Friday, March 28, 2008

Puerto Rico - The Hidden Giant

Puerto Rico is the single biggest wild card in the entire democratic race. They've had no real history of voting trends and they've had no polling. Conventional wisdom is that their ties to NY and being south of the border puts them in Clinton's Pocket. How wrong they are.

Most people in PR are mixed race and will identify with Obama over Clinton. This blows Clinton's overall base. She can only count on women and connections with NY. Beyond that Puerto Rico is an Island Nation. The other island that has voted went in no small margin to Obama. Puerto Rico is more like Hawaii than it is like our southern states.

Beyond this as Penn gets closer the talk will turn more toward PR and questions will start being asked about PR and it's place in American culture. This could bring PR to the national eye and the idea of a 51rst state back into focus for the people of PR.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Finally someone says this!! As an Afro-latina Hillary is going to lose Puerto Rico. Why is the media acting like Puerto Ricans are Mexicans? You are completely right that PR is more like Hawaii but no one has yet to realize it.

I cannot wait for the pundits to have egg on their face when Obama whoops her in PR by 20 points.