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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPuerto Ricans are a surging, outraged political force in Florida in the aftermath of Maria
By Elise Viebeck and Joel Achenbach October 6 at 10:56 AM
ORLANDO In Terminal A of the airport here, travelers from Puerto Rico typically say nothing at first as they pass security and reunite with their Florida families.
They hug. They cry. There are no words to describe adequately what theyve been through since Hurricane Maria struck their island head on. They are also angry. In interviews over the past week, local residents and storm refugees have expressed dismay at the slow pace of aid to Puerto Rico and have derided President Trump as callous in word and deed.
That could bring political ramifications here in the nations largest swing state, where more than 1 million residents of Puerto Rican descent have become a powerful and coveted voting bloc one whose numbers could swell as more residents of the island with relatives here permanently escape Marias destruction. By one estimate, at least 100,000 Puerto Ricans could relocate, at least temporarily, to Florida.
This is his Katrina. He took too long, said Ralph Persia, a retired police officer who was part of an Orlando family at the airport to greet three relatives fleeing the island.
more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/in-florida-puerto-ricans-are-a-surging-political-force--and-outraged-by-trumps-response-to-maria/2017/10/06/e7389e7a-aa29-11e7-b3aa-c0e2e1d41e38_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_mariaflorida-1000am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.8438f693a60b
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)procon
(15,805 posts)Seriously, are you going to blame the refugees fleeing PR, the victims who lost everything, on something they had no control over?
Guy Whitey Corngood
(26,505 posts)LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)"Why don't you fucking go ask them, then report back to us?"
A rather appropriate reponse to post #1 as well.
IronLionZion
(45,563 posts)and file legal challenges against the relentless voter suppression in Florida and other Trump states?
Florida is one of the main states where these assholes were claiming illegal immigrants were voting because they can't accept the existence of Latino US citizens.
nini
(16,672 posts)How many other races/cultures, etc. didn't get out to vote?
edhopper
(33,639 posts)than Obama.
n2doc
(47,953 posts)irisblue
(33,036 posts)How hard will the republican administration in Fla. make it for the new arrivals to get voter registrations? Proving citizenship when extensive flooding damages paper files? Looking via google, I can see how hard the state admin could be on new residents.
More hard work to deny the vote - the Republicans won other states that way in November - more will continue.
Gothmog
(145,667 posts)IronLionZion
(45,563 posts)We can't just take it for granted that they'll vote for our candidates. We need to make sure our party is doing everything possible to welcome and help these people. I think Tom Perez understands this.
HockeyMom
(14,337 posts)Cousins and Aunt and Uncle. She has not said what they are doing, but her oldest daughter (younger ones live in NY) lives in Daytona and has young children with no room to put up anyone.
My guess is if these relatives, who I met at the wedding, want to come to the States, they would probably come to NY to stay with my daughter's MIL who is an empty nester with bedrooms available for them.
Moving to NY would do nothing to change the political climate, unfortunately.
Beartracks
(12,821 posts)Old Vet
(2,001 posts)DownriverDem
(6,232 posts)I hope a lot of Puerto Ricans move to Florida so they can vote trump, the bastard, out of office. If they stay in Puerto Rico they can't vote in the presidential election.