Presidential candidate Julián Castro speaks to supporters at a rally in San Antonio.
Julián Castro needed $800.000 from his donors to make the December debate by the October 31 deadline. He raised $1,000.000. $200.000 isn’t much in today’s political scene, but when you’re not relying on PAC donors... When you have very little name recognition… When you’re on stage with nine other candidates during the last debate and are number seven in terms of speaking time… When you’re at 1% in polling numbers… When the media barely seems to remember that you’re running…
Well, $200.000 more than the amount you are trying to raise to stay in the race is pretty damn good. Getting to a nice $1,000.000 is even better. And Julián Castro managed just that. And THAT is a good thing. Time magazine agrees. In an article published on their website two days ago
Julián Castro Probably Won't Win the Primary. But His Campaign Is Still Key
Throughout his campaign, Castro has embraced his role as a voice for a minority community while running on a platform intended to appeal to a broader electorate. On the trail, he has traveled with mariachi bands, played Selena Quintanilla’s “Baila Esta Cumbia” as his go-to walkout song at events, and pointedly kept the accent over his first name on campaign signs. And when a mass shooter targeted Latinos at a Walmart in El Paso, Castro gave voice to fury. In an ad that played on Fox, he looked into the camera and addressed Trump directly, his voice calm but seething: “Innocent people were shot down because they look different from you. Because they look like me. They look like my family.”
John M Webb just put up a diary on Castro that featured much of his background, about his single mother Rosie, his twin brother Joaquin (a Congressman), that dives much deeper into what Time is talking about. (It’s a great read, I highly recommend it.)
Julián Castro: "we've been running a different kind of campaign" and why that's important
It’s about how Castro is looking out for and bringing attention to not just the America we see in political ads, we see all the time, but the poor, the hungry, the tired—those the Statue of Liberty called out to and welcomed, but are welcomed no more. The immigrants and everyone who feels forgotten and left behind. Castro is not leaving them behind. He’s not bringing them home; he’s assuring them that they *are* home. This is their home. They belong. They matter.
He’s doing this because he understands as someone who is there. As someone who is treated differently because he’s a person of color and sees how that reflects itself everywhere he looks. And this is something else that the Time article discussed.
The Latino experience in America is often “one dimensionalized,” he says, pointing at the lack of diversity in media and its ability to understand Latino culture. “I didn’t get into this race to break barriers, necessarily, I got in this race to win and to become president,” he says. “But I hope at least that my candidacy has inspired a lot of younger kids coming behind me to believe that they can accomplish great things, including running for and becoming president.”
Right now, he’s still seen as a long shot, and if indeed he doesn’t make it to the Primary, he could easily be any of the front-runner’s pick as their VP, and an excellent choice he would be for any of them as Time breaks down.
For now, Democratic insiders caution against dismissing Castro. In 2016, he was considered a potential vice presidential pick for Hillary Clinton, and the prospect seems possible this time around as well. If a moderate, like Biden or former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, end up at the top of the ticket, they may very well benefit from a running mate like Castro with deep progressive bonafides. Earlier this month, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has endorsed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, congratulated Castro for his campaign. His is “a powerful presence in this race,” she tweeted. “I’m really proud of him & how he consistently uses his platform to uplift & center issues that are wrongly marginalized, like homelessness+police violence.” In August, the Latino Victory Fund, a major progressive national group focused on Latino issues, gave Castro their endorsement. If one of the two top-polling liberals, Sanders or Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, end up as the presidential nominee, then they, too, may benefit from a running mate like Castro, who is a generation younger than them both.
However, for now, Castro is still intent on running for the top spot. And he has strong ideas of his own should he surprise us all and wind up the nominee himself. I’ve written diaries on a few of them. If you haven’t had a chance to check them out, here are the links:
He may not be your top choice, but if you’re unfamiliar with him beyond the debates, he definitely is worth getting to know a little more about. His place in this race is important. His voice is important. What he says, who he is, what he represents and the light he is shining is important, and yes, key.
