"Another trend that could prove telling was the fate of Latino candidates in races against non-Latinos. In addition to Soria and Rodriguez in Yakima, eight other candidates with Latino surnames faced candidates without Latino surnames."

Talk about pulling the race card! The YHR has made a race issue out of the results of this election, when in all likelihood, the true reason these people lost is that they demonstrated bad judgment while in office, or went in with an agenda that didn't fly - not because they were Latino.

One big question I have: Why is it that when a person who is not Caucasian, wins or loses political race, they did so based upon their ethnicity, their color? Why not because of their qualifications and moral character?

The inferences are: When a minority wins, all the apologist libs are gewgaw because whites are demonstrating what integrationists we are and can now "feel good". When they lose, it is because the majority of the white population voted against them because of their ethnicity?

Not even close to the truth. What a condescending, insulting statement to all races.

This mind-set also smacks of the media-created myth that Republicans and others voted against Obama, or criticize him now, because he is part black, not because he is inept and unqualified for the office he now fills.

Conservatives in.

Tell me something new

"What does that say?" Soria said. "It's certainly troublesome, I would say."

First of all, his public comments to a newspaper reporter are repulsive. How uneducated is this gentleman?

Secondly, he apparently does not understand that poeple don't care for the job he did.

Remember that famous baseball incident? The manager walked up to the umpire to protest a call as the crowd boo'ed loudly. The Manager said to the ump that the crwod was not booing the call but that they were booing his career.
I hear the crowd booing.

"Latino candidates fared poorly countywide against non-Latino candidates"

Correction: Liberal Latino candidates fared poorly against conservative candidates.

Why do you liberals always have to make it about race?

that's great, since conservatives are so in tune with the general population.

If there was no race issue there wouldn't be a good story. "Did you read what that said?!" or "These reporter guys! Gimme that! I need to read that! What the heck are they saying today?!!" When Obama was about to get elected every body was talking about it. Even my dog was flipping out! Aize I don't even have a dog. LoL

(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)

They censored you for calling the reporter on his racist slant? Wow!

Typical. But it's their website, so they have the right to act as thought police.

So slanting the story to read that voting against those who lost is because they have a Latino sir-name is not a violation of YHR's own inappropriate guidelines? But sjuan2 calling the reporter on it is?

I've seen several instances of innocuous comments being censored today on other stories as well.

Using the hispanic issue is so troubling. It seems most all liberal fronts whether the newspapers or TV push the race issue being they have to rile up minorities to get votes. In Sunnyside the hispanic issue was also brought up a year ago by some unknown WallaWalla community college student saying Sunnyside needed voting districts because the latino's were not being elected. Ignorance is bliss per the minority vote. In Sunnyside with a population of 15,000 people and around only 2500 to 3000 registered voters. And so far in the election it looks as though maybe a little over 1/3 of the registered voters will vote. This tells me that people care about themselves more than America ! Voting is a privilege that not many use! Now I read in Yakima that the population is 33% hispanic. But what percentage are citizens and registered voters? NO one comes out with those figures because it is racist ?? But here in Sunnyside we are seeing a large class of conservative hispanics getting involved. I was pleased to have a call by a group of these people who wanted to get more involved in the community ! So we are seeing things change within the ranks. Many hispanics are tired of these racial motives being brought forward by the liberal ranks of the Latino community that are making their living off the ranks of the POORER hispanic community ! This hispanic group says they are tired of this color differential within the Sunnyside community and state that after all we are ALL after the same thing in the community. We want a good community for our youth !

Hey, cut the YHR liberals some slack today. They just had their rear ends handed to them after all of their efforts to get liberals elected. I'd be cranky too.

wow, did i just read Nick's posting correctly? Judging a person based on character and not on color? Isn't that more of a 'do as I say not as I do' scenario?

I think Vliger's impending victory will be good for Sunnyside, Hernandez's loss is not. Farmer is too old fashion and clearly reprensents the best interest of the aging caucasian community of Sunnyside. I sat next to him in a brainstorming session to help finance a sports complex for our school district. During this session he commented that his constiuants were not interested in financing a new football stadium for hispanic kids. His victory clearly shows two things: politics has a short term memory and how bad was the incumbant that they lost to Farmer?

fredo,
Actually, from what I read, Nick just wants everyone to be treated equally, rather than assuming that minorities are incapable of succeeding without special treatment from people who view them as inferior.

When liberal hispanic candidates run for office, why would they expect any different treatment than a liberal white candidate? Is it possible that people reject them because of their liberalism, and not because of their skin color? That's not even considered a possibility by the YHR liberals. Their knee-jerk reaction is to label people racists.

Why does race ever ever ever have to be an issue when it comes to voting? Surnames tell nothing of the race of a person anyway. You can have a Latino surname and be completely white as snow. You can have a Dutch last name and be as Latino as sombrero. I don't vote for people based on their name, it's their QUALIFICATIONS!!!!! It's ignorant to do anything otherwise. Most people would agree that a candidates experience and know-how would supercede the color of their skin. I get so disappointed when I read in the paper the comparison of whites vs. latinos. Why must the YHR always bring that up? Do they like to keep the pot stirred?

If Latinos were smart, they would peel themselves off the liberal label and start recognizing where their bread is buttered. It isn't gonna be in free government handouts for very long, judging from the recent trend in victories. I think the rest of us are sick of the current white house playbook, and are hopefully smart enough not to fall for their smoke and mirrors bullshittery.

Instead of opting for more government control Latinos would be wise look to the long term solution and start making their own jobs and create their own wealth, instead of hanging on the shirttails of the democrats and their progressive, socialistic ways.

Sure the libs promise new (government) jobs, cheap mortgages, free things left and right, but some day there won't be any funds to pay them, after all the real businesses are gone and no one is around to foot the bill.

It's just too good to pass up though, I see why Latinos flock to the progressive side. Easy money comes at a high cost. Too bad they can't see past the propaganda and political trickery. Too bad the dems have their claws in so deep.

I think Dave Ettl should bring up this article on his radio show. I wonder how he feels about the YHR implying that people voted for him and Bill Lover because they're white.

nick and sjuan are great examples of convervatives. yeah, that's a party i want to be a part of. wake up guys, your living in a fantasy world. many races, gays, womens liberation all the things you are against, are everywhere around us. So either learn to live with it and be understanding, or move to cuba, or zillah same difference.

topp1993, what should I do to prove that I'm not the racist, homophobic, misogynist that you label me?

Let me guess.......vote for Obama, reject God's view of homosexuality, and force my wife to get a job instead of raising our kids.

All I have to do is become an enlightened liberal, right? Thanks, but no thanks.

Nick, thank you for your first posting. It was very nice and honest. When race issues are implied for sensationalism it not only stinks on the papers behalf but also to the people that comment on it.

thehellyousay writes....
"Sure the libs promise new (government) jobs, cheap mortgages, free things left and right, but some day there won't be any funds to pay them".....

That "SOMEDAY" has long past come and gone and the funds arn't there as we speak. I keep remembering a few weeks back when Fox news ran a video clip showing hundreds of people standing in line to collect a check. When the reporter asked a woman what was the check for and where was it coming from, she said..."I don't know where the money is coming come, all I know is it's free money..Obama money... maybe he has a stash"... and in the background you hear another woman saying... "It's Obama money, thats why we voted for him"... and children around them chanting...
O-ba-ma, O-ba-ma!!! I still can't get that clip out of my head. When are people going to get it through their heads that nothing is..."FREE"!!!!!!

I am in total agreement with those who decry using the racial bias card, again. I am a very senior non-Hispanic, and I voted for Sonia Rodriguez. I voted against Benjamin Soria because I have not been impressed with his performance in his previous career. I voted for Micah Cawley because I am impressed by him and would like to give him more time to show his mettle, not because he is conservative.

I guess I would say I am fairly conservative. However, I believe in giving those who need it a chance and the means to help themselves, usually through education and training. I have seen first-hand that it really works. This is the reason I flinch every time when I see how much is spent on campaigning at all levels and think how much good could be accomplished with judicious use of those funds. But, like Sir Thomas More, I have discovered there is no "Utopia".

Yea! You did it Yakima! You elected an all white, Anglo-Saxon, protestant, conservative Republican council who will finally get rid of all that silly debate and exchange of differing ideas thing. Whew! Now they can get right to the agenda that Bruce Smith has outlined for them. Diversity? Oh pshaw, the money and power are all on the West side anyway. Independent thought? Who needs it when someone else can think for you?

Democrats, moderates, progressives, Latinos, by not taking the five minutes to fill out your ballots you got exactly what you voted for, NOTHING. You managed to silence your own voice with your apathy and laziness... AGAIN. And hurray for all the young adults out there! I totally understand that the whole registering and voting thing is such a bother. Rush Limbaugh would be so proud of all of you!

Liberals just can't stand the possibility that people don't share their political ideology, so they have to blame racism. It's almost a self fulfilling prophesy when liberals convince minorities that they can't win because the white man is holding them down. I think a conservative hispanic would have a shot at defeating Mayor Edler, if he/she rejected the victim mentality and liberal agenda of many hispanic candidates.

sjuan - isnt the very mean of liberal to be open minded and accept other's views? Conservatives on the other hand, ridicule people who dont think like them and consider themselves to be the more righteous or Godly party. And you hit the word right on the nose "Ideology", how many Republicans live the way they talk?

It's unfortunate that Ref 71 was shot down in Yakima. The count is too close for comfort right now. Human rights will be taking a huge step backward if it is rejected. Heaven forbid gays and lesbians have equal rights.

topp1993,
"isnt the very mean of liberal to be open minded and accept other's views?"

You tell me.

Do you accept the view that a baby in the womb has a right to life?

Do you accept the view that others are not entitled to my income just because they have less?

Do you accept the view that people should not be given special treatment because of their skin color ie affirmative action?


From my experience, liberals are some of the most intolerant people around.

I think the title of the article should be:

"A good night for White People in Yakima County"

people can talk about conservative values all they want in thinly veiled attacks on two successful Latinos who stepped up to run for public office in Yakima, it still does not equate to the vile personal attacks hurled at them. As for the county, so far results seem to show every Latino running against a Caucasian lost (w/ the exception of one race in Toppenish). Why is this not apart of the story?

You bet, republicans/teabaggers have done a killer job in Yakima County of making minorities absolutely invisible in the policy making process.

Obviously Toppenish must be racist against whites. Right, isitfriday?

If I told you that two Democrat candidates lost in a heavily Republican city, would you be surprised? Of course not. Yet just because the candidates aren't white, you liberals have to whip out your racism decoder rings and read the minds of the voters to detect their racial motives. It's ridiculous, but you'll believe what you want to believe.

sjuan - I agree about abortion. No i dont mind giving some of my tax money if it mean a hungry child will eat. And i'm with you on affirmative action. (turns out liberals aren't so liberal after all huh?)

I also dont think people need assault weapons, think more of our money should go to preventative crime programs, and believe everybody should have health insurance.

not everybody is born with the same baseline, you should adjust your studies accordinly.

itisfriday - i have to agree with sjuan for once, drop the race card it's tired. I'm mexican and i would have voted for Karen Rogers.

topp,
"believe everybody should have health insurance"

so, like I said, you believe others are entitled to my income.

sjuan - dont let the right wing fool you into thinking the proposed health plan will even make a dent in spendature compared to wars, business subsidize, and tax breaking big business.

Fight the power sjuan, be your own man.

topp,
It is entitlement programs that are bankrupting us, and the proposed health plan will be another entitlement program. Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, have all exceeded their predicted costs by many times. This trillion dollar entitlement program will be no different.

Seems to me, there is an obvious question when it comes to the above article. If the voters are racist, shouldn't the distance between Dave and Sonia be the same as Ben and Bill's?

Why is Dave and Sonia's race so close then?

poisonhawke,
The answer is obvious. Dave is not 100% caucasian, therefore he has less of an advantage than Bill. Next question.

I do have a few more questions:

How come a professional non-biased educated news journalist from the YHR not ask Ben the same question I did about the results from his race compared to the results of Dave and Sonia's race?
The two races seem to be in contrast to each other, and a contradiction to the idea of racism in the above article does it not?

Yakima Voters proved they have common sense, by voting the best candidates for them.
I feel when people say racist comments they prove how childish and small they are.(Ben)
Some of the past council members keep blaming others for their shortcomings, get over it you lost.
Stop bringing up senseless lawsuits wasting time and tax payers dollars.
We the citizens have issues to resolve like gangs, illegals and budget.