Former HUD Secretary, Julián Castro ended his presidential campaign last week with an announcement simply stating that it was clearly not his time. While Castro never polled beyond four percent, he ran an outstanding campaign – doing especially well in the debates he was able to participate in. Castro had the most detailed plan for solving our immigration problem and brought more attention to the poor and homeless than any other candidate. I would have liked him say more about the important role Hispanics are playing in our economy, but he ran the campaign that suited him best. I also would have liked to see more Latino leaders rally behind his campaign. For some reason, that didn’t happen. Former Latino Victory Fund executive director, Cristóbal Alex, and Bold PAC Chair, Tony Cárdenas both chose to back Biden instead. I’m sure they will both tell you that they thought Biden had a better chance to win, but it was still disappointing to me. I think Castro was the best candidate. That should have been enough.
I don’t think we have seen the last of Julián. There are rumors that he will be on a short list of potential running mates for several potential nominees. He could also play a prominent role in the next administration, providing a Democrat wins. My take on Castro is that he is a very smart and polished politician that sometimes comes off a little too stiff. I remember meeting him a few times when he was HUD Secretary, and I never got the sense he was fully present in our conversations. Authenticity is important. He has a great story and I believe he is a morally centered person. He is definitely the type of person who should be in national office. I’m sorry to see him leave the race; his take on the issues was always interesting and his voice will definitely be missed.
Inflation has impacted all of us. The price of almost everything has spiked faster and harder than at any time since the 80s. Few things can obliterate a modern economy more than out-of-control inflation.
For most people, there is little upside to writing about the January 6th hearings, but as you probably know by now, I don’t worry about those things. We all must stand for something. The hearings have almost everyone taking sides before a single witness is called. Democrats believe that the events of January 6th were a calculated effort to undermine our democracy by demolishing two of the most sacred tenants of our nation, free elections, and the peaceful transition of power.
Most people consider themselves either a conservative or a liberal. I think if we forget political parties, which flip their positions on things all of the time, and instead focus on the actual definition of what it means to be a conservative and what it means to be a liberal, we might be able to temper the emotional reactions some of us have with political discourse.