MAYBE FORMER HOUSING SECRETARY Julían Castro just didn’t pay attention to those Iowa wind chill warnings about the signs of hypothermia: confusion, shivering, difficulty speaking, sleepiness and stiff muscles. Brrr! And in Nevada he may have ignored Las Vegas' biggest rule — that you don't bet more than you can afford to lose.
And that's proven costly because Castro’s nascent bid for the Democratic presidential running mate spot, along with his mantel as the rising star of Latino politics, may now be history after the first three contests of the 2020 presidential perimary and caucus season.
After Saturday's Nevada Caucuses, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s disappointing showing so far not only threatens her struggling presidential campaign but has also unexpectedly brought Castro’s own political future crashing down to earth.
All that speculation that the former San Antonio mayor was jockeying for the No. 2 spot on the ticket? Forget it. That talk of how he would use his stumping on behalf of Warren to regroup for possibly another presidential run down the way? It’s not looking good. And the thought in this age of identity politics that Castro was destined to be the party’s Latino savior?
Well, Julían, you know that progressive icon, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? She’s the one looking like the future Democratic messiah. AOC and her mentor Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Latino outreach team out-politicked you for that much-ballyhooed small but rapidly growing Latino vote in Iowa.
It was a triumph in a small state with a smattering of Latinos. But it proved to be symbolic, and AOC and Bernie’ Latino organization did the same again in Nevada Saturday.
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