Granted the schedule seems to be pretty fluid, but will any Latinos be speaking on prime time TV? Yes, by prime time I mean 10 to 11 pm EDT which is the only time the major networks are covering.
I’m really not trying to stir up trouble. We’ve had enough heckling for one convention already, but please don’t tell me the Clinton campaign thinks having Tim Kaine deliver a few great lines in fluent Spanish substitutes for having any Latino politicians at all with prime time speaking roles? I’m not Latino, but it just really seems like a missed opportunity, if none of the prime time speakers will be Latino. When your opponent is talking about mass genocide, deporting 11 million people, you make that a lot easier for voters to go along with if Latinos are invisible. Out of sight, out of mind. Tonight showed how the three speaker format can work well. There is still room to fit in one more speaker on Tuesday or Thursday night, assuming Kaine will speak on Wednesday night along with Biden and Obama, as well. I know Xavier Becerra is in town. He spoke at a few different party meetings today. He is scheduled to speak at the convention but the time and date of his speech was not announced.
Becerra has traveled to thirteen or fourteen states to campaign for Hillary Clinton. I’m sure he might have a few words prepared. Neither Tom Perez or Julian Castro can speak in Philly, after the Obama administration made it clear that no cabinet members would be allowed to speak at the convention. Those were the only two Latinos interviewed for the VP spot. According to Politico, Becerra wasn’t even interviewed. So the Clinton campaign figured if Perez and Castro can’t speak, it means that no one is available? I know we do not have all that many prominent Latino elected officials, but the way they keep overlooking Xavier Becerra is just really disappointing. So far there is a great diversity of White and Black prime time speaking roles but the lack of Latinos is glaring, and please don’t try to say a 9pm EDT speech by a dreamer, Astrid Silva, one full hour before prime time, is supposed to be enough. There’s still a need to tell the other side of the story Trump is selling, and Becerra can do it. There’s always Joaquin Castro or Linda Sanchez, as well, if they think either one can do a better job.
Update: Linda Sanchez spoke, not on prime time TV. Anyway here’s a Becerra interview from 9am.