Campaign Meet-And-Greet, Henderson Community Center, Henderson, Nevada(April 29, 2019)
After the Spanish-language Las Vegas kickoff, the Velez campaign had clearly made a splash in Nevada. Two attack ads were cut by opposing campaigns and one opponent even implicitly attacked Velez in a campaign speech. The Velez campaign wasn’t complaining, though. The biggest issue they faced upon entry was a lack of name recognition- something the opposing campaigns were tirelessly working to boost for Velez, free of charge. The attacks served to put his face and name across the state as an individual tied closely with Baharia, while the campaign simultaneously introduced Velez as a candidate.
The Spanish language announcement speech had made the rounds on Spanish-language television and radio in the state for its unprecedented and historic nature, so it was now time to do some more English language campaigning among a demographic that was until that point totally ignored by opponents- white suburbanites. Unions helped for caucus organizing, and were a decent chunk of the electorate, but much of the Democratic party’s power base in Nevada was rapidly shifting to the relatively small suburban cities of Clark County. These voters liked Baharia, and voted for Clifford in 2016. They would have probably voted for Whitaker, too.
To capitalize on this untapped base of support, the Velez campaign first paid for his video announcement to be used as a targeted ad on YouTube and Facebook, making thousands of impressions at a relatively cheap cost. But to pound the flesh, they also organized a series of meet-and-greet events across Clark county, in the towns of Mesquite, Paradise, Boulder City, Laughlin, and finally, the largest, in Henderson. These events included a light introductory speech from the candidate, followed by an informal reception with refreshments. These receptions allowed the attendees to meet with Velez and talk about anything they’d like, and he made sure to shake as many hands and pose for as many photos for Facebook and Instagram as possible. Attendance was actually fairly high, as the hyper-informed suburbanites had their interest piqued by the fact that both Bill and Helen Whitaker had very publicly endorsed the candidate only days before. Some even remembered him from his time as a Baharia surrogate in 2012.
By the last meet-and-greet in Henderson, Velez was a pro at the short introductory speeches. He knew they liked genuine-sounding speeches that touched on his personal life, identity, and electability. Up-beat 80s music played as he stood in front of the crowd in a button up shirt, and waved for them to quiet down while he smiled broadly.
“Thank you all for coming out here tonight! My names Miguel Santiago Velez, but you can call me Mike.”
Some in the audience replied with “Hi, Mike,” to which he chuckled.
“It’s no secret that I’m running for President. I’m sure you’ve seen my digital ad, the news, the rally in Spanish, all that. But there’s more to me than my first language, and who has endorsed me. Political candidates aren’t robots or puppets. We are real people with real stories, just like you. And before we all chat and get to know each other, I’d like to tell you my story.”
Mike strolled confidently across the room as he talked, looking into people’s eyes as if he were having a conversation with them.
“My parents were born and raised in Cartagena, Colombia. My mom was a Mestiza and my father was a Peninsulare, which meant that their love was frowned upon. But as I’m sure you all know, sometimes you just have to make it work,” he chuckled. “I know my wife and I certainly do. My brother Raúl and I weren’t born in Colombia though, because, long story short, a horrible civil war broke out there starting in the early 1960s. So my parents had to flee. Poor, hungry, and desperate, they embodied the Lazarus poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. And like Americans have done for generations, and will
continue to do for as long as we strive to be a great country, my parents were welcomed with open arms. As refugees, they were settled in Miramar. They lived the American dream, laying down roots with a two sons and a house with a white picket fence. Like many South Florida families, my parents worked hard to earn and honest living, so my brother and I could be
American. We played football, had extra English lessons if we needed them, and we took that yearly trip to Disney World. The whole time though, my parents never let me forget that I was still a Colombian and a proud Latino. We spoke Spanish at home, took bandeja paisa to school in our lunch box, and of course, were cradle Catholics. Most importantly, we learned that diversity is this country’s strength. My mother always told me that the reason we Americans made it to the moon, is because we took in people from all over the world looking for a brighter future.”
There was some clapping.
“I did my best to make my parents proud. I became the first person in my family to go to college, and my parents were relieved I decided to study accounting. I went to work with my Dad as a paper pusher over at Western Union’s Latin American office. Eventually, I made the jump into the non-profit sector by working for a big credit union in the Tampa Bay Area. I wanted to help my community with remittances, buying a house, or putting their kids through college without being preyed upon by financial sharks. I worked my way up to CFO of the organization, a position I was proud to hold. I became politically involved after 9/11. I realized that I couldn’t just make a difference in my community, I needed to do more. Especially when my brother was shipped off to Iraq after enlisting. So, I became an organizer for the Democratic Party in Pinellas County Florida. If you don’t know about Pinellas County- well, let me tell you, it’s a Republican strong hold. Even still, I organized my community to canvass and barnstorm, much like my friend President Baharia did in Illinois, and we were able to flip a few districts to the Democrats. I became head of the Florida Democratic Party, and from that position, I did everything I could to support President Baharia. There was an attack ad saying that all I did in that position was cut checks- that’s simply not the case. I saw everything my mother told me America
was in Baharia, and I did everything in my power to support his campaign. Much like some of you, I organized and raised money for him. And after he won, he chose me to serve in his cabinet. He knew of my bilingual upbringing, my time at Western Union Latin America, and my time at a multi billion dollar credit union, and he made me the first Hispanic United States Trade Representative. In that position, I represented my community in the cabinet, fought for American small businesses, intellectual property, and against repressive governments in our hemisphere and farther afield.”
There was some clapping.
“In 2014, my home state was struggling under a corrupt former pharmaceutical executive turned Republican Governor. I decided to return and serve my community once again, building a coalition that cut across race, religion, age, and gender. I won in a Republican wave year, while the GOP flipped seats across the country, I flipped Florida for the people. In office, we brought sweeping reform to Florida. Through compromise with the legislature, we legalized medical marijuana, increased teacher salaries and improved the education system, created a voluntary pre-kindergarten program, brought infrastructure overhaul, unprecedented environmental reform, and a dynamic economy. In short- I got shit done.”
There was laughter.
“In 2016, Florida became a Wolf state. In 2018, they ran one of his closest allies against me, and I still beat him. Even while Democratic Senators in Wolf states were booted from office. That’s because I could re-build the Baharia coalition, which I will repeat in 2020 nationwide. We are building a movement for all Americans, recognizing and celebrating our diversity as a nation. In my second term I resisted the Wolf presidency by opposing his immoral immigration crackdown, his gutting of environmental protection, and his weakening of our education system. Even as Arnold Wolf steps down, I am prepared to oppose the new standard bearers of Wolfism, from Bernie Porter the fascist to James Burgun, the man who tells me I cannot speak the language of my parents in this country.”
There was cheering.
“Folks, I told you I would tell you who I am. Well, I embody everything that Wolfism is not. I am a Hispanic guy with working class roots and a tested, competent record. I’m a guy who knows where he comes from, and knows where his community needs to go. I am ready to fight for you and bring some common sense and decency back to Washington. I am ready to bring in new politics for a new decade!”
Velez put the microphone down, and went to speak with attendees as the music turned back on. He was relieved to be done with the meet-and-greets for the day.