Monday, January 14, 2008

Zinger of the Day: Pandering to the Latinos

Ruben Navarrette Jr. rants about politicians attempting to pander to Latinos and use silly generalizations assuming the Hispanic community is one mass. Here's a dig at Hillary:
Hillary Clinton got off to a rocky start. While chatting with Hispanic voters in a Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada, last week, she stretched for an analogy to explain how all Americans are connected and their problems interconnected despite the fact that "we treat them as though one is guacamole and one is chips."

Aiy caramba! Quick rule of thumb: The nation's 46 million Hispanics are a proud people who have accomplished a great deal, have fought and died for this country in every military conflict dating back to the Civil War, and who embody the American Dream. If you're a politician who is trying to relate to them -- but your own knowledge of the group doesn't extend beyond whatever is on the No. 3 combination plate -- you want to be careful not to be so tone deaf that you wind up insulting them.

No comments: