Will a Hispanic succeed Eric Holder?
President Barack Obama finds himself in the curious position today of having to woo Latinos in America, a constituency that once was among the formidable…
US President Barack Obama stands with Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. who announced his resignation today, September 25, 2014 in Washington, DC. President Obama said that Mr. Holder will remain in office until a successor is nominated and confirmed. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama finds himself in the curious position today of having to woo Latinos in America, a constituency that once was among the formidable pillars of his political strength.
For how well he fares in the final two years of his presidency most assuredly will be determined by whether Democrats can hold on to their majority in the Senate and that hinges in large part on how well a suddenly less than enthusiastic Hispanic voter bloc turns out at the polls in some of the critical races in the country.
On Thursday, Obama was presented with a unique political opportunity to make an important statement in that quest to win back overwhelming Latino support when Attorney General Eric Holder stepped down after six years in the position.
Holder will remain in office until a successor is nominated and confirmed, andThe New York Times reported that a senior White House official said the president was a long way from announcing a replacement.
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Obviously, the smart and bold political move here would be for the president to name a Hispanic as his next attorney general something that would be the talk among Latinos from here through the general election in November at least, especially if the nomination were seriously opposed by Republicans.
Next to secretary of state, the attorney generals position has proven to be front and center stage today, particularly as the public face of the Obama administrations legal fight against terrorism.
But will President Obama see his way to doing this?
Make no mistake, how Obama handles this decision in the coming days will be a window to a true sense of his understanding of how seriously Hispanics need to feel they are playing a major role in all aspects of Americas public policy, particularly in this Democratic administration foreign statesmanship as well as domestic affairs.
On this, his predecessor is one up on Obama. President George W. Bush appointed the first and only Latino to serve as the nations attorney general when he named Alberto R. Gonzales to the position in 2005.
U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales listens to a speaker at the dedication of the New Orleans Family Justice Center on August 28, 2007 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Gonzales announced his resignation as AG yesterday after months of withering criticism over his role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys in 2006. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
And that kind of dedication to pleasing his longtime Latino constituency worked for Bush as it has for few other presidents. He carried up to 44 percent of the Hispanic vote every time he ran for governor or president, something no other Republican can say.
If they were smart, Republicans would capitalize on this a one-on-one direct comparison on another example of who really loves Latinos and use it in their ongoing campaign in some states where they are attempting to broaden the partys base.
Of course, this all comes as Obama and his Latino supporters have been trying to finesse an escape for him on the beating he has taken on immigration reform, especially in the past weeks since deciding he would not take any executive action on deportations until at least after the November elections.
For those who now say that the president cant be seen as making the appointment of his next attorney general a political decision, the question to them is this: When has any major decision of this president of late not been political?
SEE ALSO: Why Latino leaders are wrong to stand with Obama on immigration
It is significant for both the president and Hispanics to note the role the next attorney general is likely to play in immigration reform, particularly if legislation never passes Congress and all that is left are presidential directives such as Obamas landmark Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals of 2012.
As The New York Times reported Thursday:
The new attorney general will also have a big hand in helping enact new executive orders that Mr. Obama has announced, including a change in immigration policy that is expected after the midterm elections.
Of course, if President Obama were to delay his appointment until after the midterm elections, as he did in his disappointing decision to push back his decision on immigration reform, that may say as much to Latinos as whom he eventually appoints.
Broken promises of hope may ultimately be seen as no different than broken promises on immigration reform.
