My first reaction was to dismiss it, but something bothered me in the whole insistence. And sure enough today it all came together: as usual with chavismo these types of incidents reveal much more about themselves than what they might reveal about Rosales (or any other targeted victim).
Let’s start with the easiest one to discard: Rosales as racist. The whole issue, as shown on the video below, is that Rosales did wipe his mouth after kissing the lady shown in one of the different dark skinned people promoting “Mi Negra” one of the main offers of Rosales (she is the one with a white T-shirt). Why did Rosales wipe his mouth? The brow of “Mi Negra” was two sweaty? Is Rosales racist as VTV implies?
Let’s go back to Rosales himself. The picture on the left is taken from today’s march in Aragua. You can go to Vcrisis pages and see many pictures of the sort. Let’s start by the obvious first: how “white” is Rosales? I would like to start with all the people who are tearing today their shirts in horror as to Rosales racism and to go all the way to the end of their reasoning and tell me how “white” Rosales” is. Rosales is criollo, that is, there is at least one African American ancestor in his gene pool.Let’s continue with the political life of Rosales: he has been elected, reelected through every position that Venezuela allows, except President (so far). And he started in one of the possible worst place to start a political career in Venezuela: Sur del Lago, hot, humid, sticky swamp area. Rosales has kissed so many hot, sweaty, sticky people to reach the position where he is that I doubt very much that at this point in his career he needs to wipe his mouth after any elector he kisses. I mean, he would spend his whole wake up time doing so.
No, what is seen here is the “inner” racism of chavismo. Chavez speeches are full of racial allusions. In fact he is using an artificial race card to achieve his personal political ambition.
Before I go on to the next point, I would like also to point out that this video, courtesy of Aporrea at YouTube, is from La Hojilla late night show which has to be one of the vilest creations of Venezuelan TV ever. As for the credibility of the anchor you should consider that among other props he has Che Guevara prominently displayed, which already speaks volume on any objectivity that might be harbored by this guy, who gets a tax payer paid paycheck.
The second point that chavismo used as an issue today is that Rosales uses notes when he makes a speech. I was really dumbfounded by that one. I, for one, personally, feel much better when an important figure uses notes in his or her speech. In the US, even Bill Clinton used teleprompter. When you are in certain positions, you owe it to your audience to make sure that all important points are addressed. The video below shows two things, the moment when VTV, the state official propaganda channel, “exposed” Rosales using Cliff notes, and the use that the communication ministry made us of this moment through its infamous goebbelian holder William Lara (1).
Well, according to Lara Rosales using notes is a weakness that should be duly pointed out. He even pointed out that the Venezuelan parliament used to forbid reading from notes during debates. He probably is ignorant enough to forget that such rules were initially made to stop filibustering efforts, such as the famous US cases when Senators went on the podium and started reading from the Bible for hours.
To begin with, this is all in bad faith. Chavez himself, no matter how loquacious he is, uses notes
when needed: he had them at the UN, he is often pretending to write things during his marathon Alo Presidente when in fact he is probably reading stuff he needs to remember. Heck, he even uses hearing radio devices through which his staff undoubtedly feed him with things he needs to discuss, as shown on the picture on the left, where he is clearly "connected", indoor and outdoor. And there is no problem with that. So, why make it such an issue. Because Rosales did not apologize for using notes? Because that makes Rosales less intelligent than Chavez? Because it is better for Venezuela to have a jack ass that speaks with verbal diarrhea for 2, 3, 4, 5 6, or more hours “without” notes than some guy that needs to keep track of things? Guess who has been the best manager, Chavez in Venezuela or Rosales in Zulia? Rosales has been reelected governor of Zulia in spite of all the heavy artillery that Chavez pointed at him in 2004. Enough said.But why not hear the words of Rosales on this matter? In this third YouTube (2) you can see the almost aggressive tone of the VTV journalist (doing his commandeered hack job) and the reply that Rosales gave, including how come at chavista events oppo media was not allowed whereas he had so much access that he could even film Rosales note book.
As usual this rather pathetic discussion reveals more the inner demons of chavismo than any flaw on Rosales. It says a lot on the mind frame of certain chavistas, such as Lara, that a leader for them must be able to hold the tribune for hours, with no paper in hand, uttering anything. There is a Messianic wish built into the psyche of so many chavistas that it is, well, a subject of worry. They do not want a president manager, they want a president preacher.
Addendum: ever so vigilant readers have sent me yet another video which leaves the chavista racial implication unsustainable. Watch here how Rosales keeps his hand around "Mi Negra"'s neck and has even his daughter partaking in the hugging and patting (see comment section for more details and the reader's name).
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1) In this Video you can also hear Liliana Hernandez asking VTV how come it managed to show Rosales notebook but never showed the view from the grand stand as Rosales addressed the huge crowd attending his speech.
2) This is my first YouTube incursion. Even Venezuela News and Views must update. And for a start, well, three videos!
PS: Thanks to Feathers and YB for the last video and Chavez hearing aid picture.
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