Hillary Clinton to Visit San Antonio

Julián Castro made his endorsement official while introducing Clinton on Thursday afternoon at a campaign rally in San Antonio. “Their problem is the policy and that’s a very big problem for them in this cycle”. “Call people out when they say Mexican immigrants are rapists and criminals. Somebody needs to say ‘Basta!'” “Enough. Don’t do that”.

Clinton used her speech to bash Republicans on a number of other topics – while tweaking Sanders as well.

Clinton also took a subtle and unsolicited jab at her nearest competitor in the Democratic field, Vermont Sen.

Addressing another issue that charged up the crowd, Clinton vowed to tackle gun violence by rallying a national movement against the National Rifle Association. “This endorsement will do nothing to save Hillary’s flailing campaign in the midst of plummeting poll numbers and an FBI investigation into the mishandling of classified information on her secret email server”. Comprehensive immigration reform, she added, “must have a path to full and equal citizenship….”

“It is both heartbreaking and infuriating that we lose an average of 90 Americans every day….” “If we can get people out of the shadows, then our labor market will be more efficient and the undocumented workesr will not be exploited, which does drive costs, wages down”.

But the sheer growth in the U.S. Hispanic voting population – a few 800,000 turn 18 each year – make them a growing contender in each election, she said.

It was friendly terrain for Clinton, who received a warm reception from the audience.

Appearing with Clinton at a later “Latinos for Hillary” rally, Castro said he has long respected her ability to appeal to people of all backgrounds.

Clinton is expected to receive the public endorsement of former San Antonio Mayor and HUD Secretary Julian Castro at today’s event. When asked if she’d give a hard look at picking Castro for VP, she replied “I’m going to really look hard at him for everything, because that’s how good he is”.

“I think really highly of him, and I am thrilled to have his endorsement today”.

Hispanic Democrats have largely stuck by Clinton during the rise of her closest challenger, Bernie Sanders. In 2008 she beat Obama in the primaries among Latinos, receiving 63 percent of their support. Fifty-three percent of Latinos had a positive view of her and only 21 had a negative opinion. And recent polling shows Clinton far ahead of Sanders with non-white voters. Afterward, he acknowledged that many Hispanics don’t know who he is.

In the 1970’s, she came to the state to help Latinos in the Rio Grande Valley to register to vote. “Well, I’ll tell you right now, I will not be silenced, and we will not be silenced”.

Romney in 2012 didn’t invest in reaching Latino communities – and paid the price, Stovall said.

Thursday’s Hispanic Chamber event was also notable because Clinton replaced Trump, who pulled out after a dispute with the group.