“¡Obámanos!”

Creativity was not lacking at the Democrats’ National Convention in Denver. The staging for Sen. Barack Obama’s acceptance speech on Thursday night was unbelievably bold and glitzy. In downtown Denver, Obama t-shirts and campaign buttons appeared everywhere, with messages as diverse as the images they displayed, from the face of Obama alongside that of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to Snoopy on top of his dog house, daydreaming of an Obama victory.

But the t-shirt that caught my eye for its clever play on words was “¡Obámanos!” a creative way of signaling -- in Spanglish -- Hispanic support for Obama.

The Obama campaign knows that it needs to capture a substantial majority of the Hispanic vote to win in November. President George W. Bush won reelection in 2004 with about 40 percent support of the Hispanic electorate nationwide. And it is no secret that in the Democratic presidential primaries, Hispanics voted mostly for Sen. Hillary Clinton. Obama thus has some work to do to move and keep Hispanic voters firmly in his camp.

So featuring New Mexican Hispanics on Obama’s big night was a no-brainer. Governor Bill Richardson’s major convention address was moved from an earlier time to prime time, shortly before Obama’s acceptance speech at Invesco Field. Richardson warmed up the crowd with his policy address while leading chants of sí se puede towards an Obama election.

Ray Rivera, a graduate of Manzano High School and the University of New Mexico, and now the Colorado state chair of the Obama campaign, organized a text messaging campaign among convention delegates to display their words of support on stadium screens – a creative way to engage folks awaiting Obama’s appearance.

Appearing as one of five “regular folks” telling personal stories was Teresa Brito Asenap of Albuquerque and APS liaison to its charter schools. As a first-generation college graduate in her family, Dr. Asenap underscored the role of public education in her quest for a Ph.D. and as a great equalizer in American society. She urged adequate funding and support for public school teachers and students as they deal with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Barack Obama rocked the house on his big night and sent a whole bunch of Democrats home from Denver all fired up to work for victory in November. As a battleground state, New Mexico promises to figure prominently in the two months remaining of the presidential campaign season. In the end, the voter preferences and turnout of New Mexico Hispanics will be key in swinging the state blue or red in ’08. “¡Obámanos!” may just stick as a new word in the New Mexican vocabulary during this historic political year.

Episode 209 - From Denver and the DNC / DTV Conversion

Live and direct from two eyewitnesses: David Alire Garcia and Gene Grant call in from Denver on the day after the close of the historic Democratic National Convention. Jim Scarantino fills in as host to get the scoop on what it was like to be there in the midst of the excitement.
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New Mexico will definitely leave an indelible mark on the Democratic National Convention this week in Denver. From Governor Richardson, to Tom Udall and Patsy Madrid, New Mexico faces have been prominent at the event. Co-hosts Gene Grant and David Alire Garcia have also been in Denver this week, and guest host Jim Scarantino is ready to get their reflections on the Convention. Also this week, head back out on the campaign trail with another presidential hopeful. This time it is 3rd party staple Ralph Nader, who held a press conference and rally this week on the UNM campus. All this, plus KNME’s countdown to the Digital TV transition continues. Gene Grant talks to an industry expert about the big conversion.

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NM inFOCUS: Ep 209 - DNC/Nader/DTV (Intro)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 209 - DNC/Nader/DTV (In Focus)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 209 - DNC/Nader/DTV (Nader)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 25 - Denish / DTV conversion (DTV Overview)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 209 - DNC/Nader/DTV (Outro)

The Morning After

And Denver, like a mirage, is free from all things DNC. All that's left is the cleaning, which will be a lot.

David Alire Garcia, UNM poli-sci professor Christine Sierra. and I all sat together at Invesco last night. If you haven't seen them, David has some shots posted right under here from our vantage point on the infamous south end of Invesco.

It was a glorious night for New Mexicans, with Governor Richardson rocking the house during the late afternoon. During his welcoming ovation, the stadium was practically rumbling like an earthquake as everyone was stomping their feet. It's a heck of a sensation. There's clearly big love out there from democrats for him. You had to be happy for him, as being bumped from Wednesday night turned out to be a good thing for him.

I had wrestled with the choice of Invesco for a once in a lifetime experience, or noodling around the city to watch the reaction. Turns out there were huge block parties all over town watching. The one I'd have love to make was a big tent in Five Points, the hub of African American life here in Denver. I talked to some folks who were there while we were all getting a late night meal at The Great Wall (Chinese) restaurant. It sounded like it was rocking.

The Denver Post this morning had a terrific recap of all the festivities around town.

Funny, but the McCain for VP has dominated the news cycle locally. Mission accomplished, if the idea was to wrestle the chatter from The Speech.

On the road south in about 30 minutes, right after I finish up here at the locally owned Dazbog Coffee. Buy local, as they say. More on the week when i get back to the ABQ and let it all settle in a bit more.

KNME slideshow: A historic night

KNME slideshow traces chronology of history-making night at Denver's Invesco Field

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

A crowd estimated at about 80,000 bore witness to the nation's first African American presidential nominee of a major political party. Plus, three New Mexican's addressed the huge crowd: Gov. Bill Richardson, Albuquerque Interfaith leader Teresa Brito-Asenap, as well as Obama campaign Colorado state director Ray Rivera.

From Hillary to Barack

Anticipation gave way to raw emotion when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton gave her speech before the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night. Tears streamed down the faces of a number of delegates as they heard Senator Clinton concede the nomination to Barack Obama and urge her supporters to transfer their energy, dedication, and hard work toward electing him president.

I asked three New Mexico delegates pledged to Clinton, all women, to describe – in one word – how they felt at the end of Clinton’s speech. At-large delegate “Kooch” Jacobus said “strength.” She pointed to how Clinton’s candidacy has opened the path for the further ascension of women in American politics. She said of women, “we’re strong and we count.” As she drew power from Clinton’s speech that night, Jacobus also sat and cried through part of it, thinking of what might have been. Would she now shift her support to an Obama candidacy? She gave a definite “yes.”

Priscilla Chavez from Doña Ana County underscored her feelings with the single word, “emotional.” She shed tears during Hillary Clinton’s speech because she was so moved. Disappointment with the end of Clinton’s campaign ran deep, as she wiped tears away even as we spoke the morning after. Though challenges remain ahead in getting voters on board for Obama in southern New Mexico, Chavez is ready to work toward that end. She sees young voters easier to mobilize than older ones. But she maintains that older voters will show up to vote for Obama “because so much is at stake.”

A committed Clinton supporter, state senator Mary Jane Garcia of Las Cruces had rather harsh words to say about Obama’s candidacy during the heat of the presidential primary. Her avid support for Hillary Clinton stretched back to 1992, when the Clintons were in Las Cruces. She connected with them many times thereafter.

Garcia also cried during Clinton’s speech. She marveled at how her candidate was both “gracious” and “strong” after a bruising primary. Garcia contended that after all the Republican attacks, media criticism, and tension with the Obama campaign, “to say what she said, and the way she said it” was impressive. But she chose the word “closure” to describe her personal feelings at the end of the day. She found closure in Clinton’s endorsement of Obama and is now prepared, as she put it, “to move on” and work for the Democratic presidential ticket.

During last night’s roll-call vote of the states, the New Mexico delegation cast a unanimous vote for Barack Obama. Earlier that day, in a paper ballot among New Mexico’s 38 delegates, 3 votes were marked for Hillary Rodham Clinton. But even those Clinton holdouts succumbed to the excitement and bandwagon effect that took over the convention. When Senator Clinton herself, speaking for the New York delegation, moved that the convention nominate Barack Obama for president by acclamation, all of those New Mexico delegates cheered wildly and, this time, shed tears of joy as they made history.

Richardson on his beard

One item of utmost importance from my interview with Gov. Bill Richardson that didn’t quite make it into the story published earlier today was the question about.. his beard.

 

In his answer, the governor even suggested that camp Obama might be anti-beard!

 

Me: Did you ever consider shaving the beard for your big speech?

 

Gov. Richardson: (smiling) You know, to be honest, if I had been selected vice president I would have shaved it. Or they would have had me shave it off! Now I'm not going to do it for a while.... You know, I kinda like the beard. But it’ll come off probably by the end of the year. But you know, people are comfortable with it. People are liking it a little more. It's not much of an issue. But I feel it's becoming more a part of me.

 

There you have it, the beard, says the guv, is no longer an issue.

Governor previews big speech

Gov. Bill Richardson got bumped from the Wednesday night lineup of speakers at the Democratic National Convention.

 

But a few hours before he was scheduled to speak to a national audience in prime time – just one speaker removed from the night’s final speaker, vice presidential nominee Joe Biden – the two-term New Mexico governor and 2008 presidential candidate spoke with me just off the very noisy floor of Denver’s Pepsi Center.

 

The roll call vote to formally nominate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama to be the party’s presidential nominee was just about to begin and Richardson, looking awfully calm and collected, was at the center of a media storm. Standing just off CNN’s convention floor set as dozens of people mobbed the set snapping pictures of Wolf Blitzer and Campbell Brown as if they were rock stars, Richardson stood quietly with his hands in his pockets. He was finishing up with a TV interview with a perky but very short journalist standing on a box.

 

Minutes later, he made time for me despite apparent efforts by an aide to whisk him away. Earlier in the day, Richardson spokesman Pahl Shipley told me that this would be the governor’s final interview of the day before he would go into “seclusion” prior to his big speech later in the evening.

 

It was just before 4 p.m. and Richardson was, at the time, scheduled to speak sometime after 7 p.m. MST.

 

“Well, it's a big night. It's a big night for me. It's a big night for New Mexico. And it's thrilling,” Richardson began as speakers from the podium continued nonstop. “Even though we didn't make it as president, even though we didn't make it as vice president, the country will be listening to my national security message and why I'm so supportive of Sen. Obama.”

 

The text of Richardson’s speech had been made available to journalists in the Pepsi Center’s practice basketball court turned press gallery about an hour earlier, but it has been embargoed until delivery.  Politico posted the text last night. Nevertheless, Richardson was perfectly willing to give me a preview.

 

“The goal of the speech is to say Obama is ready to be commander-in-chief,” he said simply.

 

“And what I'm trying to do is reinforce the view that to be a good president, you have to have more than long experience, you have to have values, good judgment. And Obama, in opposing the war early showed he had that early, early vision.”

 

Asked if there were any convention speakers from years past that Richardson admires, he first offered a blunt assessment of convention oratory.

 

“Mostly, these conventions are very boring,” he said, before going on to cite Sen. Edward Kennedy’s 1980 convention speech and former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo’s 1984 convention speech as particularly memorable and effective.

 

Asked why they were memorable and effective, the governor teased out what they had in common.

 

“They were broad themes. The speeches were about values. They were about what America stands for rather than ten point plans,” he explained. “I think those are the speeches that you remember and are important.”

 

Turning back to the speech he was to have delivered on Wednesday night, Richardson emphasized that his would be a serious speech – even predicting it will not be well-received.

 

“I'm not going have any laughs or jokes because (the subject is) national security. It's foreign policy. It's values. It's too important a speech to bring the crowd to its feet,” he said. “So I'm sure it will get panned…but that's fine. I think we have to establish Obama as the candidate that can be an effective commander-in- chief.”

 

Richardson did confirm in the interview that his speech had undergone significant revisions from the initial draft that he submitted to the Obama campaign. But he emphasized that the changes were his idea.

 

“I wanted to rewrite it to talk about values,” he said. “It was an Iraq speech and I wanted to add what I believe is important also, like that we follow the constitution, human rights, Darfur, doing something about poverty,” he explained. “So I just added and made it a broader speech than just focused on ending the war."

 

Asked to reminisce about his own pioneering presidential race this year as the nation’s first, serious Latino contender, Richardson was reflective. He said he was honored to run, he said, treated well and fairly. And he offered a surprisingly self-critical assessment of why he didn’t prevail.

 

“You know, it wasn't my year. This was the year that the public wanted change, they wanted soaring rhetoric and they wanted people coming together,” Richardson said.

 

He added that he believes the issues his unsuccessful campaign highlighted – “on global warming, on renewable energy, on ending the war” -- remain front-and-center.

 

“I feel vindicated that at least I brought some ideas. Being the first Latino was an honor, but you know, I realize it just wasn't my time,” Richardson said.

 

Then, as convention floor attendees roared their approval of something someone at the podium had just said, he added this: “But hopefully, there will be other times."

Much like the anticipation for both Clinton's and Mrs. Obama, the speculation, guesses, and advice for Obama's big speech tonight at Invesco is running hot. From local talk radio this morning to the editors of both the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post to a coupla guys I spoke with as we shared stools at breakfast at Tom's Diner in Capitol Hill.

Everyone seems to have a take. The good news is there's no possible right or wrong for anyone. There's just the experience to come.

What I do know is this. this city for a few hours this afternoon and evening is virtually ground zero for the nation's attention. Think about that for a second. Denver is poised to make a very serious claim on the cherished pecking order of places where Big Things Happen. The symbolism is pretty deep. A western city, not one of the standard big shoulder 'burg's on the coasts is only one example of many.

The Rocky Mountains and Barack Obama. As deliciously unlikely a locale for a man of mixed race and feathered journey as could be possible. But that's the beauty of it. It feels right.

Here in Capitol Hill there is a strong African American presence to be seen and felt. More than one might think when one considers Denver, but it fits here among a decidedly consistent African American presence in Denver this week that illuminates the many layers of our experience and our hard earned place in the American mosaic.

As much as we tend to be a patchwork quilt, stitched together at cultural borders, the experience in denver this week speaks to an inverse of that.

While the African American delegates may not be what one would expect at first thought to be the dominant color in that quilt, it matters not. We are here in a quantity that satisfies, an emotional bearing that fills me up at the most unexpected turns and a general sense, that yes, Democrats can in fact be the personification of what Joe Biden spoke to so well last night; that no man considers himself above another.

There are so many evidences and demonstrations of grace among people here. It's as if everyone has heard a call to be more than you were than when you left home. You can't help but be caught up in it in your own way.

I had a fascinating morning here on the bike, exploring in the 65 degree (full tilt sunny) stillness. While on my ride I came across the campus of East High School, probably the loveliest campus I've ever seen for a high school. It also happens to be, as I just discovered from one of the employees here ate Starbucks not too far away, the alma mater of actor's Don Cheadle and 70's icon Pam Grier.

What I adored about it was the percentage of African American students jogging or walking around the lake in their school issue red shorts and white t-shirts. The discovery very much fit with my week.

What also fit was at City Park across the street. The Martin Luther King Jr. memorial, that is without question the most breath taking MLK tribute I have ever beheld. Expansive, bold, with an emotional scale very much befitting the man and his legacy.

You can imagine what it meant to literally stumble (pedal?) across this on the 45th anniversary of King's "I Have A Dream" speech and the undertow of not just Obama's speech tonight. As I sat in the stillness of it, taking in the density of both the granite it sits on, the gravitas of the anniversary and what I have been witnessing here came through.

There are no accidents. I now feel prepared to receive what will take place tonight. I am so grateful for the blessing of the time there. A true blessing.

I'll be at Invesco this afternoon (gotta be there by two for security) and tonight for what may prove to be one of the most heralded markers in the American politic.

I'm most happy for the city of Denver, the entirety of the population and everyone who is here from somewhere else. I'll follow up late this evening with a re-cap of the night.

Gene

Yes She Can, But...

Greetings from The Common Ground coffee shop at Wazee and 17th. Probably the best wi-fi in the area, and an excellent spot for delegate foot rest. The laptops (and this is an Apple kind of laptop town) are open, the blackberry's being squeezed, and more than a few anxious voices on cell phones nearby.

Interesting day so far. Tried to chase down rumor of a traffic stoppage via protest around 2:30, but never found them. Christine Sierra from UNM and I kicked back for a time in one of the media tents. She was interviewed by someone at UNM's Education Department and we had a chance to compare notes/observations following last nights events.

The word of the day continues to be "Hillary."

It's now a universally accepted opinion that Hillary laid to rest any doubt she had about the Obama Express. However, the day after The Speech, there are HRC supporters still going at it.

I kid you not.

I rode by two sets of pro Hillary demonstrators earlier this afternoon, still rocking the megaphone for Hillary. It was quite the site, with onlookers gaping fairly open mouthed at the spectacle. Mind you we're talking no more than fifty or so at one and half that at another (and the roving packs of 4 - 6). The point is; why?

If there's a point to be made, I didn't hear it. Chants of, "we'll remember in November!" wasn't terribly convincing. Or impressive. Will Bill be the final nail in the balloon? From what I saw/heard, I doubt it.

The best part however was the scene surrounding them. In my eyeline at the first protest, right outside the security gate, was the "Rednecks For Obama" table. When I go back to the Pepsi a little later (it's 6:00 now) I just have to see what THAT'S all about.

Second best streetscape view from the bicycle seat; the "Obama In A Bottle" dolls. They were moving. I've noticed a trend in the merch. The more outrageous, ironic or bizarre it is, the better it sells.

Third interesting wrinkle of the day is the amount of faith based/religious protesters here. That caught me by surprise. They run the gamut from just youth groups doing street performing with a light message to full scale anti abortion factions. One with the classic aborted fetus in full color, easily 8 feet long by 4 feet tall. Lovely. Warm up for St. Paul, perhaps?

It all added up to a warped cacophony of special interests all trying to out shout each other. Too bad none of them could top the woman dead middle hawking water and peanuts. She's clearly worked a few carny stalls in her day. She didn't need a megaphone.

Was greeted by some nice KNME viewers this afternoon while at a stop light with the bike. They drove up from Santa Fe just to take it all in and were having a grand time. Which brings a point. I'd hazard as Thursday gets closer plans will be made to make the drive from ABQ of SF by many just to take it all in.

If you are in fact noodling that, I'd say do it. It's gonna bang. no question. You can feel it building. There are enough night spots here that a full night is possible, with Invesco kicking off at four and going 'til ten. The party will go long into the night. No doubt about that.

Once in a lifetime, as they say.

Elephants and David W. Crane's money, Part II

There’s more on the David W. Crane front at the DNC in Denver. You’ll recall that Crane’s the CEO of NRG Energy, Inc. who addressed the New Mexico delegation to the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday morning.

Most memorable was his red, elephant-dotted tie that also caught the attention of Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Brian Colón. It was a funny moment during the breakfast meeting, but also a reminder of the ubiquitous corporate backing of numerous events at the convention. The oil and gas industry is especially well-represented at New Mexico-specific events.

A quick review of Crane’s recent political donations indicates he’s indeed got some good elephant credentials. Last year, he donated $2,000 to the People for Pete Domenici Committee.

But, perhaps sensing which way the wind might be blowing this year, he cut a check for $10,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee a couple months ago.

One other point to note regarding Crane’s address to the New Mexico delegation at the breakfast meeting on Tuesday: Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the current chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, actually got up and left the room just minutes before Crane addressed the delegation.

Bathroom break or intentional decision to leave the room prior to the prominent energy exec’s remarks in an effort to avoid an potentially unseemly moment?

Senator??

Yes She Can.

I'd really like to have a long talk with the various pundits, television blabbermouths, the man...or likely easier to find...woman on the street, who honestly thought Hillary Rodham Clinton was going to do anything less than what she did here in Denver tonight.

From my position about 50 yards outside the Pepsi Center, in the throng that lined the fence outside the CNN hijacked restaurant next door, you'd have had a hard time finding anyone who wasn't dazzled by her speech. The continuous applause, the rapt attention, the whole bit just worked from word one from this crowd. It was fun to witness. You could really feel it.

My station was strategic in nature. I very much wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation from the delegates as they streamed outside following and it didn't disappoint. To my ears I could not sense a single soul who was not satisfied at some level. I was especially interested in sensing the HRC supporters who have been sporting the colors this week, and the smiles were broad, the tone upbeat, and the body English telling the whole story.

The convention has clearly gone to another level. Michelle Obama was going to be tough to top, but given Hillary's stakes were arguably higher, she was up to the task without doubt.

Nice scene outside here tonight. Much chiller than last night. Folks seem settled in. The annoying stuff is settled (where to find a cab/food/drink/coffee/your hotel) and the business at hand is less about understanding a new city than getting down to the task at hand.

After walking with the crowd and past the filled to capacity bars and restaurants, taking the 16th Street Mall free bus back up to Congress, I had a chance to get around a good bit of Denver this evening and get a feel for things from a vantage point I think works best; the seat of a bike. At least three hours worth.

It's amazing how much Obama "stuff" flows by you in store front windows, on telephone poles and the like. Everything from full size cardboard cutouts to every imaginable poster possible. It's really filtered out from the vicinity of the Pepsi Center and downtown, where Obama merch hawkers are in full throat.

I bought two buttons outside the security gates from a young girl who is here with a crew from Detroit. The buttons were designed and made by them, and the pitch was the money was slated to get them back home. Sold. That's the kind of spirit going on here. From whatever means they could make a go of it, they have.

I'm staying in the Capitol Hill area of Denver for the next couple of nights with a friend of Albuquerque slam poet Danny Solis. He's a poet (and artist) as well, and our conversations have been really interesting. I'd say he's typical of the kind of dialed in Democrat you'd find here. It is very much a blue dot city.

I gotta say, Capitol Hill is the bomb. This area is very, very cool. Urban hipster nirvana with a dazzling array of diversity. And there's loads of people on the streets, particularly where I am at Pennsylvania and Colfax (down t0 13th, 14th, etc.).

I rode by one club on Pennsylvania that was thumping so loud I could hear it two blocks away. I had to explore. Finding the entrance, it was a party for the Michigan delegation, with their Governor slated to appear, so said the sign. Wow. These people are getting after it.

As I sit here at the small table of my friend's friend, I see two books in front of me that encapsulate what people are feeling here. One is Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" (which I'm going to hit after this), next to John F. Kennedy's "A Nation Of Immigrants." Fascinating.

Denver is feeling it tonight.

Yes She Did.

Opinions about Barack Obama's V.P. Choice

This week David Alire Garcia and Gene Grant are both in Denver for the Democratic National Convention. Check back for updates from them throughout the week. In their absence, LINE panelist Jim Scarantino will be filling in as guest host. He'll check in with David and Gene later in the week, but we unfortunately won't have time for the rest of THE LINE panelists to sound off on the week's top stories. But, we couldn't let the week go by without finding out what everyone thinks about Barack Obama's choice for running mate. Here is a running conversation on the issue from Margaret, Jim and Marco:

Marco Gonzales

So much for being the candidate of change! Obama's pick of a 36 year veteran of the Congress signals to the American people that an Obama administration would operate on politics as usual basis and also confirms that his campign believes their candidate is vulnerable on the question of whether he is ready to be President. The selection of Joe Biden is less than an inspiring choice and has strengthened the prospects that as many as half of Hillary Clinton supporters will now support John McCain. Obama's inability to close the deal with Hillary supporters was a cold and now it is a serious flu. Instead of a celebration and focusing like a laser beam on the message of the convention top Obama aides have been worried about the concerns of both Clintons comparing Senator Clinton's aides involved in convention preparations to Japenese soldiers in the South Pacific who continued fighting after the War ended. I predict that the Obama campaign will have the lowest convention bounce in modern history and Democrats will begin the fall campaign in a quagmire of uncertainty about their candidiate and their message. Expect the candidiate of change to go increasingly negative which will compel more Democrats and Independents to vote for John McCain.

Jim Scarantino

Obama didn't really help himself by picking a senior Senator. Biden brings no excitement, no constitutency and no message. He does bring 35 years of legislative votes for McCain's camp to pick at. His pro-choice stances as a Catholic will cause a repeat of the same problems Kerry faced. Older Hispanics in New Mexico, already reluctant to support Obama, now have another excuse not to vote for him. Lastly, I think Biden is a poor person to put on the stump across the country on every topic possible. He is mush-mouthed, just like John Kerry was. I honestly cannot take listening to Biden for more than thirty seconds, before I become frustrated at having to do all the work translating what he won't say directly and concisely. The selection of Biden leaves open the door for McCain's pick to get the excitement in this cycle. I predict he will choose as his running mate the first woman ever to be on a Presidential ticket. In fact, I'd say count on it.

Margaret Montoya

I will resist my inclination to defend in a reflexive manner the choice made by Barack Obama.

Joe Biden brings some considerable strengths to the campaign, but, in my opinion, his support of the bankruptcy bill, together with his son Hunter's strong connections to the credit card companies that have benefited by that legislation, has tarnished his appeal for me.

Biden's sharp wit and quick ripostes will add a dimension of gotcha humor that may keep McCain off balance and poke fun at McCain's confusion and gaffes. Unlike Jim, I enjoy listening to Biden, especially when he is talking about policy options. I anticipate he will be effective in the debates and on the stump.

I couldn't disagree more with Jim about the choice issue. Adding a pro-life VP would have been disastrous in this year that has been highlighted by Hillary Clinton's candidacy and the registration of millions of younger voters. It may be true that some older folks may vote for president on this one issue. Most Latinas especially younger ones, like other women, support the right to abortion and more importantly will vote to protect access to contraception; both rights are at risk under McCain's promise of a "pro-life" administration.

Latinas (and Latinos) I know are greatly concerned about the economy, the war, Social Security, health care, and education, and they know that workable solutions to these intractable problems are proposed by the Democratic Party and not by the Republicans. If this election is contested on the basis of issues and policies and platforms, the electorate sides with Democratic positions. The question that remains is whether the Republicans will successfully "swiftboat" Obama.

Even if McCain chooses to add a woman to this ticket, this will not neutralize the harshly anti-woman policies that have been followed by the Republicans under George Bush. Republicans have opposed legislation that would have specifically addressed issues of concern to women: pay equity, increases to minimum wage (which primarily helps single moms), effective sex education. One of Joe Biden's signature accomplishments is the Violence Against Women Act which was a comprehensive approach to domestic violence.

Jim Scarantino

Problems already for Biden: the Archbishop of Denver has suggested he not take communion because of his positions on abortion. The message to Biden was reported late last night. I think the Catholic Church will be even more vocal in chastising pro-abortion Catholics than in 2004 when much of it was at the parish level, but not broadcast to the media. Pelosi got a stern upbraiding, as well.

I wasn't suggesting Obama should have selected a pro-choice running mate. That would have cost him his own party, which has adopted even stronger pro-abortion platform language than ever before (it actually calls for public funding of abortions and disses the entire pro-life wing of the Democratic Party). That's why Obama could not have selected Gov. Kaine of Virginia, one of the Democrats shining new stars and a strong pro-life advocate in his own state. But, by selecting a pro-abortion Catholic, Obama gives Catholics who are balking at supporting him for a number of reasons, particularly race, an easy excuse to justify their predisposition against him. They no longer need say "I won't support him because he's Black." They can now lean on the apostasy of his pro-abortion Catholic running mate.

I worked many long hours for the Kerry campaign in 2004. I spent much of that time in smaller NM counties. The parish priests were preaching against Kerry pretty openly, scoring him for defiance of a fundamental principle of the church's teaching. On election day, we saw tens of thousands of "missing" votes in rural Hispanic counties: no choice was stated for President on ballots that were otherwise completely filled out. On Election Day, I was supervising the vote protection effort on the ground in Socorro County, driving to all the polls all day long. We encountered many instances of older Hispanic couples voting together telling us they could not vote for Kerry because he supported abortion. It was worse because he was Catholic. A pro-life Protestant would not have caused the same problems for them.

State Senator Mary Jane Garcia recently was quoted in The Rocky Mountain News saying she doesn't know a Hispanic over age 50 who will vote for Obama. The reason is race. I have heard this also from Hispanic politicos working northern New Mexico. People with these sentiments won't likely admit their racism to pollsters or to strangers. The abortion issue will strengthen their resolve not to vote for Obama, and now gives them a socially acceptable reason to explain their decision.

Margaret Montoya

The Republican Party faces an enormous problem in the current election and in the future. For example, here is what the New Democratic Network reports in its latest statistical analysis, Hispanics Rising II, "Hispanics have voted in record numbers, tripling their turnout from the 2004 primaries and increasing their share of the vote in the Democratic primaries by 66%. Seventy-eight percent of Hispanics who voted in the presidential primaries this year have voted Democratic." (Unfortunately, we don't yet have any polls on NM Hispanics). Republican Party policies, rhetoric and image have alienated African Americans, Latinas/os and Native voters, especially younger ones. I have struggled to find data on the racial/ethnic demographics of the two parties but have been unable to find anything reliable. Suffice to say, that the Democrats are a vibrant diverse party that looks like the society it represents, and its representational practices, while cumbersome, have produced a convention that is widely inclusive of women, racial groups, sexual minorities and those with disabilities. The Republicans, despite some prominent minority faces (black, Latina/o), are still overwhelmingly a White party with policies that disfavor and burden African Americans, Latinas/os and Native peoples and tribes. (Just consider the GINI co-efficient, the most widely accepted measure of inequality. The U.S. now ranks among the most unequal of the developed societies.)

Jim continues to recite the meme (with no evidence to support it other than his personal testimony) that Hispanics won't vote for Obama even though the polling shows that we now back Obama two or three-to-one over McCain. In my opinion, media (including we on "The Line," with our modest contribution to the campaign chatter) have a responsibility to inform public discourse and to refrain from adding to the divisiveness of the ever-volatile subject of race. To say that someone won't vote for someone because of race is to peer into their psyche, their mental processes, strip away other legitimate rationales and give prominence to race as the rationale in a way that stigmatizes both the voter and the candidate.

One can decide to vote for or against someone based on their race for reasons that are entirely legitimate and moral. For example, I can decide to vote for another Latina (and describe it as voting for her because of "race") because I conclude that she shares fundamental values and life experiences (including those of being discriminated against) with me and thus is likely to share a worldview that will lead her to support, advocate for and vote for policies that will improve my life and that of my family. Similarly, I can decide to vote against her based on "race" because I conclude we don't share basic values or political preferences. In this sense, "race" is shorthand for sharing a set of collectivized historical, familial and personal narratives that inform the labels we use to classify the world around us. An illegitimate (and immoral) rationale for voting against someone based on their "race" is because I conclude s/he is intellectually or morally inferior. "Race" is a highly complex concept and, if it isn't defined, then the default definition is this illegitimate notion of rejecting people because of their physical appearance.

If Catholic voters decide not to support Obama and Biden because of the abortion issue, then that means they have made a policy-based decision which is exactly what they should be doing. I don't agree with them, but that's what an election is all about. Come November, I will NOT vote for John McCain (after all, I don't agree with his stand on almost every issue). He is also a white man. You can make the argument that I am voting on the basis of "race." However, this kind of causal sophistry is spurious and injurious to our nation's social fabric that has been repeatedly frayed by centuries of racial strife and misunderstanding that has too frequently been fed rather than resisted by the media.

Marco Gonzales

I strongly disagree with the idea that Obama has a lock on the Hispanic vote in America, and undoubtedly here in New Mexico:

http://thelatinojournal.blogspot.com/2008/07/western-state-latinos-crucial-to-mccain.html

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=190162

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/03/mccain-has-open.html

http://www.observer.com/2008/velazquez-warns-obama-mccains-support-among-latinos

And let's not forget, McCain does not need to have 51% of the Hispanic vote to win the election. He needs to pull somewhere near 40%. There is plenty of room, evidenced by these articles, for him to do this. Citing polls from left wing groups is smart politics, but the facts are that the Democrats are worried about McCain's ability to reach Hispanic voters.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/06/no_special_agenda_for_hispanic.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/11/politics/politico/main4336774.shtml

And and update on the GOP and VP predictions:

Jim Scarantino

August 28th
Heather Wilson for VP. We're hearing rumors swirling around Kay Bailey Hutchinson. But I also hear the pro-life voices in the GOP, which is most of the party, does not like the idea of someone who supports Roe v. Wade being one heart beat away from appointing a Supreme Court Justice. I mentioned Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska previously. But I've since learned there is a small scandal brewing up north about allegations she retaliated against a former brother-in-law by getting him fired from the state police. Palin is a remarkable woman, but nobody needs a black eye coming into a fight. So here's my suggestion to McCain for a strong, experienced, smart, tough woman who will be accepted by the pro-life wing of the GOP and who can deliver a swing state: Heather Wilson. Hey, she's available, to boot. And she probably knows more about foreign policy and can explain herself better than her debating partner, Joe Biden.

The Power of Women

Ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote, occurred eighty-eight years ago on August 26th. So the prominent role women are playing in today’s events at the Democratic National Convention seems most appropriate as a way to honor what they are calling, Women’s Equality Day. At the Women’s Caucus this morning, delegates filled a large ballroom at the Denver Convention Center to recognize the uniqueness of the 2008 presidential campaign, featuring a woman and African American as the party’s top contenders for the nomination of their party. Speakers included Donna Brazile, CNN commentator, Ellen Malcolm, founder of Emily’s List (a pro-choice PAC), Sheila Johnson, businesswoman, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, and Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parent Action Fund and daughter of the former Governor of Texas, Ann Richards. In their own way, each recognized Hillary Rodham Clinton for creating 18 million cracks (the number of votes she won) in the glass ceiling that has kept women underrepresented in American politics.

That a huge room packed with mostly women would cheer loudly for Senator Clinton while banging on lavender-colored tambourines given to those in attendance was not surprising. Nor perhaps was the enthusiastic endorsement of Michelle Obama’s speech at the convention on Monday night. There was a big unknown, however, in what degree of support the Clinton delegates would show for candidate Obama and his vice-presidential running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. Speeches and crowd reaction sent the message that Democratic Party women were on board with Obama-Biden. Yet disappointment or displeasure among some Clinton delegates did appear.

New Mexico delegate Dory Shonagon acknowledged that there has been tension with some Clinton delegates, but she says, “I feel it’s going to be resolved…. I’m an optimist.” More importantly, Shonagan emphasized how the convention today would display the power that women have seized in American politics. Tonight’s line-up of women elected officials includes Governors Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Janet Napolitano from Arizona. Clean-up batter is Senator Hillary Clinton herself, whose message to her pledged delegates will be eagerly awaited by a packed arena.

Importantly, Shonagon, a seasoned political activist herself, drew distinctions between power with others and power over others, with women preferring the former rather than the latter. She contended that women run for political office not so much to claim power for themselves but to “get things done.” Research on women in politics makes this same point.

In the end, Women’s Equality Day at the Democratic convention underscores that women are exercising power as grass-roots activists, party leaders, and elected officials from the local level on up across the country. They still remain underrepresented in public office, but those gaps are closing. And now that the glass ceiling has 18 million cracks in it, the sky appears to be the limit for more women’s power in the years ahead.

Ralph Nader at the UNM Sub - Watch it here

3rd party Presidential hopeful Ralph Nader paid a visit to Albuquerque and Santa Fe on Tuesday, August 26th, on his way to a rally at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. KNME was there and streamed both his press conference and rally live. Here is video from that rally. There are a few technical glitches along the way, so bear with it. Mr. Nader talked longer than we expected so our microphone ran out of battery power at one point, and our disk that we were recording on also ran out at one point, creating some beeping in the background. Still, it was a worthwhile event, and we are committed to covering as many of these presidential visits as possible.

Energy Crisis in Denver?

Not hardly. Late greeting from the Democratic Convention, by way of the City O' City Bar on Sherman (and 13rth).

Technology and logistics ( don't get me started) prevented me from getting this blog cooking on Monday, so we're gonna make up some ground here and keep it rolling.

Let's start by stripping out certain categories and giving you some thoughts vs. one of those 30,000 foot views. There's time for that later. Let's kick it with the highly anticipated...

Protest Scene:

Please. Let's put it this way. Abby Hoffman is probably rolling over in his grave. Whatever version of "anarchy" this is supposed to be I don't know. But it's become almost laughable at this point. The media, however, is to be laughed at even more, since they were practically drooling at the thought of covering a Chicago '68 type scene. Not happening. The Denver PD is highly visible and the infamous "Gitmo on the Platte" looms. After yesterday, a grand total of 8 have been arrested.

So much for anarchy in 2008.

Maybe not a bad thing.

Media:

Well, when media outnumbers attendees/delegates, it changes the atmoshperics, so to speak. The CNN contingent is a bit over the top for yours truly, with their own danged bar on the same grounds as the Pepsi Center. You literally cannot get away from the sound of Wolf Blitzer's voice anywhere you go, so loud it is outside.

I must say, however, the scene is star studded, but not in that glitzy sense. I'm actually relieved. Some of the "walk by's" in the media area included PBS documentarian Ken Burns (who did the Ted Kennedy), Amy Goodman (heard on KUNM in ABQ), and the like. In fact, the first "celeb" if you will, that cruised by me at the gates was DC lawyer and Clinton pal Vernon Jordan.

The best celeb moment to date was walking out with the throng following Michelle Obama's speech and seeing filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, best known for "Super Size Me." We talked about his time in Albuquerque, when he had a play at The Vortex during the Rt.. 66 festival a few years ago. He clearly has some warm feelings towards the city to this day. That was kinda cool.

NM Delegation:

Good party at the rooftop pool of the Crowne Plaza, which is ground zero for the NM Democratic Delegation, for Governor Richardson. I had some good conversations with James Lewis, good friend of New Mexico In Focus Terry Brunner (staffer for Sen. Bingaman), Lt. Governor Diane Denish, Brian Colon, Patsy Madrid and a lot more.

David Alire Garcia was in attendance as well. We both passed on the free cigars.

The delegation is, to put it simply, charged up. These folks have worked extremely hard. To be in the hall for the Kennedy tribute and Michelle Obama's speech, you had to be happy for them. Governor Richardson was in fine fittle and I had no chance of shaking his hand and wishing him luck with his speech tonight, so surrounded he was by well wishers and photo seekers.

Watching him, I couldn't help but wonder how he must be feeling about all this, since he was, after all, planning on giving the Thursday night speech, if you get my drift.

Denver:

I like Denver a lot. Have not been here in about six/seven years, but my sense is they are already at about their limit with patience after one day. Downtown is a mess. Puree and simple. i brought my bike (and had to get a flat fixed an hour ago) because driving/parking simply isn't a possibility. It's that bad.

I listened to KOA AM, the big news/talk station on the way up, and they mentioned many downtown employers had their staff stay and work from home for the entire week. Not a bad idea. We'll see how it goes as the week moves along.

OK, off to a friend's where I'm staying to dump some stuff and get my bike back in order, then pedal off to the Pepsi Center. The anticipation for Hillary is extremely high. My prediction is she will bring down the house and end all this talk of a Hillary jihad within the the party. I'll be reporting from the press pool area live before, during and after, so please stop by.

Following, I'll be with the delegation folks and try and speak with a few more delegates to get their take.

Best,

Gene Grant

Notes from the DNC - Dr. Christine Sierra

Posted on behalf of Dr. Christine Sierra



A Convention of Firsts

It didn’t take long to hear a common theme emerge from the delegates, elected officials, and party faithful gathered at the Democratic National Convention in Denver: an historic first will be set this week when a major party nominates an African American man as its presidential candidate. At Monday morning’s breakfast for the New Mexico delegation, a profound sense of history-in-the-making moved many a speaker and delegate. I spoke with three first-timers, for whom this convention is the first they have ever attended.

Laurie Weakhee spoke of her feeling of responsibility in contributing to the democratic process as a Native American woman and providing a voice for Native Americans in bringing real change in American politics. In this national staging of political interests, she stated, “the Native voice is very small but very precious.” She said she was excited to be here in Denver and pleased to have the support of tribal leaders who told her to “remember her roots” as she engaged in this national political process.

Debra Haaland also shares with Weakhee a native heritage, coming from Laguna Pueblo. And like Weakhee, this convention is Haaland’s first. She spoke of how “emotional” she is feeling about this convention because of her profound belief that Native Americans have an incredible opportunity to help to change the course of this country by electing Barack Obama. A real treat for Haaland was being chosen as one of four delegates from various parts of the country to greet Michelle Obama when she arrived with her daughters and mother at the Denver airport. To put it bluntly, Michelle Obama connected with her.

A former student of mine, Brian Eagan, is also a first-time convention delegate—alternate actually. I talked to Brian as we both left the Hispanic Caucus at the Denver Convention Center. He spoke excitedly about seeing so many famous people – politicians and members of the news media—that he’s only seen on television. Eagan prepared himself for this election season by attending Camp Obama in Chicago, where one is trained in field organizing following the principles and methods of the late Saul Alinksy, one of this nation’s most important community organizers. Camp Obama trainings were just conducted in Albuquerque last weekend, led by Marshall Ganz, who devoted many years as an organizer with the United Farm Workers Union (UFW).

The firsts extend to me as well. Although I teach American politics, I have never before attended a national party convention. Truth be told, I never felt compelled to attend one, viewing them as good political entertainment and something I could see on television. This year was different. I knew back in January that the most likely presidential nominee would be a woman, a Black man, or as a long-shot, a Hispanic man. Hence, I wanted to see an historic first in the making. What I am learning is that though scripted and staged as other conventions have been, Denver ’08 does appear to be special in personal ways to a great many people. It promises to be special in American history as well.

Posted on behalf of Dr. Christine Sierra

Episode 208 - Democratic National Convention Preview

Hosts David Alire Garcia and Gene Grant will be reporting next week from Denver, the site of the Democratic National Convention. And Christine Sierra, UNM Professor of Political Science, who was a guest on this week's show, will be joining them and reporting back, also.

Be sure to watch the blog for updates throughout the week!

Senator Barack Obama was in Albuquerque on August 18, and KNME was there at the small economic forum in the Main Library in the morning, and the Town Hall at Rio Grande High School in the afternoon. Our own cameraman, Antony Lostetter, was in the background filming the event at the library, and appeared in print in The New York Times.

Josh Stephenson/Bloomberg News
______________________

The Democratic National Convention starts next Monday, and David Alire Garcia sits down with former New Mexico Democratic Party Chairman John Wertheim, Superdelegate Laurie Weahkee, and Platform Committee Chair Patricia Madrid to preview the event on this week’s NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS. Then Gene Grant and The Line panelists take on the DNC, a wrap-up of the Governor’s special session, and the latest push to lower the drinking age.

...

NM inFOCUS: EP 208 - Democratic National Convention Preview (Intro)



NM inFOCUS: EP 208 - Democratic National Convention Preview (In Focus)



NM inFOCUS: EP 208 - Democratic National Convention Preview (Obama in ABQ)



NM inFOCUS: EP 208 - Democratic National Convention Preview (The Line)



NM inFOCUS: EP 208 - Democratic National Convention Preview (Outro)

Barack Obama's NM visit - Watch it here!!

Barack Obama held a community town hall at Rio Grande High School today at 1:30pm.

Watch it here:



And, earlier in the day, he also met with a group of prominent New Mexico women for an economic forum at the downtown Albuquerque library.

Watch part one of that event:



And, here's part two:

Episode 207: Back To School with Superintendents Brooks and Gutierrez

No matter if what anybody says, it's got to be a tough job to be in the position of Superintendent for two of the largest school districts in the state: Albuquerque (APS) and Santa Fe (SFPS) Public Schools. Whether you're new to the state (Winston Brooks of APS) or have come up through the ranks in a district you're accostomed to (Bobbie Gutierrez of SFPS), you've got a lot of work ahead of you when you start the new school year as a new Superintendent.


And this week, even though we talked to two people at the top, we must not forget the first person of contact with our students: the teacher. One teacher with a mixture of humor, passion for teaching, and enthusiasm for his students is Robert Wilder, American Lit teacher at Santa Fe Prep, and author of articles, essays, and a couple of books. One of them, Tales From The Teachers' Lounge, provides insight into - and wicked humor about - the art and profession of teaching. There's a longer version of the interview than the one that aired on TV, below.



Gene Grant and the panelists sitting at The Line table have a lot to talk about, but one thing Gene said we'd print in this blog was the full response from Matthew Henderson of ACORN, who replied to Gene about an incident mentioned on our show. Check it out at the end of this blog, after the video segments, and send us a comment or two.

Kevin McDonald & Kathy Wimmer
The Public Affairs Team

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NM inFOCUS: EP 207 - Back To School with the Superintendents

It’s back-to-school time in New Mexico, and there is new leadership at the helm of two of the largest public school districts in the state. This week on NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS, co-host David Alire Garcia sits down with Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez of Santa Fe Public Schools, and Superintendent Winston Brooks, of Albuquerque Public Schools. Then, Gene Grant and The Line panelists weigh in on the new leadership, plus whether or not a non-profit crossed the line from political lobbying to political campaigning, and yet another voter registration scandal.

NM inFOCUS: EP 207 - Back To School with the Superintendents (Intro)



NM inFOCUS: EP 207 - Back To School with the Superintendents (In Focus)



NM inFOCUS: EP 207 - Back To School with the Superintendents (The Line 1of2)



NM inFOCUS: EP 207 - Back To School with the Superintendents (Interview)



NM inFOCUS: EP 207 - Back To School with the Superintendents (The Line 2of2)



NM inFOCUS: EP 207 - Back To School with the Superintendents (Outro)


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Dear Gene, 600 people have helped ACORN register 65,000 New Mexicans to vote this year. Along the way, of course, we have had some workers who commit fraud and are terminated by ACORN. The agents who you spoke to have, in fact, been terminated as a result of your helpful report to us. Even if you had not made your report to ACORN, we would have terminated these employees because our Quality Control Program vets every single card we collect with a three step process, including telephoning the voter to verify the legitimacy of the information they provided on their registration application. In short, ACORN has been able to identify canvassers who collect duplicate registrations and terminate them. Although you were rightly concerned by your experience with an ACORN canvasser, we want to remind you that this has been a historic voter registration drive, by far the largest in state history. Its impact on the upcoming elections will be profound because ACORN has focused its drive on working people, Hispanic, Native American, and other diverse communities that are not as powerful a force in New Mexico elections as they could be. We are certain that the impact will be profound because we know that 92% of the voter registration applications we have turned in have been complete; we have verified that these voters are getting onto the voter registration rolls; and, based on a study we did of the voters we registered in 2004, we are confident that 65% of the voters we have helped get onto the voter rolls will cast a ballot. As ACORN winds down its voter registration drive, it will be begin to visit these new voters in their homes to make sure they have the information they need to vote. ACORN is not just about voter registration. Our mission is to strengthen working families by giving them a larger voice in politics, so in order to succeed in this endeavor, we not only register them, we mobilize them around campaigns to raise the minimum wage and fight predatory lenders, and we make sure they vote. This is why numerous people who don't support working families' issues attack our efforts in an irresponsible manner. We appreciate you bringing us your complaint to our attention. We are sorry that it was not the positive experience that the 65,000 New Mexicans who ACORN registered to vote have had.
Sincerely, Matthew Henderson Head Organizer

Conexiones - The Journey Ends

A view from Guanajuato

This is the latest installment in a series of blogs from a former KNME intern, Kaycie Robinson. She spend part of her summer in Mexico as part of the Conexiones trip, an annual study abroad program put on by the Honors Program and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese:

"Guanajuato and Mexico City!! The Conexiones group split into two smaller groups for the final weekend excursion, one went to Guanajuato and the other went to Mexico City. Following the weekend of fun, students faced the reality of only having five more days in Morelia.

The last week of Conexiones was bittersweet- people seemed ready to see friends and family back in the states, but it was obvious that they would miss the new friends here in Morelia. For many of the students, their host families really became family, and tears were all around at the Conexiones "Fiesta de Despedida"(Goodbye Party).

The effect of the Conexiones program was reinforced in our last few days in
Mexico. Five students and I visited the beach town of Sayulita for a few
days of surf and sun before returning to Albuquerque. While we relaxed on
the beach the second day, a woman came up to offer us a piece of cake. It
was her daughter’s birthday, and the whole family was celebrating by spending
the day picnicking and playing in the waves. The problem was that they had
bought a huge cake and couldn’t finish it- did we want some before the
mid-afternoon sun turned it to mush? We happily agreed to slices of cake,
and shared our “Gloria” caramels in return. As I talked with the family
later in the day, they said that they thought we were Canadians. “Why?” I asked the mother, Alicia.She frankly responded, “Because your faces are gentle. Most Americans we’vemet don’t have any interest in getting to know the people (of Mexico)”.Shocked by her honesty and embarrassed by the behavior of my fellow Americans, I told her, “Wow. I apologize for my countrymen”.She smiled, the family smiled, and we continued to talk for another 20 minutes. When the time came to get my dehydrated and sunburned self back to the hotel, they made sure to give me their email address, telephone number, and street address in Mexico City.“Tienes casa en D.F.”, they assured me. Literally, this means "you have a home in Mexico City", and I have no doubt that this family would gladly welcome me into their home whenever I find myself back in Mexico.This feeling of welcome sums up Conexiones- it is the process of falling in love with Mexico."

For more information about the Conexiones program at UNM, click here. Our thanks to Kaycie for taking us along for the ride this summer!

Kevin McDonald & Kathy Wimmer

The Public Affairs Team

Episode 206 - AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) - New Mexico's Report Card

Another year, another depressing round of No Child Left Behind test results for New Mexico. On the surface, the numbers are bleak: fewer schools reaching "Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP) than last year. And, once again, New Mexico ranks near the bottom compared to the rest of the nation.

But, as usual, the test scores only tell half the story. It's not an easy task, trying to ensure a quality education for all New Mexicans. And, too often, I think we fall victim to not asking the tough questions. Instead we fall back on shrugging our shoulders and wallowing in our poor national rankings.

We should all be thankful to the people out there that are trying to make a difference. Whether you agree with No Child Left Behind or not, it is important to remember that the focus needs to be on the kids, and finding the best ways to make sure they are equipped with the tools they need to succeed in the "real" world.

We hope this week's show will help to enlighten the topic, and provide some inspiration for all of us, as we look for ways to better serve our children.

Kevin McDonald & Kathy Wimmer

The Public Affairs Team

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NM inFOCUS: Ep 206 - Adequate Yearly Progress

AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) represents the annual academic proficiency targets in reading and math that the state, school districts and schools must reach to beconsidered on track with the federally mandated goals set by No Child Left Behind. But what does it really mean when New Mexico schools don’t make the grade? This week, co-hosts David Alire Garcia and Gene Grant lead discussions on the state’s report card, and also take a preview of the Legislature’s upcoming special session, the spread of the red light camera, and the failure of a mental health ordinance.

...

NM inFOCUS: Ep 206 - Adequate Yearly Progress (Intro)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 206 - Adequate Yearly Progress (In Focus)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 206 - Adequate Yearly Progress (The Line 1of2)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 206 - Adequate Yearly Progress (Train to Lamy)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 206 - Adequate Yearly Progress (The Line 2of2)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 206 - Adequate Yearly Progress (Outro)