While the 'Island Caucuses' have very little impact on the outcome of the primary election, having a voice and an influence on the outcome of the presidential election could serve as an important stepping stone in the islands possible move towards statehood.
Sen. John McCain continued his strong run towards the Republican nomination, winning the Republican caucus in Puerto Rico. Sen. Barack Obama was victorious in the Democratic caucus in the Virgin Islands Saturday night, continuing his win streak heading into the Texas and Ohio primaries on March 4.
According to the Associated Press, three superdelegates also backed McCain. He now has a total of 996 delegates by AP count including nine delegates he picked up from the American Samoa and nine from the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Gov. Mike Huckabee, the only other remaining candidate for the Republican nomination, has 254 of the 1,191 delegates needed to win the nomination and will likely stay in the race through the Texas primaries.
The people of Puerto Rico deserve a process of self-determination ... and a fair and unambiguous choice among status options. Sen. John McCainMcCain wrote a letter to Puerto Rican superdelegate Luis Fortuno saying, "The people of Puerto Rico deserve a process of self-determination and a congressionally defined referendum that gives them a fair and unambiguous choice among status options," he said. "That is one of the many important things that we will accomplish together."
Saturday night also gave Obama three delegates in the Virgin Island cacuses. In the Virgin Islands, six at-large delegates will be counted as one-half of a vote each according to the AP.
Obama received 1,853 votes in the Virgin Islands, 90 percent of the 2,059 votes in the Virgin Islands which has a mostly black population.
Sen. Hillary Clinton received 7 percent of the vote in the Virgin Islands, less than the 15 percent necessary to receive a delegate.
Comments
FELISE commented, on February 25, 2008 at 12:49 p.m.:
GO OBAMA!!!!!!!!
Publius commented, on February 25, 2008 at 2:52 p.m.:
Regarding Mr. Obama's letter: I disagree with Mr. Obama in that the American citizenship granted to Puerto Ricans is "constitutionally guaranteed." First, the source of American citizenship of Puerto Ricans is statutory (the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917), not constitutional. Second, Article IV Sec. 3, Paragraph 2 of the U.S. Constitution states: "The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular state." Therefore, Congress was given (and still has under the current political status which runs counter to democratic principles) the power to unilaterally create necessary legislation for American territories. It could also, if it wanted to, unilaterally "dispose of" any legislation pertaining to Puerto Rico, including legislation on citizenship. I am surprised that people do not understand a concept as simple as this. The only guarantee of constitutional citizenship is through statehood. PERIOD. Mr. Obama clearly plays politics by sending this letter to pro-commonwealth (those that live with the fantasy that U.S. citizenship cannot be revoked under the current colonial status) Governor Anibal Acevedo Vila with the hope of mobilizing the governor's constituents to vote in his favor. One last thing: Mr. Obama claims that his administration will be neutral when it comes to PR’s status. Take a closer look at the wording of the letter and try to extrapolate the status that he seems to favor… Here is a link to the letter: http://www.sfbayview.com/20080224924/New...
Elhijuela commented, on February 25, 2008 at 3:13 p.m.:
Although Congress has the power to enact laws regarding territories, the concept of citizenship is irrevocable once you have it. US citizen, including Puerto Rican, can't be stripped out of your citizenship by act of Congress. If by any chance Congress would enact a law establishing that people born in Puerto Rico would not be US citizen, from that point forward, the concept if "jue sanguinis" (right of blood) still applies. Any person born of a Puerto Rican US citizen will still be considered a US citizen, regardless of place of birth.
Waleska commented, on February 25, 2008 at 4:38 p.m.:
Your headline is crafted awkwardly and give the impression that Mr. Obama has won Puerto Rico.
He has not and will not!
Viva Hillary! Si Ella Puede!
Waleska commented, on February 25, 2008 at 4:42 p.m.:
Elhijuela, tell that to the Filipinos who had to relinquish their citizenship once The Phillipines became independent.
The fact is, any congress, as it stands, can do anything it has the votes to do to any territory.
For instance, Puerto Rico could be given to China as a way to forgive debt. The only was to protect Puerto Rico's freedom is statehood or independence.
Nevil commented, on February 25, 2008 at 6:16 p.m.:
Go Nevil
politics commented, on February 26, 2008 at 3:13 p.m.:
Waleska,
The headline clearly says, "McCain takes Puerto Rico, Obama wins Virgin Islands" This is not awkward, nor does it give the impression that Obama has won Puerto Rico.
furby commented, on February 27, 2008 at 1:47 a.m.:
Publius,
Elhijuela is correct about Puerto Ricans - their citizenship cannot be stripped away. Your argument, though perhaps convincing at first glance, fails for two reasons. First, any act of congress not deemed unconstitutional by the supreme court is inherently constitutional. So just because something is not expressly written in the constitution does not mean that it is "unconstitutional"; quite the contrary, it is constitutional by definition. Second, and more importantly, your argument fails because you ignore something pretty important - namely, other parts of the constitution. Once congress gave Puerto Ricans citizenship, they were extended all the rights granted to citizens by the Constitution. The important one of these is the fifth amendment, which prohibits the federal government from stripping people of their constitutional rights without due process of law. Congress simply cannot strip Puerto Ricans of their citizenship any more than it can strip Californians of theirs. Arguments to the contrary are absurd.
Waleska,
Filipinos never had blanket U.S. citizenship. For Puerto Ricans to get it, the U.S. government had to pass a law granting it to them. This courtesy was never extended to Filipinos. They were U.S. nationals, but not citizens. Had they been U.S. citizens, they certainly would have been given the option to keep it or relinquish it. But that was never the case because they never had it.
andres commented, on February 27, 2008 at 10:09 p.m.:
listen to you all,puerto rico will never get stripped of their citizenship and soon will become a state.
libertysilver commented, on March 26, 2008 at 7:19 p.m.:
A correction to the Article.
Ron Paul is the only other Republican in the race.
Huckabee dropped out.
Ron Paul is going strong.