Special to Daily Grito from Politic365

Last week, CNN hosted its last GOP Florida debate.  As Justin Velez noted in a recent post atPolitic365, Florida is home to a sizable Puerto Rican population.

Being the next stop on the Republican Party’s roller coaster ride of a primary, and the first with a significant Hispanic population, Florida Hispanics have the opportunity to meaningfully impact primary results.  Within that heavily-Hispanic demography, Puerto Ricans are demanding more and more respect, growing by 75% in the last decade to 32% of the state’s Hispanic vote.  At the same time, the total number of Florida voters has dropped, triggering Puerto Rican growth to have an even greater impact.

Thus, Boricuas were wavering on two possibilities during the debate: We will be ignored, as usual, OR the moderators will have to ask about Puerto Rico at some point given the Puerto Rican Diaspora in Florida. Most people considered the former rather than the latter as the outcome. Then, much to our surprise (and excitement) CNN took a question from Ms. Elizabeth Cuevas:

CUEVAS: We have been treated as second-class citizen and just now our governor’s name was not mentioned as a V.P. possibility, a great governor. My question to you is, where do you stand for Puerto Rico to become a state? And secondly, how do you — where do you stand on domestic trade between Florida and Puerto Rico, between Tampa Bay and Ponce ports, which have been neglected? Thank you.

BLITZER: All right. Senator Santorum, let’s throw that question to you. The question about, do you support Puerto Rico potentially as the 51st state?

While I have no empirical evidence regarding this, Puerto Ricans both on the Island and the Mainland were ecstatic to know that all four main candidates for the GOP nomination would be forced to state their position on the hundred-plus year colonization of 3.7 million U.S. citizens. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer gave former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) a chance to answer, to which he answered and praised the current governor, Luis Fortuño. Sadly, once Santorum responded, Blitzer moved on to another question without giving Romney, Gingrich or Paul the chance to also answer.

Continue reading the full article here.