“Puerto Rico, Our Next State….”

by wj

I remember, way back when I was in high school, watching the Republican National Convention on TV. As they did the Roll Call of the States, to nominate their Presidential candidate, they came eventually to Puerto Rico. Like every other delegation, the island’s spokesman included a local color catch phrase when announcing their votes. In this case, Puerto Rico was characterized as “our next state.” That was over half a century ago.

Puerto Rico has held a referendum on its status several times over the years – independence, statehood, or remain a territory. Before today, every time the vote was to remain a territory, and it wasn’t particularly close. But today was different. Thanks, in part to a boycott of those opposed and in part to the mess the territory's finances are in. A substantially majority of the voters (in, admittedly, a small turnout) voted for statehood. And thus the dream of those favoring statehood may finally be realized. Or not.

Statehood for Puerto Rico has been the official position, indeed the enthusiasm, of the local Republican Party since those at least those conventions back in the early 1960s. And still is. But here’s a thought exercise for you. The Puerto Rico territorial government, lead by the Republican Party, comes to Congress to petition for statehood. In the Congress, as we all know, Republicans have a majority. So that should be a slam-dunk, right? Boycott and low turnout or not.

But somehow it’s hard to see a party which spends a lot of time and effort demonizing Hispanics** voting to admit a state full of Hispanics. Their assumption (not necessarily correct, but I can’t see them looking past it) is that a Hispanic population would elect all Democrats to Congress, thus working against them. Even though it is the Republican Party which is pushing statehood . . . and which won the referendum.

I find myself with two questions. When will Puerto Rico become a state? (If ever.) And why would someone decide to boycott a referendum like this? I just can't follow the logic.

** Yeah, yeah, I know. They only oppose illegal immigrants. And if you believe that their base embraces that parsing, I have this bridge….

Comments

[bobbyp]

they're completely useless.

Disagree. They are deranged. They are dangerous.

They are hell bent on reducing or eliminating health care coverage for millions of people.

This is important.