In what is a very bizarre political marriage, Puerto Rican Republican Governor and pro-statehooder Luis Fortuño has been showcased on Fox News as a “rising star of the Republican Party.” The following videos from Fox confirm that the promotion of Fortuño has been calculated and deliberate.
Meanwhile, Fortuño, who has still not commented about the highly charged critical comments made US Congressman Luis Gutiérrez on the floor of Congress, is now being rumored as a possible VP candidate for Republican Presidential contender Mitt Romney. If that bizarre rumor were to become true, would Fortuño need to reside officially in a US state on the mainland, since right now his living in Puerto Rico would not make him eligible to run for the VP office? We think that all this Republican lovefest for Fortuño is a bit premature, since the governor would need to leave his post in San Juan before the end of his term in 2013.
Governor Luis Fortuño
As the post about Fortuño’s vice presidential hopes states:
Taking a page out of the Democrats play book the Republican Party may be quietly weighing the possibilities of a surprise 2012 Presidential Ticket of Mitt Romney and Puerto Rico Govenor Luis Fortuño.
One very clear indicator of this possibility, as well as Democrats fear of such a move, is the following recent quote by Andrew Romano of the Liberal Mouthpiece Newsweek Magazine:
“Allow me, then, to introduce you. Fortuño is the governor of Puerto Rico, which, as you may have learned in fifth-grade social-studies class, is a United States commonwealth located to the east of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Sea. Yes, Fortuño is a U.S. citizen. And, yes, he is a true-blue, Reagan- and National Review-loving member of the GOP—despite the liberal leanings of his native island”
Neat.. I am so happy (Not) to see our Governor as a celebrity when our Country needs him to focus on getting things running here. ..
I guess his priorities are very focused on himself not the people that voted for him.
You are so right bro. The whole VP thing would be scandalous and shows his true political ambitions.
Seriously…..Really????!!!!! Fox has no journalistic integrity whatsoever.
It us such bs “reporting” this is a fleece job. ¡Despeirta, boricua!
what’s scary is that there are american peeps that watch & believe this! yikes! hey, i was also reading the bits of your book here today….geez, we must be around the same age cuz i remember the san juan menudo look! that was hot! i was in PR that summer with a cuban bff from the states and all we did was want to go to neon!!! my tio actually would lock the marcasina gate to make SURE we didn’t!!! jajaja
Ha! Awesome. I am in my early forties. LOL Neon’s was awesome
Me too…turned 41 in October! I loved the island in the summertime….at the beach all day everyday! If we weren’t on lockdown, then we were hanging at my tio’s restaurant. I see you are on Twitter as well….I just joined as @suenosdelaluna. I think Twitter is another great social media tool.
Ha we are 1969 babies! So cool I turn 42 in June. Just followed you on Twitter @julito77 great to connect with you!
Julio, Governor Fortuño has an inside track on the veep nomination. It’s worthwhile to remember that Republican presidential candidates (like the governor of Alaska, for example) show their ability to lead the nation by quitting a governorship to take a more powerful position: becoming a talking head on FOX. Just slap some pancake on Luis and get him an American flag lapel pin. He’ll be ready to step up to a truly powerful position.
I just hope he can show a birth certificate, though. That seems to be the primary presidential qualification among many in his party.
Your sarcasm drips with intelligence, hermano. I think the fact that Fortuño would need to move out of PR and live in another state would not be welcome at all.
You (PR) nativists are interesting. Here you have an opportunity to have a natural born US and PR son that could make both PR and the US proud and yet you flounder on about issues that could be helped if the President of the United States was from Puerto Rican. This would also put you and him in the future postion of having a good opportunity of to be President of hte United States. This would be truely historic. Puerto Rico would be the envy of the world if this would come to pass.
Raul Ramos y Sanchez is clearly selfish and a Democrat. He is correct when he says that we would prefer these former Govenors who have greatly affect the directions of their states to lead the country as no others could. By this I mean not Romney and Fortuño, Palin and Fortuño. This would fry both the Democrats and Mr. Sanchez’s world! Just think a Pueto Rican and a woman, a 100% of the Black and Gay/Lesbian marxist coalition vote couldn’t win that one for Obama.
God Bless America
But Fortuño would need to move to Florida and leave the governorship on the island because he cannot run from PR. Basic fact. Fortuño’s policies have been awful. 15% unemployment, DOJ investigation of PR Police, Soc Security fraud and now CBS News did a piece on the other best secret around: Puerto Rico’s drug smuggling problem. GOD BLESS AMERICA. You have no clue about how bad Fortuño would be for the GOP. Rubio is a better choice and he is awful too. Peace.
Amendment 12, USC.states in part
The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves…
A fact check on this would be appreciated, but I know of no provision that a candidate must be a resident of a state, merely a US citizen. Fortuño is certainly not a resident of the same state as Mitt Romney, he is a citizen and resident, so would seem to be eligible.
Fortuño has an address in Virginia also, where he lived when he was Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. He would 1) resign his post as governor and 2) claim residency in Virginia. Doubt he will be based in PRico if he were to be named the nominee.
My comment was really based on a different question – Does he HAVE to move to a state – another possible reason for not doing so, and there is a precedent or two – LBJ ran simultaneously for VP (with JFK) and for reelection as Senator (in Texas). Of course he had to resign one (or not accept it) when he won. Also, Hillary was still living in the White House when she ran and was elected Senator (senators have no residence requirement; US representatives do, and in some cases this year, incumbents are actually moving to other districts when reapportionment puts them in competition with another incumbent. Hopefully if Fortuño gets in this situation he well be defeated. Actually, I don’t think he will be nominated for VP, a Mexican-American would swing more votes, especially in the swing states of Texas and Colorado.
That is the question, and I think in the end, the answer is no, he doesn’t have to move, but there has never been a precedent where a VP choice comes from a US territory so it is a new situation. Both Hilary and LBJ both ran and were in the actual United States and not a territory so it is not 100% perfect match but it is a great question and a great discussion. Sandoval is another choice for VP who is popular in Colorado, but he is pro-choice and I don’t think he would be chosen. But who knows?
MSNBC wants you to think the Republican Party hates minorities. So much so that the liberal news network cut minority speeches from it’s convention coverage.
When popular Tea Party candidate Ted Cruz, the GOP nominee for Senate, took the stage, MSNBC cut away from the Republican National Convention and the Hispanic Republican from Texas’ speech.
MSNBC stayed on commercial through former Democratic Rep. Artur Davis’ speech, as well. Davis, who recently became a Republican, is black.
Then, when Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuno’s wife Luce’ Vela Fortuño took the stage minutes later, MSNBC hosts Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews opted to talk over the First Lady’s speech.
And Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval? Noticeably missing from MSNBC, too.
Mia Love, a black candidate for Congress in Utah, was also ignored by MSNBC.
Will MSNBC conveniently manage not to show Governor Luis Fortuno’s speech tomorrow (Wednesday night) as well?
Former Secretary of State and prominent black conservative Condoleezza Rice is also slated to speak at tomorrow night’s convention.
Fortuno can’t even vote for President!!!
It’s a sad mockery of modern politics. Romeny shows the world he has a Republican Latino buddy, but whoops, residents of PR, though full US citizens, are restricted from voting in federal elections. I’m sure that helps his image with Latinos tremendously to bring in a guy who has less rights than he does.
I wish a savvy TV or internet liberal would point this out, but once again an opportunity is missed because Americans are ignorant about Puerto Rico (don’t fret none, Puerto Ricans equally ignorant about the States, for example, Govenor Luis Fortuno).
Agreed! I have been saying it for three years. Thanks for the comment!