Other than a few media folks and some CNN viewers, most people are unaware that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, chairman of the 2012 Democratic National Convention next week in Charlotte, N.C. and prominent cheerleader for President Barack Obama, is on scene this week at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, notices Grumpy Editor.
Perhaps he’s busy scribbling notes after “crashing” the GOP party in Florida.
Main reason for Democrat Villaraigosa being on scene, mingling with Republicans and journalists: every morning of the RNC gathering, he’s on CNN with Soledad O’Brien in a role described as being the “Democratic counterpoint to the Republican convention.”
The CNN placement in Tampa gives Villaraigosa an opportunity to compare the Romney-Ryan GOP ticket to President Obama’s campaign and record, as he did on Monday.
The unusual exposure of the 41st mayor of Los Angeles --- in an arena loaded with Republicans --- is an early move leading to what some feel could be a presidential bid in 2016.
Villaraigosa, in addition to his morning stint, in a separate CNN interview yesterday, declares:
“I think when it's all said and done that President Obama is going to get somewhere close to 70 percent of the Latino vote. I think he is because the Republican party and Mitt Romney have gone so far to the right on issues that are important to them. And it's not just immigration where he's talked about the self-deportation of 11 million people and called the dream act a handout. It's also health care. Nine million Latinos will benefit from the Affordable Care Act. It's also the cuts to education that will come with the Romney-Ryan plan.”
And this message was delivered ”live” from the Republican National Convention.
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