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Table Of Contents:
Villaraigosas Winning Progressive Base By Rosalio Munoz
The other six: ARGENTINA: President Nestor Kirchner, a center-left politician from a remote province in Patagonia, took office in 2003 in the first election after the country's 2001-02 economic meltdown. He has announced the restructuring of Argentina's gargantuan debt default and has called for a greater role for the state in the economy. CHILE: President Ricardo Lagos, a lawyer and economist by profession, took power in 2000 as a member of the Socialist Party. A moderate, he leads a coalition government that has implemented one of the most open economies in Latin America. He was the first socialist elected in Chile since Marxist Salvador Allende, who was toppled in a 1973 coup that ushered in a 17-year military dictatorship. URUGUAY: President Tabare Vazquez took office in March as the country's first leftist leader and its first president in more than 170 years not from the two main political parties. A doctor and former mayor of Montevideo, Vazquez has promised to maintain orthodox economic policies while focusing on helping the poor. BRAZIL: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva became the country's first elected leftist in 2003. The former union boss surprised investors by embracing orthodox free-market economics after taking office, although he continued to promote programs against hunger and poverty. VENEZUELA: President Hugo Chavez, a former paratrooper, was elected in 1998 on a left-leaning, anti-corruption platform following roughly four decades of rule shared between two main political parties. Chavez, a self-proclaimed "revolutionary," has vowed to gradually establish a socialist economic model in Venezuela. CUBA: President Fidel Castro came to power in a 1959 revolution, which he declared to be socialist two years later. After experimenting with limited market reforms in the 1990s, the 78-year-old Castro is now steering Cuba back toward the more centralized system of the past Villaraigosas Winning Progressive Base By Rosalio Munoz Virtually every news media outlet in the nation, and in much of the world is hailing the overwhelming victory of of Antonio Villaraigosa as mayor of Los Angeles as historic. Almost all name the election of the first Latino, Mexican American, to be elected to that position in 133 years, some note he is the first labor organizer elected to the post, most underscore he was elected by a coalition of forces with an overwhelming base in the Mexican American. Many also credit his winning personality and good looks. All this is true, and more so. Villaraigosa has worked overtime for some 37 years, ever since he was a high school student in the barrios of east Los Angeles, building unity for progressive issues. These efforts have helped develop his political persona and built a growing base for himself and for civil, trade union, immigrant, environmental rights, and peace issues. His victory has marked the coming of age of Latino leadership in progressive politics in Los Angeles that point to similar potential breakthroughs in the state and nation. His disciplined, hard working approach was clearly in evidence, if you paid attention, this January when the national AFL-CIO held its annual Martin Luther King Birthday activities in Los Angeles. There were big labor breakfasts, banquets, workshops and demonstrations around the city. Although Villaraigosa had had the local labor councils endorsement in his 2001 unsuccessful run for mayor, the incumbent James Hahn had won the endorsement this year by supporting the same issues Villaraigosa had championed all his life. Both Hahn and Villaraigosa attended most of the events. Incumbent Hahn was at the podium, the mike or head table as sitting mayor and endorsee. Villaraigosa was in the crowd, shaking hands and exchanging, at every table, every group, chatting up leaders and rank and file about past and present struggles. He was there before Hahn arrived and after Hahn left. Despite most of labors’ endorsing of Hahn, Antonio no se dejo, he didn’t give up organizing at its base. In 2001 exit polls said Hahn narrowly won the labor vote despite Villaraigosa have the support of the labor council. In 2005 Villaraigosa narrowly won the vote of the majority of trade unionists. The same kind of effort all around the city was carried out by Villaraigosa organizers and activist supporters. The core came from prior work of Villaraigosa as an activist in the Chicano student movement of the late sixties and seventies,, his trade union work since the late seventies, his organizing of the Black Brown Roundtable and leadership in the Southern California ACLU in the 1980’s, and his leadership role as a Democratic state legislator in the nineties. His campaign offices on election day were also filled with a rainbow of young 21st century activists as well. The result was a 59-41 percent margin of victory over a first term incumbent who had handily won city wide elections for mayor, City Attorney and City Controller. A Los Angeles Times exit poll showed Villaraigosa winning over 80% of the Latino vote, solid majorities of the Jewish communities, white liberals and young African Americans, and youth in general.. Education was the strongest issue in the election and among Villaraigosa voters. In the LA Times exit poll 40% said the issue was decisive in their decision. 50% of Villaraigosa voters said it was decisive compared to 24% of Hahn’s. Much of Villaraigosa’s carrer as a labor activist was with the United Teachers of Los Angeles which solidly backed him with volunteers and money. His campaign often featured his wife ConrinaVillaraigosa’s‘career as a classroom teacher. Villaraigosa’s progressive base was so strong the the liberal Hahn ended his campaign coming from the right with ads portraying Villaraigosa as to liberal for L.A., appeals for Republican vote. L.A,, and joint appearances with Republican leaders attacking Villaraigosa as soft on crime and gangs. The Times’ exit poll had Democrat Hahn getting 73% of the Republican vote. The poll, however had 58% of Hahn’s voters saying he was “the lesser of two evils”, white 2/3’s of Villaraigosa’s voters said they liked the Latino and his policies. In a CNN interview after his election victory, Villaraigosa said he will work politically for greater national and state priorities on the problems of cities. | ||
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