June 17, 2004
STRIKE ANOTHER NAME FROM THE LIST:
Vilsack's running mate hopes may be challenged by state's English-only law (MIKE GLOVER, 6/17/04, Associated Press)
Gov. Tom Vilsack, a potential vice presidential candidate, signed a measure two years ago declaring English the state's official language. That could hurt his chances of joining the Democratic ticket.Iowa's English-only measure and dozens like it nationwide draw virtually unanimous and vehement opposition from Hispanics, an important Democratic constituency, who view them as thinly veiled racism. Hispanics, the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group, are being eagerly courted by Democrat John Kerry and President Bush.
Dennis Goldford, who teaches political science at Drake University, said the situation for Kerry and his advisers is aggravated by recent polling that shows Republican Bush running behind Kerry among Hispanics, but getting the support of about four in 10, for a relatively strong showing.
When your party has no core ideas and depends on holding together interest groups, they get to veto things like this. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 17, 2004 9:53 AM
When every interest group in your coalition has a litmus test whose violation is cause for automatic disqualification, it becomes impossible to find a person who hasn't violated at least one of them at some time or another. Kerry and Dems deserve the VP candidate they are going to get.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at June 17, 2004 12:19 PMGephardt is who he will pick. If I were them, I'd pick Bill Richardson.
Hmmm. On the one hand, the immigrants want to adopt our core values.
On the other hand, they resent English.
This is so confusing.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at June 17, 2004 6:45 PMDon't confuse some for all.
Posted by: M Ali Choudhury at June 17, 2004 6:57 PMI believe the argument goes like this:
Since America didn't start passing English-only laws before Hispanics started moving here, English-only laws are an expression of anti-Hispanic bigotry.
I find it hard to fault that argument.
Posted by: James Haney at June 18, 2004 1:11 AMIn earlier waves of immigration, the public schools (such as they were) taught English as a matter of course. Education and 'assimilation' were positives to be pursued. And the parents wanted it. And it worked well.
Today, the empty multi-cultural mush-heads enable immigrants to suffer the soft bigotry of low expectations. I suspect part of the reason is because the (white) educational establishment doesn't want to be in the same room with the brown children.
Posted by: jim hamlen at June 18, 2004 7:58 AM