you support in this race. It's a draw as to where his support might go.

Speculating on his exit, without a word about what he or his supporters might want, is not going to help sell your candidate to the folks you're looking to hurry along before one vote is cast.

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6. »

[elleng]

8. “There are so many issues that we haven’t been able to discuss here.

We have not fully discussed immigration reform, and the deplorable number of immigrant detention camps that our nation’s now maintaining. We haven’t discussed the shameful treatment that the people of Puerto Rico, our fellow Americans, are getting treated with by these hedge funds that are working them over.

“We haven’t discussed the fact that in our hemisphere we have the danger of nation-state failures because of drug traffickers; and Honduras, and Guatemala and El Salvador."

[elleng]

9. And to O’Malley we say: We hear you. We’re listening. You got our attention.

[bigtree]

11. 'We hear you. We’re listening'

...at least, some of us are.

[bigtree]

12. kick

[loyalsister]

13. Conflict driven media and the people who are so enjoying political WWF

are going to blow this for us. One reason I think they have been loath to cover him is that he is the adult in the room. That's no fun and doesn't drive ratings the way a good anger fest between candidates does.

[elleng]

14. Right, Right, Right.