Newspaper Page Text
4D Sunday, November 4, 2018
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
VIEWPOINT
Texas Senate race experiencing identity crisis
Once again, the eyes of
the nation are upon Texas.
This time, our gaze is fixed
on a bizarre Senate race
where neither of the candi
dates appears comfortable
enough in his own skin to
go by his given name.
Republican incumbent
Rafael Cruz prefers to go
by “Ted,” while the Demo
cratic challenger Robert
Francis O’Rourke wants
you to call him “Beto.”
In some states, politi
cians are defined by where
they stand on issues. In
Texas, the Senate candi
dates appear to be strug
gling with identity issues.
People in the Lone Star
State like to say, “Don’t
mess with Texas.” But, as
someone who lived in Dal
las for five years, I have to
wonder: Why are these two
Texans so messed up?
RUBEN NAVARRETTE
ruben@rubennavarrette.com
Cruz explained in his
2015 autobiography that he
went with “Ted” because
“Rafael” often became
“Felito” and the kids he
grew up with teased him
over the nickname. His
mom suggested other vari
ations, and he settled on
Ted — which is a long way
from Rafael.
The road from “Rob
ert” to “Beto” is shorter,
but still — in the case of
O’Rourke — not exactly a
direct route.
The legend — which
I’ve heard often from
Latino Democrats — is
that the evolution was
organic. A bunch of Latino
friends who grew up with
O’Rourke in El Paso must
have taken a liking to him
and made him an honor
ary Mexican. They dubbed
him “Beto.” It had noth
ing to do with politics, or
a cynical attempt to trick
Latinos into thinking he
was one of them.
Still, I have to admit,
I like the fairy tale that
O’Rourke’s Latino sup
porters are spreading
about how he supposedly
“became Latino” by grow
ing up around Latinos.
Let’s call that “LBO” —
Latino by Osmosis.
I want in. I love the
Armenian people. I was
raised near one of the
Armenian capitals of the
United States: Fresno, Cali
fornia. Under Beto’s law, I
could be “ABO” — Arme
nian by Osmosis. But wait. I
also respect the Armenian
people. And saying that
growing up around them
made me one of them
would be presumptuous —
and disrespectful.
Meanwhile, Democrats
have long accused Cruz
of “trying to be white.”
Mexican-Americans like
to poke him for leaving
“Rafael” behind and opt
ing for an Anglicized alter
native like “Ted.”
That’s how we roll.
Mexican-Americans are
always waiting for one of
our own to disappoint us,
betray us or sell us out.
And those of us who are
plagued with insecurities
tend to suspect that some
in our tribe would like to
be white.
I myself have often
quipped that I’d like to be
reincarnated as a white
male because I’m tired of
working so hard. Besides,
I’m eager to see what’s
beyond the golden door
and find out what privi
lege tastes like.
Sadly, there aren’t
enough couches in the
entire Southwest to let all
those Mexican-Americans
who are confused about
identity sort through our
issues. They affect how
we see ourselves — and
everyone else.
And speaking of privi
lege, O’Rourke, who is
being treated like a rock
star by liberals in Holly
wood and the left-leaning
East Coast media, has a
free pass on the issue of
cultural appropriation.
While all this is going
on, liberal media elites
felt the urge to regis
ter their outrage about
“blackface” after Megyn
Kelly said that she didn’t
see a problem with the
racist concept growing up.
Kelly may soon see her
way to the unemployment
line, as her high-paying
job at NBC News appears
to be in jeopardy.
Liberals baffle me.
They’re dumbfounded that
someone could miss the
offensiveness of posing as
an African-American. But,
in Texas, they’re trying to
help elect someone who is
posing as a Latino.
Ruben Navarrette writes for
the Washington Post Writers
Group.
SHELLY YANG I Tribune News Service
President Donald Trump’s tariff policy has affected Missouri agriculture, but rural farmers are
showing confidence and patience for the future of the policy.
FARMER
■ Continued from 1D
‘There is more confidence that we’re
going to keep fixing these disputes
and agriculture will be back in there
with a lot of customers.’
John Block, Former agriculture secretary
But the tariffs are the wild
card in this year’s election.
Only 28 percent of Mis
souri registered voters asked
in an NBC News/Marist poll
said the Trump tariffs and
barriers to imports will pro
tect American jobs and help
the U.S. economy, accord
ing to a recent NBC News/
Marist poll. Forty-four per
cent said they will hurt the
U.S. economy and raise the
cost of consumer goods.
Mix in other factors such
as the absence of a farm bill,
unpredictable weather —
Missouri experienced a long
drought this year — and
that farming is a high risk
industry. Farm income has
dropped more than 50 per
cent in the past five years,
according to the American
Farm Bureau.
“So farmers are getting
squeezed on both sides,”
said Brian Kuehl, execu
tive director of Farmers for
Free Trade.
John Block, an agriculture
secretary during the Reagan
administration who supports
Trump’s trade policies, said
farmers understand the
difficult challenges involv
ing China. They also accept
that commodity prices are
low not just because of the
tariffs, but also because the
nation’s farmers had such a
large harvest this year.
Block said farmers con
tinue to have faith in Trump
— especially now after he
reworked a trade deal with
Mexico and Canada that
covered many agriculture
products sold from the
region.
“Part of this is just the sim
ple idea that, well, Trump
got one thing done. He said
he would. Now, let’s get the
next one done,” Block said.
“There is more confidence
that we’re going to keep fix
ing these disputes and agri
culture will be back in there
with a lot of customers.”
Farmer Rick Oswald said
the trade war reminds him
of the Soviet grain embargo
nearly 40 years ago, which
pushed many of his friends
out of the business. Presi
dent Jimmy Carter sought
to punish the Soviet Union
for invading Afghanistan
and announced an embargo
on grain sales to the Soviet
Union.
While the U.S. cut its sales
to the Soviet Union, coun
tries like Argentina and Bra
zil seized on the opportunity
and sold grain to the Soviets
to the detriment of Ameri
can family farmers.
Oswald estimates his six
full bins in Rock Port, Mo.,
would have been worth
$216,000 instead of $180,000
if not for Trump’s trade war.
Why would China back
down?
“The leaders in China
may be worse than the
Republicans,” said Oswald,
a past president of the Mis
souri Farmer’s Union,
“They really don’t have any
one to answer to.”
Saline County Commis
sioner Richard Clemens,
a third-generation farmer
and chairman of the Saline
County Republican Commit
tee, said it’s unfair to com
pare Trump’s tariffs with the
Soviet embargo. The pain
was much worse because
it happened at a time when
interest rates were sky high,
he said.
Kile Guthrey, a farmer
and Democratic com
missioner, agreed. He
admits he too found Trump
“refreshing” during the
2016 campaign, taking on
the establishment Republi
cans in multiple debates and
talking like any one of his
neighbors.
But he’s concerned that
the tariffs will drive out
more young struggling
farmers.
“It seems they always use
the farmer as the whipping
boy,” Guthrey said.
MATTHEWS
■ Continued from 3D
Those who are defending the caravan
claim the migrants are poor and looking for
safety, good jobs and a better life at a time
when the booming U.S. economy needs
workers.
And that’s likely true for the large major
ity. But it would be naive to think that some
freeloaders, criminals and people who wish
us harm won’t see this as an opportunity to
slip in undetected.
Actually, immigrant advocates should be
rebuking the caravan rather than defending
it, because it will almost certainly anger
the public and make immigration reform
more difficult.
Those who don’t want a wall on our south
ern border will come closer to seeing one
built if the marchers force their way in. And
if the caravan is successful we can expect
more to follow.
Ironically, the immigrants are coming to
the U.S. decrying the lawlessness in their
home countries. Yet many of them are will
ing to break our laws to enter or remain.
Addressing border security is one of
Trump’s biggest concerns. And the caravan
is making his case for him.
Merrill Matthews is a resident scholar with
the Institute for Policy Innovation. He holds
a PhD in the Humanities from the University
of Texas. Readers may write him at IPI, Suite
820,1320 Greenway Drive, Irving, TX, 75038.
KUSLER
■ Continued from 3D
end that while challenges
do exist, the humanity of
being more understanding
wins out.
Through this, my con
versational companion was
reminded of the inhuman
ity of family separations.
They were then reminding
themselves of the hateful
and misguided policies that
Trump promotes. We also
recalled how erratic and
unprofessional his presi
dency has been.
What we engaged in
over the short but useful 15
minutes was dialogue that
gave respectful space for
conflicting opinions and
experiences.
While they were able to
share some of the unique
challenges of living in a
border state, I was able to
appeal to the human ele
ment so often minimized in
all the heated rhetoric and
we both went on our way
better informed even if we
may still not see the issue
the same way.
We need to throw a wet
blanket on the heated, divi
sive language and policies
stemming from Trump’s
political schemes. Stoking
fears by talking about or
enacting policies like family
separation, ending birth
right citizenship and send
ing troops to the border are
not the way forward.
Don Kusler is national
director of Americans for
Democratic Action (ADA), the
nation’s most experienced
progressive advocacy
organization. A native of
Texas, he earned a bachelor’s
degree in history from Sam
Houston State University.
Readers may write to him at
ADA, 1629 K St. NW No. 300,
Washington, DC 20006.
SUNDAY CARTOON GALLERY
DAN WASSERMAN I Tribune News Service
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ANDY MARLETTE I Creators Syndicate
Today’s TV news shows
■ ABC’s “This Week” — Sen. Chris Van
Hollen, D-Md.; Ronna McDaniel, Republican
National Committee chairwoman.
■ NBC’s “Meet the Press” — To be
announced.
■ CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo; Sen. Mark Warner,
D-Va.; McDaniel.
■ CNN’s “State of the Union” — McDaniel;
Tom Perez, Democratic National Committee
chairman; Stacey Abrams, Democratic
nominee for governor in Georgia.
■ “Fox News Sunday” — Pompeo; Sens.
Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Van Hollen.
Associated Press
