After Ted Cruz trounced his opponent in Tuesday’s Republican primary in Texas, the Cuban-American politician rode into his hometown of Houston on a donkey while women lay palms at his feet and men discharged their shotguns.
Well, not quite.
Much is being made of the former Texas solicitor general’s victory over distinguished statesman and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst.
The loser was backed by Texas Governor Rick Perry, which means the Republican establishment has been dealt a double blow, both in Texas and nationwide. Cruz, if you haven’t heard by now, is the “Tea Party candidate” in the race — a term which usually means a candidate who holds the same ideological beliefs that nearly all Republicans do, but who is fanatical in their unwillingness to compromise. The same definition sticks for Cruz. (Don’t believe it? It’s practically the message he campaigned on.)
Latinos are supposed to be celebrating the fact that, by the time 2013 rolls around, there will be three Latino senators in Congress. Yet it’s difficult to blow up balloons and hang streamers while knowing that two of the senators are Marco Rubio of Florida and soon-to-be Ted Cruz of Texas.
As the Los Angeles Times rightly describes, Cruz’s win on Tuesday is “a victory for gridlock”:
“Congress, and in particular the Senate with its rules that prevent the majority from running roughshod over the minority, is a deliberative body in which neither party typically has the strong majority needed to run matters, making compromise essential. Without it, you get a Congress that argues endlessly while accomplishing nothing. Apparently, it is the hope of tea-party conservatives that their movement will become so strong that it will sweep away not only establishment Republicans, but the Democrats who would stand up against them. That isn’t going to happen.”
Nonetheless, Cruz indeed gives Latinos plenty reason to tip their hats. He’s smart, a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law; he’s experienced, a one-time clerk for chief justice of the United States and the former solicitor general of Texas; he’s young, only 41; and he’s quickly becoming one of the better known politicians on the national stage before he even takes his Senate seat.
But there are also many other Latino politicians who can match wits and résumé with Cruz, yet who aren’t uncompromising government-butchers — just look in the mayor’s office in nearby San Antonio.
State Senator Trey Martínez of Texas underlined the issue precisely when he made a distinction between politicians for the Latino community and politicians who just happen to be Latino.
Cruz — and Rubio, definitely Rubio — clearly falls in the latter category.
About Being Latino Contributors
A politician who is concerned for everyone and not just the Latino community is a bad thing? Wow. The writer of this crap is an embarrassment to all those who believe in equality and using your brain. It is the job of civil rights groups to fight for specific communities. NOT POLITICIANS! It’s there job to represent us all regardless of race, ethnicity. or sex.
Further how many time do we have to read the same story on conservative Latinos? Its always the same thing, 1. Talk about their accomplishments . 2. Insinuate that being conservative means they are truly not Latino. We get it. Being conservative is evil. All must be liberal.
I agree with Daniel. Keep this site about being Latino, not about being Liberal. Not all Latinos are Liberals. If you want to cover politics keep it neutral.
I don’t see Harry Reid doing any compromise. Why is it always only the conservative representatives who are accused of causing gridlock?
Great. Another right-wing idiot.
no bueno for us!
He’s not heading to Congress. He has to win the general election, first.
Cubanos don’t consider themselves Latinos, they consider themselves Cubanos. Just ask Rubio…
politician who happens to have a Spanish surname…don’t like him…he seem sleazy…
Well it seems only Men are allowed to work on “Female” policies, otherwise it’s called pandering when it’s a female policy maker working on well “female” policies, like affordable child care, or access to health care or access to reproductive services. The same goes … only White policy makers can work on “Black” & “Latino” policies … otherwise it’s called “favoritism” and “pandering to your own kind” … so I doubt he’s going to do anything to benefit Latinos, besides he was born in Canada and he’s “half” Latino … and most people including the Jewish faith, that culture is passed from Mother to Child … of course unless you’re President Barack Obama and apparently his “white” mother and family, had little to do with his upbringing and beliefs. According to many he holds the cultural beliefs of his absentee father. … Besides any one find it interesting that he’s Texas’ first Latino elected, who ironically happens to be “Cuban” because in Texas, there aren’t any “viable” Mexican Americans who are educated and talented enough to garner their attention.
Cubans consider themselves WHITE ask any CUBAN and they will tell you they are not latin, but Spanish descent. Of course those are the ones that descriminated the dark ones in Cuba.
Nonetheless I wish him luck and I do hope he does work on beneficial Latino policies.
geez I thought we were just going to talk about beans and rice here… UNLIKE
He’s already worked against Latinos when he worked on the Texas re-redistricting plan to dilute Latino influence in Texas elections.
Being Latino , I don’t think Cruz considers himself a latino . He’s a right -wing fanatic ..
He favors english-only and is anti-Latino…
Cruz is no Champion of Latino Policies. He got Texans to believe that Rick Perry Endorsed David Dewhurst was not Conservative enough. As a Texan I fear where my state is going. I hope the Moedrate Republicans will take a look at (D) Paul Sadler in November!
“The “Tea Party candidate” in the race — a term which usually means a candidate who holds the same ideological beliefs that nearly all Republicans do, but who is fanatical in their unwillingness to compromise.” That is just not true. People forget the original intent of the Tea Party. It was formed in response to the bank bailouts, which was supported by Obama by the way and agreed on behind CLOSED doors after it was originally shot down. The original Tea Party ideals were against war. The Republicans LOVE war. There really need to be some education done about the REAL Tea Party. The Republican establishment has taken Tea Party ideals and twisted its meaning to be something completely different.
Hispanics are NOT monolithic – we come in all shades. There seems to be a very disturbing racist tone to Being Latino and most of its followers. Shame on you!
He is politician who is Latino. This is not good backed by the tea party.
He’s very accomplished, but I don’t agree with the majority of his politics.
I just disagree with the man. I don’t care what he looks like or where he’s from; that makes no difference to me.
Seriously? The if you’re a conservative Latino than you’re not really a Latino B.S. is old. Why not just celebrate our accomplishments regardless of party? It’s too bad “Being Latino” trys to make other Latinos villains by writing crap like this. That’s not being Latino at all in my book!
As a Cuban-American, it saddens me that both him and Rubio are. I don’t agree with either one of them.
Disgrace !!!!!!!!
As a Cuban American I am proud of him, I know him, and he is a solid American with conservative free market values that doesn’t play the special interest politics of entitlement, class envy, and persecution complex many Latinos wallow in. The amount of hatred and jealousy here is unbelievable towards those of Spanish sur names that choose not the reside in the Democrat plantation.
Just ‘happens’ to be Latino.. Nothing good for TX or Congress.
Ideally there is diversity in opinion and ethnicity: I personally welcome more women in political office and others who represent those who have been historically disenfranchised from folding office. I don’t care for Ted Cruz’s politics, but then again I’m not a conservative tea-partier. Since it’s unlikely we’ll have viable parties that provide a true alternative to the current dominance of the Repubs and Dems, I hope that we have more politicians willing to cross the aisle and finding common ground, like Abel Maldonado did in California.
Ted Cruz victory is good for real Americans that are not pigeonholed into artificial and vague classifications like Latino.
See, it’s people like ^^ Mario Ramirez ^^ who are divisive.
While criticizing “artificial and vague classifications”, he uses the term “real Americans”.
What could be more artificial and vague than that? Oh, the irony!
And that coward probably doesn’t even see what he did there.