The Biden campaign has been taking flack in some Florida circles for what some have said was a botched rollout of its Hispanic outreach effort in the Sunshine State.
According to Fabiola Santiago at the Miami Herald, the Biden campaign introduced their Hispanic voter outreach effort at a party attended by Florida Democrat Party Chair Nikki Fried, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, and Miami Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. Santiago referred to the photo advertising the event as: “Three gringos launching ‘Latinos con Biden-Harris’ in posh Coral Gables.”
Biden campaign/FL Dems botched a Hispanic outreach event
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) March 29, 2024
In Miami
✅didn’t invite local media
✅Then, @fabiolasantiago (who often reflects their politics!) wasted them in @MiamiHerald
✅Dems attacked her
✅top Hispanic media coming to her defense https://t.co/0iHwInC42I https://t.co/XP4yQzlsU3 pic.twitter.com/SOSj9xVfRb
The event reportedly featured no local media or major Hispanic stars in the Democrat Party. Santiago took this to mean that the Biden campaign has ceded the state to Republicans while preferring to focus on Hispanic voters in swing states like Arizona. Per the op-ed:
Sending the Second Gentleman, as charming as he is, means we aren’t an important state. He isn’t a top presidential campaign surrogate in the party like the Obamas and Clintons. He’s not a rising star relevant to Latinos like California Senator Alex Padilla, son of Mexican immigrants and climate change combatant, credited with passage of the POWER On Act to address disasters. Or like eloquent New York congressman Hakeem Jeffries, in line to be speaker of the House if Democrats regain the majority.
Democrats could have brought to town Biden’s education secretary, Miguel Cardona, a respected educator born in Connecticut of Puerto Rican parents. He could’ve eloquently taken on the diminishing value of a Florida education based on GOP political indoctrination, the way the state is alienating instead of embracing minorities, and the appointments of the governor’s cronies to important education posts.
Democrats also could have brought to the launch Biden’s Cuban American Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — and pushed back very publicly locally on the sham effort by Republicans, including the Cuban Americans from Miami in Congress, to impeach him.
Democrats in the state had little appreciation for Santiago’s criticism of their rollout and openly attacked her.
“We were highly disappointed to see the [Miami Herald] opinion column by [Fabiola Santiago], said the Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida on X. “The article not only failed to recognize the presence of statewide Democratic leadership but also diminished the critical role of the Second Gentleman of the United States, Douglas Emhoff.”
The post went on to list the many Hispanic leaders in the state who attended the event held at the new Hispanic Caucus headquarters.
We were highly disappointed to see the @MiamiHerald’s opinion column by @fabiolasantiago, where the 3/29/2024 article not only failed to recognize the presence of statewide Democratic leadership but also diminished the critical role of the Second Gentleman of the United States,… pic.twitter.com/zXPRTAlnjZ
— Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida (@Hispanic_Caucus) March 29, 2024
The criticism of Santiago, a respected Hispanic voice in Florida media, set off alarm bells.
Do you guys, out of all people, really want to pick a fight with @fabiolasantiago ?? Really??
— Roberto R. Tejera (@RobertoRTejera) March 29, 2024
Please, tell me, how many Hispanics, know who Mr… what ever his name is, is??? https://t.co/G5k3lECh5h
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free rental can also be streamed on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, or YouTube Movies. Follow on X @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.