I’m not surprised that yesterday’s post about Claudia Ordaz and the missing laptop elicited several emails and telephone calls. Many of them were about my “dislike” of Beto O’Rourke, Ordaz, and/or her husband, Vince Perez, while others argued that I was just a Ted Cruz “guy,” or a “Republican.” Those that have read my blog over the years know that I have written several posts that clearly show I’m not a Ted Cruz supporter, or a Republican for that matter. Although, truth be told, I believe the Republicans have done more for immigrants, especially Mexican immigrants like myself than the Democrats. I have pointed out several times that Democrats pay lip service to the plight of immigrants but do little for them because of the simple fact that labor unions oppose immigration reform that increases the labor pool in America. The truth is that I cannot vote in America and thus I have no allegiance to either political party.
There in lies the problem for many readers.
As I have no tribal allegiance I have no skin in the game and thus I’m able to call it as I see it.
In between threats of lawsuits and that I know nothing, several reader comments asked what good my post about Claudia Ordaz and the laptop did if I had already written that I would vote for Beto, if I could. The argument was that my post only hurt Beto and helped Ted Cruz and thus why post it.
Because I have no party allegiance I write posts about the facts as I know them. Because I cannot vote for Beto O’Rourke any facts that come my way, whether detrimental to him, or not will be posted by me if I find them of interest.
“Don’t you want Trump impeached,” implored one reader. I do, and I understand that Beto O’Rourke will likely vote to impeach Donald Trump if the opportunity presented itself. “So, why write negative things about him, you’re only helping Cruz,” who would vote against impeaching Trump, the reader retorted.
“I’ll be writing about our conversation,” I told the reader, who promptly replied, “why, you’ll only hurt Beto more.” Apparently, the Democratic Party has decided that talking about impeachment will cause them to lose votes, so it has become the elephant in the room for many of the candidates.
The reader tried to reason with me, “can’t you just wait until after the election,” he demanded of me.
When I started moving my blog away from El Paso politics towards a more Mexican-centric border politics some readers became upset with me. Several tried to get me to refocus my energies on El Paso politics arguing that is what my readers cared about. Many were conservative readers who loved reading my anti-corruption and anti-tax posts and ended up leaving my blog as I diversified towards border and immigration issues. Several Republican readers got angry with me when I started writing about Donald Trump.
I lost a large part of my readership as a result, but although it bothers me I do not regret it. Now the Democrats and the left are angry with me because I’m interfering with the “blue wave” with my posts about O’Rourke and immigration reform.
The problem I see in American politics is the tribalism of the binary choice. The choice between Democrats and Republicans drives the narrative about American politics. There is no space in American politics for the middle ground – commentary of national and local public policy without the party labels.
If a political observer writes that Republicans are trying to end immigration, then the writer must be a liberal or a Democrat. If the writer writes that Trump was right in forcing Congress to act on DACA, then that writer must be pro-Trump.
I was actually accused of that when I posted that Trump was right to end DACA.
As result of the tribalism there exists a false narrative that says Democrats are for “open borders” and that Republicans are for “law and order.”
Yet, the truth is that many of Trump’s own advisers utter the dreaded word “open borders” and yet everyone seems to miss them. Gary Cohn, Donald Trump’s chief economic adviser and Director of the National Economic Council used the words “open borders” when arguing for NAFTA and other trade agreements. (Bob Woodward book, Fear) Cohn resigned from the Trump administration as a result of Trump’s imposition of aluminum and steel tariffs.
In June of this year, thirteen Republican Senators demanded that the Trump Administration “halt implantation of the Department’s zero tolerance policy,” on undocumented immigrants, effectively leaving an “open border” policy at the border. (see footnote for list of the senators)
It was Ronald Reagan who created the dream of NAFTA and created the last immigration reform for America under the idea that the United States and México should have open borders.
Few, if any readers are aware of these inconvenient facts because almost everyone is focused on which party everyone belongs to that the facts get in the way of the carefully crafted myths created by both parties.
The Brett Kavanaugh amply demonstrates the problem party politics has created for America.
Although it bothers me that many readers are bothered by my lack of decorum towards politicians and my lack of empathy for the party politics, I must continue to give a voice to the silent voices of immigrants and the facts lost because of party politics. My blog is not about making you comfortable by playing party politics, but rather, it is about making everyone uncomfortable by piercing the smoke-and-mirrors of American politics.
As long as party politics drives the debate in America, the deep divisions in American society will continue and more Donald Trump’s will be elected into office.
Footnote:
List of U.S. Senators who signed the letter to Trump asking for suspension of border zero tolerance policy:
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN)
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO)
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK)
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)
Although I don’t know you personally, I too hold some very similar experiences when it comes to how the two party system has polarized not just the nation, but every level of politics in our country.
I am running for a city representative office and even though in the city elections there is no partisanship denoted, one of the most frequent questions is whether I am a Democrat or a Republican. It’s just plain strange tgat people would care more about party than issues and the actual person who is asking for their vote. Afterall, if someone screws up and votes a straight party ticket and gets something that they didn’t want is the party going to come to the rescue and make it right? NO.
When people ask me about party affiliation I now answer the only way I can… honestly… I’m an Indepublicrat.
La verdad no peca pero incomoda. If he loses be prepared to take some of the blame. Seems like they are gearing up to blame the Chicanos/Mx-Am/Hispanics if ‘they don’t deliver’. Those Ds never forget; it’s always someone else’s fault. They still blame Nader for 2000.
It is said that the little picture is a window to the big picture. When you criticize the local pols you’re man of the hour but when you criticize the US government you’re persona non grata. “Mexican, go back to Mexico” they cry.
Instead of making noise about impeaching trompas I wish the Ds would concentrate in beating him in 2020. Now if they do win next month they should work on impeaching that Kavanaugh fellow. Anyone with integrity and minimal objectivity knows that he does not belong in our Supreme Court.