I've been voting in presidential elections since 1968 and have had an active role to play in every campaign since 1972.  You might say this is my 40-year victory lap.

It's understandable that to the partisans among us, what matters most is whether Barack Obama is reelected or Mitt Romney becomes the next president, and while that is obviously very important, what matters most to me is whether our community wins.  Why?  Because what I have seen over the years is that, regardless of who wins, we never get our fair share of the credit when our preferred candidate wins but we always get more than our share of the blame when our preferred candidate loses. 

That's why to me this election is about RESPECT.  That is what matters most.  And the way we win that respect is by turning out to vote in mass, and I mean critical mass.  You know you're respected when politicians know that our issues cannot be ignored because we vote and how they vote on our issues will have consequences.  That's respect.  The media are saying that our vote could prove decisive in this election but none is saying that therefore, our vote, and thereby our community, must be respected.

We must turn out strong nationwide and in every battleground state.  You don't want the pundits to say we turned out heavily nationally but not in the states that really mattered - the states that decided the outcome. Everybody knows that Obama is going to get the overwhelming majority of the Latino vote and will win by an even bigger majority in California.  But that's no reason for any Latinos in California to not vote, whether they favor Obama or Romney.  Everybody knows Romney is going to carry Texas, but that's no reason for Tejanos who like Obama to not bother to vote.       

Latinos will be judged first and foremost by how many of us voted.  If the media conclude that Latinos did not turn out to vote, that's all the winner is going to remember, and we're going to be reminded of that every time our issues come up.  Vote for whomever you choose but vote, and give RESPECT a chance to win.  Your vote is not just your voice, it's our voice.  "Your vote is our voice."

Juan Andrade, Jr.

USHLI President