We Cuban Americans have first hand experience with personality cults. In fact, Latin Americans know a thing or two about cults, from Evita Peron in Argentina to Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.
All of these cults have something in common: They make people feel good but nothing good happens in the long run.
"El Culto" was in full display in Las Vegas this week.
President Obama was welcomed by hundreds of students screaming "si se puede". The speech was not very specific but the crowd was so invested in "el culto" that words really don't matter.
Yes, we have to admit that "el culto" has overwhelmed too many hispanos. They just love Obama, no matter what he says or accomplishes. Yes, "el culto" is alive and well,specially among Mexican Americans.
Ironically, President Obama's campaign style speech came on the day that US GDP shrank in the 4th quarter!
Kind of weird to scream "si se puede" on the day that we learned that the US economy is shrinking not growing. Wonder how many of those kids invested in "el culto" will find work when they graduate? Most won't but Obama's true believers always blame their misfortune on Bush. Yes, it's always Bush's fault! Blaming someone else is another symptom of "el culto."
As I posted this week, I support the Rubio immigration plan but the Hispanic love affair with Pres Obama worries me because it makes no sense.
What exactly do Hispanos see in this man? It can not be results because there are no results.
President Obama never proposed an immigration plan despite having huge majorities in Congress. He just took hispanos for granted. He bet that hispanos would vote for him anyway no matter what. In the end, Obama was right. He did nothing but hispanos invested in "el culto" reelected him.
Furthermore, "el culto" overlooks that then Senator Obama was one of the US Senators who derailed the work visas in the Kennedy-McCain bill. A very selective memory is another symptom of "el culto"!
Jobs are scarce in Hispanic districts. We have seen no measurable improvement in Hispanic unemployment under Pres Obama. "El Culto" gave us a $787 billion stimulus that did not stimulate and trillions of spending with nothing to show for it. "El Culto" is also leaving our children a huge debt.
The corrupt relationship between the Democratic party and the public teachers' union is keeping Hispano children stuck in bad schools. Most hispanos are attending big city public schools run by unions that will not introduce reforms, such as giving parents a choice of schools. In fact, Chicago's public schools are so bad that then Senator Obama sent his kids to private schools!
Add to this the administration's indifference toward Latin America. We are watching economic success stories in Colombia, Peru and Chile. President Bush saw this and proposed free trade agreements. President Obama opposed all of them.
Overall, it is a bad record but hispanos do not seem to care. They just voted for the man because the man just keeps telling them what they want to hear.
Let me warn my hispano friends again: "El culto" is not going to end well. "El Culto" never does!