Tuesday, May 10, 2016

If you look at the list...

...of possible Democratic vice presidential candidates on Paddy Power you won't find Xavier Becerra, Congressman of California, anywhere. (In fact, Anna Wintour, the British editor-in-chief of American Vogue, is on there at 150/1 odds.)

But the Times has a piece today, "As Xavier Becerra Stirs Crowds, Hispanic Democrats See a Running Mate," that's singing his praises. I wasn't really familiar with Rep. Becerra until I read the article, but it says (my emphasis):

Mr. Becerra, who as the No. 4 Democrat in the House is the highest-ranking Hispanic lawmaker in the party, has made the fight against Donald J. Trump and Republicans personal. On Spanish-language television, where he is recognizable to millions of viewers, he has become the most prominent and outspoken advocate of Mrs. Clinton to a constituency she hopes to win over in huge numbers to capture the White House.

Known among colleagues in Washington for his poise on camera and his discipline in staying on message — equally fluently in English and Spanish — Mr. Becerra is now the subject of hopeful whispering among some Hispanic Democrats as a long-shot prospect to be Mrs. Clinton’s running mate.

Mr. Becerra would have a lot to offer the Democratic ticket, as a son of Mexican-American immigrants who went on to get economics and law degrees at Stanford, and whose reputation is unblemished. Mr. Becerra and his wife, Carolina Reyes, an obstetrician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, have three daughters.

“Totally an Eagle Scout — I think he still drinks milk with his lunch,” Mr. Torres said of Mr. Becerra. “Having served on some of these vice-presidential selection committees in the past, I can tell you: No. 1, first of all, is loyalty and trust. That has to be the top priority. He fits the bill. And he’s articulate in both Spanish and English.”

Wow. That's impressive.

There are only two other Hispanics on Paddy Power's list, Julian Castro, in first place at 5/2 odds, and Tom Perez, tied for fifth place with Sherrod Brown, at 10/1.

Julian Castro is the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and was mayor of San Antonio, Texas, from 2009 to 2014. But, according to the Times piece, he doesn't even speak Spanish! And, what's more, at age 41, Mr. Castro barely looks like he's 31.

Thomas Perez, the son of first-generation Dominican immigrants, is the Secretary of Labor. I don't know much about him, either, but I did see Mr. Perez on Real Time with Bill Maher recently and -- hoo boy! -- does he need work on television.

I'd like to see more of this Xavier Becerra. I wonder if his name will appear on Paddy Power any time soon.

1 comment:

Ed Crotty said...

He is certainly an interesting guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WmasPJrTpk

Stanford Law.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz8i_3x8z9Q

Conventional wisdom would say he is too short. Conventional wisdom is not so conventional anymore.