The past 72 hours have provided us with copious amounts of coverage of the Presidential Debate that was neither Presidential nor a debate. Former President Trump was true to form, consistent in his approach, hurling a barrage of baseless, inaccurate assertions, enhanced with superlatives to further inflate the imagery of his diluted vision for our country. Most major journalistic and publishing outlets fairly addressed President Biden’s less than stellar performance and the very real “Threat to Democracy” posed and promised by former President Trump, “…you won’t have to vote in four years…”. The measure of Trump’s audacity shone through when he accused the President of being a criminal, having recently been convicted of numerous crimes, on more than one occasion, with numerous cases still to be adjudicated. We have a responsibility to guard and protect the sustainability of our system of government.
President Biden for his part allowed himself to be drawn into a defensive posture on personal matters that had no place in what was supposed to be a debate. By now everyone has seen the infamous seconds lapse in his response that triggered a visceral reaction from some observers. Long story short, this event, that defies description, has served to elevate the national discourse to one of fundamental elements of our system of governance and the very fragile right to vote. The right to vote is not guaranteed to every American citizen. As relates to minorities, our right to vote must be periodically reviewed and renewed by Congress. As Hispanics, now the largest and youngest minority group, our tentative status as voting citizens is fragile at best and must not be taken for granted. This election is no longer about any one person, and whether or not you like them, but rather what that person represents in terms of our future participation in being an integral part of the governing fabric of our country. Make no mistake, the same people who came for our reproductive rights and affirmative action, will come for our voting rights, too.
Under the Biden administration, we have a first ever Hispanic National Campaign Manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, granddaughter of Cesar Chavez and four Cabinet Secretaries in arguably the most vital positions for our country in Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Education and the Small Business Administration. Does anyone truly believe we will realize this level of access in a second Trump/MAGA led administration, especially given his discriminatory Mexi-phobic stance with regard to the southern border? Rather than fan the flames of divisiveness by creating another false narrative about undocumented immigrants “Taking Black Jobs”, let us enforce e-verify and start arresting and prosecuting employers who offer these jobs as they exploit this population, whose only crime is accepting work offered to them. Since Congress can’t or won’t agree on a new immigration reform bill, let us revisit the unfunded enforcement provisions of the now 40-year-old bi-partisan Simpson-Mazzoli bill and fund them. In any case, it is easier to negotiate regulatory reform than new legislation.
I digress. Let us circle back to the President. We have short memories. Only a few months ago, at the State of the Union, we were elated with his performance. Fast forward to his speech in North Carolina the day after the debate where he basically recovered a fumble. No one wants their life’s work to be judged by a single moment in time. One that every one of us can relate to. I would remind everyone that President Biden has overseen, not one, but two economic recoveries: the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, when as Vice President, President Obama charged him with the responsibility of implementing the ARRA which went on to be the cornerstone for rescuing our automotive industry saving jobs, homes and families. He is one of a handful of leaders that served two terms as Vice President and once as President, making him hands down the most experienced candidate of our time. In his first term as President, he crafted and passed, among numerous other economically impactful acts, the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act, the Chips Act and Gun violence reforms. Something Trump failed to do in his four years.
I wish I had the time, space and your attention to address the full range of issues related to this campaign. Several publications wrote that President Biden missed the opportunity to hold Trump accountable. I submit to you, that it’s not his job to hold Trump accountable; IT’S OURS! And, we do that by exercising our right to vote. Su voto es su poder!
