Patricia Guadalupe Columnist

The victory of the republican ballot paper in the state of Virginia – with 150.000 eligible Latin residents to vote - demonstrates the force that means to go out to the urns. The republican party from early urged to his electorate to vote, constantly, reminding to them the importance of each of his votes. The democrats also did it, but not to the point of the republicans – and for a lot of, his efforts were very late - and the democratic candidate Creigh Deeds it lost. The same happened in the state of New Jersey – with almost 600.000 eligible Latin residents to vote. Many democrats were not satisfied by the candidates and they remained in his houses. Even, according to several opinion polls, of those who said to have voted for the president Obama last year in Virginia, 20 per cent answered that they would vote for the republican Bob McDonnell. This absence of satisfaction, cocktail with those who simply did not vote was mortal for the democrats.

The governing elect McDonnell showed a conciliatory volume on having announced his victory, and now it would be lacking to see how it will treat the increasing Latin population in the state. It is of a quite conservative politics, but in several Latin matters, also it it is Deeds, who will remain in the state Senate. Deeds affirmative vote of which English was designated as official language of the state, voted against that immigrant students were paying the same university quota as legal residents, and voted against that immigrants had access to social services and medical care. For many activists it was better of the worst, but the problem is that many people thought that “none“ of the two. The Latin Americans who support McDonnell say that it is necessary to give an opportunity to the new governor and to take part more often in the matters that affect the community and not only to go to the polls. That is not sufficient and the consequences are quite apparent.

Meanwhile, in the federal Congress the democrats obtained two more benches, including one that they had not obtained from the 1800, in New York, and the second one in the north of California.

In another topic, the House of Representatives this week began to discuss the legislation on health reform with a called public option of medical coverage protected by the federal government. But it is a slope it arrives for those who support it because the version of the Senate does not have it. One hopes that it should be something that even might not be solved until at least the next year.