In the run-up to the 2012 election, the ‘Fast and Furious’ story has had a fairly small role. It has been relegated to the status of a witch hunt by the mainstream media, and the Obama administration’s spin that “it was started under Bush, but we stopped it”, which is patently false, has served their campaign well as they sweep it under the rug, of course, helped by a strategic claim of executive privilege and a willing media.
Conservatives’ message on ‘Fast and Furious’ has been consistent, but it largely misses a key point that it should be making – the impact of this program on Mexico itself. Border Agent Brian Terry’s murder was a tragedy, but it is only a part of the tragedy. A greater tragedy has been unfolding on the other side of the border, where hundreds of Mexican citizens have suffered as a result of this program. This aspect of the tragedy, largely forgotten, has potential to make a difference to the Hispanic voter, as a recent Univision panel illustrates.
In this Sept 20, 2012 forum, during an interview with President Obama, Univision hosts repeatedly pressed him on ‘Fast and Furious‘. They cited not only the death of Agent Terry, but over 100 deaths directly related to guns from the program in Mexico, and the larger death toll of over 50,000 from the drug wars in the past few years. ‘Shouldn’t you fire Eric Holder?” was a memorable moment. The President, for his part, resorted to the usual blame game and excuse-making. But, in this interview, the Univision hosts revealed a core truth – that the Hispanic community in this country and our Mexican neighbors have a low tolerance for incompetence and excuses. They don’t like broken promises, and they don’t like being lied to. And they certainly don’t like U.S. big government run amok, sending assault weapons across their borders to contribute to mass killings and to fill mass graves. At their core, in fact, many Hispanics would really sympathize more with conservatives in many respects.
The Democrats’ treatment of ‘Fast and Furious’ is indicative of their standard approach to everything – pretend to care, govern in a way that actually hurts those whom they pretend to care about, make excuses, and then expect to get the vote anyway. While this may work on many of their constituencies, it appears that it does not play too well with Hispanics. In sum, ‘Fast and Furious’ and the bungling, deadly ineptitude and lies from the Obama administration about it represent a good opportunity to divide the Hispanic vote. This story is not about immigration or amnesty. It is about incompetence and a stunning lack of responsibility, and a failure to admit culpability. I think we have seen that Hispanics will not buy it. Let’s see some campaign messaging that exploits that.
Photo credit: terrellaftermath
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This is a real tragedy for the Mexicans and the Americans, for the lost of life due to obama/holder/atf people. Holder continued to blame Bush for the plan when it was clearly shown from several sources of documentation that Bush had developed a plan called Wide Receiver to try to get some of the illegals drug cartel which hadn’t been that successfull, and which obama/holder and the group didn’t care for so in 2009 after Bush was gone they developed a plan that they called Fast and Furious, it was to sell marked guns to the Mexican drug cartel, they did this selling, but they forgot to trace the guns and with obama/holder they wouldn’t let any of the US border agents to have live ammo, just like in Libya and the death of our Ambassador Stevens, any way the guns went all over and in the middle of this several hundred innocent Mexicans and a border guard was killed. After requesting for many months the documentation of the reports, they had holder come before Issa and his group, but repeatedly holder kept giving them bits and pieces and he fired some of the atf people saying every thing was taken care of , but there were some that weren’t happy with the killings and holder said it was Bush’s plan and then it was a witch hunt, etc. The obama used his executive power after holder was convicted of covering it up and then obama started going on Mexican radio etc to continue to cover up this incident, but I always wonder the victims of these families how could they sell their souls to the Americans for so little. It is time that the liberals of our country and our politicans to continue to get this put to rest and get the Mexicans and the Terry families the peace and restitution that they deserve for these mass murders. And am glad that the Mexicans aren’t sold on letting obama promise things he can’t deliver and move forward. This is showing that obma is an actor at heart and knows no sympathy for the unjust. I am hoping that obama and holder both be held for murder and hiding of information and lying and fraud….and I am sure many other things…
patti’s desk: mexicans/hispanics ,when martial law goes to fullest,those crossing illegaly,off to fema camps for good,or killed. anyone living in america,say or do anything,”BO”, dislikes same thing. there are over 600 of these camps,already in use,for prisioners,detainees.also plastic coffins ,stacked by the hundreds. check you tube,for all this. pl,orl,fla
The American people will NOT let this martial law stuff happen. I don’t care what BO or his handlers have on their minds to do. AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!
Do you actually think we’re gonna let an illegal liar muzzerfuzzer push martial law on We the People? Where is your faith in the American People? We are not strangers to fighting for freedom and we ain’t goin’ down without a fight. Get a grip, people. Declaring martial law will bring the masses marching down Pennsylvania Ave and riots in the streets. And I do not believe for one minute that our military service members will turn against their own families to put them in fema camps, like many of you believe will happen. Besides, there’s not enough military to conquer and subdue all 50 states. Really, guys. Get a grip and use your common sense (for those that have common sense, that is.)
Get ready to Lock and Load. I’ll fight anyone who tries to steal my freedom. My family all wars so I would have freedom and I’m ready and willing to do the same
“fought in”
I guess my main fear is that they will seek us out one by one and we will start disappearing. Call me paranoid, and maybe I’ve seen too many movies and tv shows that depict how easy it is to make someone “go away”. And I feel very confident that our government has been monitoring everything on the internet, including this site, and has us all fairly well sorted out. Our current administration is capable of ANYTHING, I firmly believe.
@sloegin
Your heart is in the right place and generally you are correct—But there are far more insidious criminal details that you need to research. One being that the Fast&Furious guns never were planned to be traced. They were simply ordered to be sent to the cartels in Mexico, and kept secret from the Mexican Government. Unlike the “Wide Receiver” operation which used GPS marked guns for the purpose of locating the guns in Mexico with the cooperation and full knowledge of the Mexican Government. And– Holder never fired anyone nor did anything except promote and transfer and lie to cover up the truth from Congress and protect himself and Obama. And I agree with you, that both Holder and Obama had to have known about and actually ordered the Fast&Furious operation and should be held accountable as the criminals that they both are. The true motive for Fast&Furious has not yet been admitted to. The Mexican Government needs to conduct it’s own investigation but has not yet done so. Perhaps and independent prosecutor will be given the case after Romney is elected, and the truth will come out. That is the best we can hope for until more whistle blowers are granted immunity to testify to the truth.
Hispanics finally get but will still vote demo-rat. With demo-rats they will get open borders. The 300 hispanics killed with the 2000 guns obama and holder gave to the drug cartels. Sorry about all the brothers,sisters and relatives killed by the cartels but we get amnesty for illegals from the demo-rats which is much more imporatant then the 300+ dead to vote republican. By the way assault weapons can not be bought in the US. Only semi-automatic AK-47`scan be bought in the US that can be converted to an assault weapon by the drug cartels..
I think the American people deserves answers as to why Eric Holder is not being thrown in prison for this criminal act? Why is he still the Attorney General? Why won’t our Congress do anything about this??? This Administration is beyond criminal, and yet none of them are being held accountable for this!!!! I am outraged!!!
obama’s thugs have probably threatened everyone into keeping there mouths shut, thats why no one is bucking obama! Just like with the Supreme Court, the republicans were threatened over this nightmare healthcare!