First it was the Wall Street Journal, then it was a syndicated national columnist, and now it is a GOP strategist who has a blog site where you can’t even comment.
Yes, the Luis Fortuño for the VP nomination of the GOP Train is moving at a steady clip. Little by little, posts by GOP brokers are setting the stage to push the Republican and pro-statehooder Fortuño as a serious VP candidate, even though the governor has already said on record that although he is flattered, he would not run.
Nonetheless, the suggestions continue, as reflected by Roger Stone’s latest piece, entitled THE GOP’S HISPANIC SECRET WEAPON (And It’s Not Marco Rubio). Ignoring the fact that all of a sudden Senator Rubio is no longer the Anointed Latino of the GOP, it is sad to see how short-sighted and inaccurate people like Stone are when discussing the Fortuño administration.
Also, we won’t fault Stone for forgetting to add an “ñ” to Fortuño’s name. Since it just shows how shallow Stone’s sincerity in capturing more Latino voters to the GOP truly is. Let’s hope Stone doesn’t say FELIZ ANO NUEVO next week on Twitter.
The one point that no one is addressing (and it is a basic Constitutional principle) is that right now, Fortuño COULDN’T EVEN VOTE FOR HIMSELF, since Puerto Ricans living on the island cannot vote for President or Vice President (although they can participate in presidential primaries). So, like we have said ad nasuem on this site, for Fortuño to run, he would have to claim residency in the mainland United States, which we are absolutely sure won’t play well on the island, where the governor is facing a very tough re-election bid in 2012. We have listed other reasons as to why a Fortuño for VP media campaign is laughable, so we won’t repeat them here. But we will like to share a few facts with Stone and maybe even invite him to actually talk to the vast majority of Puerto Ricans on the island who can share some real stories about the so-called “Puerto Rican miracle?” To many in the financial community who actually understand economics and markets, Puerto Rico can be the next Greece.
Here is what Stone writes:
Meet Luis Fortuno, Governor of Puerto Rico. He is experienced in Washington as Puerto Rico’s non-voting member of Congress and leading a crusade to restore Puerto Rico – whose economy is suffering after years of bloated spending, high taxes and an expanding government sector under a line of previous Democratic Governors – to economic prosperity.
Governor Fortuno has been on the frontline of cutting spending, hacking back business-killing overregulation and taking on the public employee unions and their rich benefits and compensation in a commonwealth where six in ten people work for the government.
A few things that Stone seems to ignore. According to the US Department of Labor, the current percentage of Puerto Ricans working for the government is about 27% not 60% as his blog claims. As for economic prosperity, Stone also overlooked 2010 US Census statistics (ooops) that show that the island has gotten poorer and that there is a growing gap between rich and poor. Finally, Stone seems to overlook something very basic about Puerto Rico that shows a clear ignorance about the island: the economic culture created by those “Democratic governors” was a direct cause of (wait for it), a 113-year-old colonial relationship with the United States. The culture of dependence has thrived in Puerto Rico because of its the colonial relationship it has had with the United States ever since the US invaded the island in 1898 during the Spanish American War.
Stone continues and concludes:
Fortuno is tall, handsome and articulate. He has been active in the National Republican Party and is a member of the Puerto Rican Statehood Party. Puerto Ricans are the fastest growing segment of the Latino community and Hispanic Americans are the largest growing sector of the American electorate.
Hispanic Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with the Democrat Party. The GOP presidential nominee would be wise to consider a sitting Republican Governor who would bring charisma, star power and excitement to the campaign and launch a crusade to win Hispanic American votes based on shared conservative values on many issues. Luis Fortuno is that man.
Stone should come down to the island and ask residents how much “charisma” and “star power” Fortuño has. This year’s polls from the island’s largest TV network would tell a different story. And like the governor said, Puerto Rican “economic prosperity” is clear now that Victoria’s Secret and PF Chang’s are launching stores on the island.
But we will give Stone the benefit of the doubt. We understand that facts are silly things, but we will say that if you are going to craft the American public the myth of Luis Fortuño, you might want to actually do more research.
Julito, siguiendo tu linea, Foryuño si seria de ano nuevo between all those old ass hol……already there…. que va Julito el no va para ningun sitio!
LOL es que el GOP quiere conseguir apoyo latino pero son unos desesperados.
Prior to the 1964 election, residents of the District of Columbia could not vote in presidential elections. Did that mean that DC residents couldn’t hold the office of President or Vice President?
Romney-Fortuño en 2012!
You do know that the unemployment rate in Puerto Rico was at 10% when Fortuño entered office in 2008 and is now at 15%, right?
Unemployment rates look terrible for most of the countries around the world. If the US does not improve it’s unemployment rate before November Obama should rightfully be passed over for a second term. Our governments need business savvy leaders and not a bunch of ignorant politicians who just follow the same tired old party method of using tax payer money to prime the pump. No one I know of has ever spent their way out of debt. Let free enterprise do what it has always done best and keep the government on the sideline and continue to just bicker with each other and accomplish nothing. The less government intrusion the better capitalism works.
Just look at the PIIGS and Europe and you will see how government can screw up peoples lively hoods by promising them an abundance of entitlements and early retirement just so they will get elected. All the while padding their offshore bank accounts.
Fortuño would have to claim residency in the mainland US if he wants to vote for himself as VP. Sure, Fortuño can run for VP but right now, if he stayed registered in PR, he wouldn’t be able to vote for himself. That is why I said.
Bruce, that is the IRONY of all this. Obama is Fortuño and Fortuño is Obama. The fact that the GOP thinks that Fortuño is the future of the GOP is LAUGHABLE. You just proved my point LOL
Julito; the US government did not get $16 trillion indebt by just one party! I really don’t think you read what I write. The Republicans are nothing but closet democrats who want to by votes to keep their party in power. All the parties suck!
I agree with you. That is why this is all a game and laughable.
Laughable yes Julito, but not in the funny sense of the word. Lots of good hard working folks are suffering because of the sad politicians we elect.