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niamheliza-performanceandmedia · 4 years ago

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Defining a Plague...

https://youtu.be/N0qgPqemdPM

Above you will find a link that will take you to my Monologue entitled ‘Defining a Plague’ which shows you my take on the coronavirus pandemic and what it means to me.

What is the meaning behind my monologue?

My monologue is entitled “Defining a plague” and it gives a comparison of what we would have perceived a plague to be before the coronavirus pandemic vs how we would perceive a plague now. My main inspiration for the monologue was ‘The Plague’ by Albert Camus. Whilst reading the play I came across words such as ‘Quarantine’ and ‘Self-Isolation’ which shocked me considering the play was first written in 1947 and those words only became part of my vocabulary in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic (Camus and Bartlett, 2017). This sparked the realisation that we are living through a plague and although the pandemic has been labelled as many things, a plague has not been one of them. That entire thought process brought the realisation that perceptions really do change through experience and I wanted my monologue to be a true reflection of that (Gaarder, 2015). Instead of creating a new character I decided to perform the monologue as a version of myself looking back on my past opinions and experiences. My main reasoning for this was to actualise the reality of the pandemic to accentuate the seriousness of the situation in order to really engage the audience.

How was my monologue structured?

I open my monologue by reading out of a history book; this was to show how I was reflecting on the past, almost in mockery of how simple I thought it was to define a plague. I reference a timeline to emphasize how the concept of a plague is usually held in the past and isn’t something I thought would resurface or live in the present (The Great Plague 1665 - the Black Death, 2021). As part of a transition, I get rid of the history book and replace it with a mask, this was to symbolise how the term has redefined into something we now use every day and is no longer just a part of history. When I wear the mask, I introduce the present to the audience; I chose to show footage of moments that people have believed to be the most fundamental to the pandemic. The videos I chose were: an explanation video of social distancing (Foster, 2020), NHS staff swept off their feet (Morgan, 2020), the annunciation of a Christmas lockdown (Burns, 2020) , the West End going dark (The Telegraph, 2020), along with a Boris Johnson Speech (Johnson, 2020). These videos were chosen in order to connect the audience since they all showed something that we had all been affected by as a nation; from a performer’s’ perspective I hoped this would strike a chord and engage them even further. The final part of my monologue was all about visualisation, I incorporated my own personal videos to create empathy but to also show how the small gestures we have done throughout the various lockdowns could have potentially saved someone’s well being without us even thinking about it; I hoped this would bring a sense of joy and pride to my audience.

Was my monologue inspired by any specific practitioner?

My whole concept was Brechtian based. Since I didn’t create a new character but performed as myself learning from experiences, I felt I had a duty to make my monologue informative and visual- for this reason I found Brecht’s performance techniques most fitting. The most evident technique can be found in the middle section where I combine the use of signs and technology. It was so important for me to use signs because during the monologue I never actually use words such as ‘Coronavirus’ or ‘Covid-19’ as I wanted to keep the concept of a plague in the forefront of the audience’s mind. As a result of this I needed to find a way to affix the 2 concepts for the audience. Another technique I used was breaking the fourth wall, through the screen, in order to magnify how much I wanted this monologue to be a personal experience and reflection for both myself and the audience. When I had my mask on I chose to use narration as opposed to sacrificing the quality of the sound and have a muffled voice through my mask in order to create a more pleasurable performance for my audience. As a result of not being able to perform in person, I think these techniques allowed me to create an atmosphere that was just as effective through a screen (The Brechtian Method - Brecht In Practice - Free Online Resource Access, 2021).

What research did I do for this monologue?

Despite performing the monologue as myself I wanted the idea to be collective and relatable to most people. For this reason, I decided to do a lot of research and take the majority of the points I made from the people around me.

The questions I needed answering in order to make my monologue effective were:

· How would you define a plague?

· What do you perceive a plague to be?

· How would you define the Coronavirus?

· What was the hardest part about lockdown?

I Firstly took a lot of information from one of our Wednesday sessions where I was able to interact with the class and ask them the first 2 questions: How would you define a plague? and What do you perceive a plague to be?

I used this set of responses to form the beginning of my monologue and used their definitions as my definition of a ‘plague’. Since these responses came from my first intended audience, I hope they felt a personal connection during my live performance.

I also used Instagram polls to inspire my ‘curing a plague’ section. I asked the question- What was the hardest part about lockdown? and then used these responses to understand how the solution to the things that we miss the most would be the things that could cure this ‘plague’. I decided to use Instagram as I knew I could reach a wide audience, including some of my closest friends, and pick out some of the most common responses that would be relatable to most people. This worked in my favour since a lot of my responses were unanimous making it easier for me to choose topics to focus on.

How did my workshops help me?

There were 3 specific workshops that helped and inspired this performance. The first and most influential was ‘The Plague’ reading with Michael Carklin in which we did a read through of the play by Albert Camus. Not only did this spark the inspiration for my monologue but also changed my perspective on how I viewed the pandemic and world as a whole, for this reason I had a burning passion to share the message I understood with a wider audience. Despite only reading the play in the session, the time we had for self-reflection influenced my main ideas for this monologue and performance.

The next influential session was my ‘Loitering with intent’ workshop with Hillary Ramsden. The workshop really helped me to understand how sometimes your best ideas come from just walking and taking in your surroundings, therefore whilst preparing for this monologue I took a lot of time away from my computer screen and just went on walks. I found that whilst walking I was able to create some of my most poetic lines.

Finally, a fundamental session for my research was the Elevator Pitch with Sarah Crews. This was the session where I was able to ask questions to my fellow course mates in order to incorporate them personally into my monologue. In addition to this I was able to listen to other people’s ideas which is always helpful when you have such a wide brief to fulfil.

What have I learnt from this experience?

The entire creative process of this monologue has given me new skills that I will keep with me throughout my 3 years at the University of South Wales and beyond. I have learnt that reading things that you wouldn’t usually gravitate towards can teach you some of your most important lessons and give you your most creative ideas. Before my workshop, I would never have read ‘The Plague’ but after reading it I have a whole new perspective on certain subjects and influenced an entire 2 minute performance. I have also come to understand how to use different practitioner’s techniques to emphasize your skills as a performer; since I couldn’t perform live, I had to research who’s practice would best to use in order to give an effective performance through a screen. Additionally, although research has always been important, I have come to realise that we can use our social media platforms for good. By using Instagram polls for a section of my research, I was able to incorporate a personal aspect to my monologue that I couldn’t have accessed from a website or generic YouTube video.

Most importantly I have learnt that ‘A plague doesn’t come in the form of a pin or a needle’ so tell people you love them and stay safe.

Niamh Eliza

Bibliography

Camus, A. and Bartlett, N., 2017. The Plague. UK: Oberon Books Ltd.

Gaarder, J. (2015) Sophies World. 20th Anniversary Edition. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

Historic UK. 2021. The Great Plague 1665 - The Black Death. [online] Available at: <https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Great-Plague/> [Accessed 20 December 2020].

Foster (2020) Coronavirus: What is social distancing? - BBC News. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYQjssb7xdk (Accessed 20 December 2020).

Morgan (2020) Scale of impact of Coronavirus outbreak on NHS health and care staff heard by MPs | ITV News. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMoKgj0jv0k (Accessed 20 December 2020).

Burns (2020) UK new coronavirus variant “out of control” as countries announce travel bans - BBC News. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB5HtKtGijY (Accessed 20 December 2020).

The Telegraph (2020) Coronavirus: Theatre closures leave London's West End deserted on a Saturday night. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr8aBboLIGU (Accessed 20 December 2020).

Johnson (2020) Boris Johnson unveils alert system for England - BBC News. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQcVUaowTbg&t=1s (Accessed 20 December 2020)

Brecht In Practice - Free Online Resource Access. 2021. The Brechtian Method - Brecht In Practice - Free Online Resource Access. [online] Available at: <http://brechtinpractice.org/theory/the-brechtian-method/> [Accessed 19 December 2020].

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blackkatdraws · 2 years ago

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WAIT HE FELL THROUGH

My Narrator and @anotheroneofthegaysharks still hasn't eaten anything since we got here though :/

I guess @vellichorom will have to do for now

(ft. @steampoweredwerehog 's Narrator <3)

just a LITTLE something to tide over the crowd while we wait for the final verdict ~ FRESHLY prepared by @tsp-narrator-ask! ft @steampoweredwerehog!

#THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO HE LIGHT-HEARTED BUT MY MIND SWITCHED TO VIOLENCE HALFWAY THROUGH 😭#sorry we're kind of hungry over here #I'm having way too much fun with the poll #the stanley parable #the stanley parable ultra deluxe #tsp #tspud #narrator tsp #stanley tsp #artists in tumblr #based off of the vs narrator poll #and since both of them hadn't quite settled in mentally and emotionally to the real world #they've become quite detached to it #resulting in their psyche changing a bit to the unhinged side #but they're still silly and domestic af though #they just don't realize that they get a bit scary sometimes

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blackkudos · 8 years ago

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Chris Rock

Christopher Julius Rock III (born February 7, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director.

After working as a standup comic and appearing in small film roles, Rock came to wider prominence as a cast member of Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s. He went on to more prominent film appearances, with starring roles in Down to Earth (2001), Head of State (2003), the Madagascar film series (2005–2012), Grown Ups (2010), its sequel Grown Ups 2 (2013), Top Five (2014), and a series of acclaimed comedy specials for HBO. He developed, wrote, and narrated the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris (2005–2009). Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards in 2005 and the 88th in 2016. He has won four Emmy Awards and three Grammy Awards.

He was voted the fifth-greatest stand-up comedian in a poll conducted by Comedy Central. He was also voted in the United Kingdom as the ninth-greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007, and again in the updated 2010 list as the eighth-greatest stand-up comic.

Early life and education

Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina. Shortly after his birth, his parents moved to Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. A few years later, they relocated and settled in the working-class area of Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. His mother, Rosalie (née Tingman), was a teacher and social worker for the mentally handicapped; his father, Christopher Julius Rock II, was a truck driver and newspaper deliveryman. Julius died in 1988 after ulcer surgery. Chris's younger brothers, Tony, Kenny, and Jordan, are also in the entertainment business. His older half-brother, Charles, died in 2006 after a long struggle with alcoholism. Rock has said that he was influenced by the performing style of his paternal grandfather, Allen Rock, a preacher.

Rock was bused to schools in predominately white neighborhoods of Brooklyn, where he endured bullying and beatings from white students. As he got older, the bullying became worse and Rock’s parents pulled him out of James Madison High School. He dropped out of high school altogether, but he later earned a GED. Rock then worked menial jobs at various fast-food restaurants.

Career

Rock began doing stand-up comedy in 1984 in New York City's Catch a Rising Star. He slowly rose up the ranks of the comedy circuit in addition to earning bit roles in the film I’m Gonna Git You Sucka and the TV series Miami Vice. Upon seeing his act at a nightclub, Eddie Murphy befriended and mentored the aspiring comic. Murphy gave Rock his first film role in Beverly Hills Cop II.

Saturday Night Live

Rock became a cast member of the popular sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live in 1990. He and other new cast members Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and David Spade became known as the Bad Boys of SNL. In 1991, he released his first comedy album, Born Suspect and won acclaim for his role as a crack addict in the film New Jack City. His tenure on SNL gave Rock national exposure.

Standup success

With plans to leave Saturday Night Live after the 1992-93 season, Rock was effectively "fired" from the show. Beginning that fall, he appeared in six episodes of the predominantly African-American sketch show In Living Color as a special guest star. The show was canceled a month after he arrived. Rock then wrote and starred in the low-budget comedy CB4, which made $18 million against its budget of $6 million.

Rock starred in his first HBO comedy special in 1994 titled Big Ass Jokes. His second special, 1996’s Bring the Pain, made Rock one of the most acclaimed and commercially successful comedians in the industry. Rock won two Emmy Awards for the special and gained large critical acclaim. The most well-known and controversial piece of the special was "Niggas vs. Black People". Adding to his popularity was his much-publicized role as a commentator for Comedy Central's Politically Incorrect during the 1996 Presidential elections, for which he earned another Emmy nomination. Rock also was the voice for the "Lil Penny" puppet who was the alter ego to basketball star Penny Hardaway in a series of Nike shoe commercials from 1994–1998, and hosted the '97 MTV Video Music Awards.

Rock later had two more HBO comedy specials: Bigger & Blacker in 1999, and Never Scared in 2004. Articles relating to both specials called Rock “the funniest man in America” in Time and Entertainment Weekly. HBO also aired his talk show, The Chris Rock Show, which gained critical acclaim for Rock's interviews with celebrities and politicians. The show won an Emmy for writing. His television work has won him a total of three Emmy Awards and 15 nominations. By the end of the decade, Rock was established as one of the preeminent stand-up comedians and comic minds of his generation.

During this time, Rock also translated his comedy into print form in the book Rock This! and released the Grammy Award-winning comedy albums, Roll with the New, Bigger & Blacker and Never Scared.

Rock's fifth HBO special, Kill the Messenger, premiered on September 27, 2008, and won him another Emmy for outstanding writing for a variety or music program.

Film star

It was not until the success of his stand-up act in the late 1990s that Rock began receiving major parts in films. Though he started off with supporting roles in films such as Dogma, Beverly Hills Ninja, Lethal Weapon 4, and Nurse Betty, he went on to star in films like The Longest Yard, Bad Company, and Down to Earth. Some of his 2010s film appearances include Death at a Funeral, Grown Ups, and 2 Days in New York.

Rock has also increasingly worked behind the camera, both as a writer and director of Head of State and I Think I Love My Wife (both in which he played the lead role). Additionally, he has done voice work for the popular Madagascar animated film franchise.

Following the release of his first documentary, 2009's Good Hair, Rock is working on a documentary about debt called Credit Is the Devil.

Television producer

In the fall of 2005, the UPN television network premiered a comedy series called Everybody Hates Chris, loosely based on Rock's school days, of which he is the executive producer and narrator. The show has garnered both critical and ratings success. The series was nominated for a 2006 Golden Globe for Best TV Series (Musical or Comedy), a 2006 People's Choice Award for Favorite New Television Comedy, and two 2006 Emmy Awards for costuming and cinematography. He produced the series Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, which premiered in August 2012.

Academy Awards

In early 2005, Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards ceremony. The decision to have Rock host the awards was seen by some as a chance to bring an "edge" to the ceremony, and to make it more relevant or appealing to younger audiences. Jokingly, Rock opened by saying "Welcome to the 77th and LAST Academy Awards!" During one segment Rock asked, "Who is this guy?" in reference to actor Jude Law seemingly appearing in every movie Rock had seen that year and implied Law was a low-rent Tom Cruise (he made a joke about filmmakers rushing production when unable to get the actors they want: "If you want Tom Cruise and all you can get is Jude Law, wait [to make the film]!"). Subsequently, a defensive Sean Penn took the stage to present and said, "In answer to our host's question, Jude Law is one of our finest young actors." (At the time, Penn and Law were shooting All the King's Men.) Law was not the only actor that Rock poked fun at that evening, however—he turned the joke on himself at one point, saying, "If you want Denzel [Washington] and all you can get is me, wait!" Older Oscar officials were reportedly displeased with Rock's performance, which did not elevate ratings for the ceremony. Rock was also criticized for referring to the Oscars as "idiotic", and asserting that heterosexual men do not watch them, in an interview prior to Oscar night.

On October 21, 2015 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Rock would host the 88th Academy Awards. When the subsequent acting nominations turned out to include no racial minorities, Rock was called upon to join a boycott of the ceremony. Rock declined however, stating at the ceremony that it would have accomplished little since the show would have proceeded anyway, with him simply replaced. Instead, Rock spoke of his concerns about the lack of diversity in AMPAS at various times during the show, closing by saying "Black Lives Matter."

Music videos

Rock's first music video was for his song "Your Mother's Got a Big Head" from his album Born Suspect. Rock also made videos for his songs "Champagne" from Roll With the New and "No Sex (In the Champagne Room)" from Bigger & Blacker.

He directed and appeared in the music video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Hump de Bump", and has simply appeared in several videos, including the Big Daddy Kane music video "Smooth Operator" as a guy getting his hair cut, one of the many celebrities seen lip-synching in Johnny Cash's "God's Gonna Cut You Down", and a cameo in Madonna's "Bitch I'm Madonna".

Stage plays

In 2011, Rock appeared on Broadway in Stephen Adly Guirgis' play The Motherfucker with the Hat with Bobby Cannavale and Annabella Sciorra. Rock was nominated for a Drama League Award. In an interview with Vibe Magazine, Rock stated that he chose to do Broadway because he wanted more people to see him "really act. Sometimes when you do comedy, that can be a little formulaic, and it's hard for really good directors to see that you can act."

Comedic style and views

Rock's subject matter typically involves family, politics, romance, music, class relationships, and race relations in the United States. Though not strictly autobiographical, much of his comic standpoint seem rooted in his teenage experience; his strict parents, concerned about the inadequacies of the local school system, arranged to have the adolescent Rock bused to a nearly all-white high school in Bensonhurst (an Italian-ethnic neighborhood of Brooklyn known at the time for poor race relations). In his memoir Rock This, the comedian recalls, "My parents assumed I'd get a better education in a better neighborhood. What I actually got was a worse education in a worse neighborhood. And a whole bunch of ass-whippings."

The comedian has also expressed discomfort with the notion that success in standup comedy—or, indeed, in any aspect of the entertainment industry—should oblige him to serve as a role model. In this position, he finds himself directly at odds with one of his comic idols, Bill Cosby. Cosby has reprimanded Rock both explicitly—for his famous/notorious Niggas vs. Black People track—and implicitly, for heavy use of the word "nigger." Rock has not wavered from a position explored in his 1996 Roll With The New show, and reiterated in his 1997 memoir: "Why does the public expect entertainers to behave better than everybody else? It's ridiculous...Of course, this is just for black entertainers. You don't see anyone telling Jerry Seinfeld he's a good role model. Because everyone expects whites to behave themselves...Nowadays, you've got to be an entertainer and a leader. It's too much." Often the subject of tabloids, when asked about paparazzi and the other negative aspects of fame, Rock says he accepts the bad with the good: "You can't be happy that fire cooks your food and be mad it burns your fingertips."

At the London Live Earth concert on July 7, 2007, which was broadcast live on the BBC, before introducing the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rock called the crowd "motherfuckers" and "shit" after a brief sigh when he said he was joking. Due to the broadcast being at 5:45 pm Rock was immediately cut off, and the BBC made several apologies for his use of the word "motherfucker."

Chris Rock has been an avid fan of the New York Mets baseball team since childhood. He famously complained that his team "had no money" in a comedic rant during a 2011 interview with David Letterman.

Personal life

Rock married Malaak Compton-Rock on November 23, 1996. Compton-Rock is the founder and executive director of StyleWorks, a non-profit, full-service salon that provides free services for women leaving welfare and entering the workforce. The couple lived in Alpine, New Jersey with their two daughters, Lola Simone (born 2002) and Zahra Savannah (born 2004). In December 2014, Rock announced that he had filed for divorce from Compton-Rock. The divorce was finalized on August 22, 2016.

In 2008, Rock's family history was profiled on the PBS series African American Lives 2. A DNA test showed that he is descended from the Udeme people (Ouldémé) of northern Cameroon. Rock's great-great-grandfather, Julius Caesar Tingman, was a slave for 21 years before serving as part of the United States Colored Troops until 1866; Tingman fought in the American Civil War. During the 1940s, Rock's paternal grandfather moved from South Carolina to New York City to become a taxicab driver and preacher.

Rock is a vocal critic of racial profiling and often speaks of the "everyday racism" he feels he experiences, despite being famous. In a 2013 episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry Seinfeld, Rock and Seinfeld are pulled over by the police for speeding. In the episode Rock admits to Seinfeld that "If you weren't here, I'd be scared. Yeah, I'm famous – still black." In 2015, Rock was pulled over three times in the first three months of the year. Each time Rock posted a selfie of the incident, so far without further comment as to the reason for the stops.

Wikipedia

#Chris Rock

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blackkatdraws · 2 years ago

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I drew the Narrators as a tribute to the people who joined in the Narrator RP thread! (I'm sorry for those who were not included. It's either that I somehow missed you or you were late to the party, either way I apologize! 💗)

@polly-porygon , @fireworksanon , @supergnome-a , @indigo-art , @tsp-narrator-ask

@the-pobble-terrarium , @mentowiwness , @ask-shadow-narrator , @the-friendliest-freak , @spacecattss

@steampoweredwerehog , @biblically-accurate-crow , @thecrabbybarista , @anotheroneofthegaysharks

@bullpup-blog , @paradoxspir1t , @artist-kalshuaii

@pixel-mess , @itsdefinitely

@vellichorom , @marsalta , and lastly MY OLD MAN! :3

GOD THIS TOOK SO LONG BUT I'M GLAD I MADE IT!! HUUGGEEE hearts to everyone who joined in on the Narrator chain!!! 💗💗

#based off of the vs narrator poll #the stanley parable #the stanley parable ultra deluxe #tsp #tspud #narrator tsp #tsp narrator #artists of tumblr #tsp artists appreciation #mine 💗#narratorverse

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thisdaynews · 5 years ago

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Bernie's first big test of 2020 arrives

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/bernies-first-big-test-of-2020-arrives/

Bernie's first big test of 2020 arrives

Sen. Bernie Sanders. | Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

LAS VEGAS — Free tacos. Agua de jamaica. A futbol tourney.

Bernie Sanders’ “Unidos con Bernie” event Monday was unlike any other hosted by his rivals in Nevada, where polls indicate he’s leading among Latino voters.

Most of the kids playing were too young to participate in state’s caucuses on Saturday. But Chuck Rocha, a senior adviser and point man for Sanders’ aggressive courtship of Latino voters in the state, said that was beside the point.

“I can’t guarantee that every young man out there is old enough to vote, but every young man out there knows that we’ve been in this community for eight months,” Rocha told POLITICO on the sidelines. “And they’ll be talking to their friends who can go vote, and go home to their parents and talk about Bernie Sanders buying everybody food while we played soccer [and] watch[ed] over their children while they were here in this park.”

Nevada presents the first test of Sanders ability to turn out Latinos. If he does well among the key demographic — which could account for 20 percent of caucus-goers — it could provide a recipe for continued success among Latinos on Super Tuesday, in states such as California, Texas, and North Carolina.

The campaign says it’s spent millions on Latino outreach in Nevada. Of the 250 staffers in the state, more than 100 of them are people of color and 76 are Latinos. Sanders is targeting Latinos on digital platforms like YouTube, Hulu, and Pandora; with mailers, TV ads, phone calls, and texting; and via old-fashioned door-knocking and community events. The campaign has held 35 of those in Spanish.

Polling backs up Sanders advisers’ confidence that the efforts — crafted with the knowledge of their 2016 missteps in mind — will pay off in the first nominating contest with a diverse voting population.

In a pair of polls released Tuesday, Sanders and Joe Biden placed first and second among Latinos. A Univision poll conducted Feb. 9-14 had Sanders ahead, with 33 percent support among Latinos compared to 22 percent for Biden. A Telemundo poll conducted Feb. 10 – 12 showed Biden at 34 percent among Latinos vs. 31 percent for Sanders — although the pollster believes Sanders is now ahead because of the bounce he got from winning New Hampshire.

“He’s put in the work,” Laura Martin, executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said of Sanders. Martin said she was stunned by the number of people Sanders’ campaign was busing to early voting locations last weekend. Martin also credtied the Sanders campaign work in securing endorsements from national progressive Latino groups that have helped bolster his ground game in states like Nevada.

Sanders has been on Spanish-language TV for the past six weeks, spending more than $130,000 in the final month. Only billionaire Tom Steyer has invested more, dropping more than $200,000 during that span. Steyer also went up with ads earlier in December.

Biden, whose campaign is predicting a second-place finish in Nevada, is the only candidate who is not on Spanish-language TV in the final stretch. According to a campaign source with knowledge of Biden’s paid communication strategy, Biden’s Latino supporters in Nevada primarily speak English as their first language and are older than 40, while his percentage of Spanish-speaking supporters ranks in the mid-single digits.

“Latino voters are paying attention and Bernie got a bounce from New Hampshire,” said Brad Coker, who conducted the Telemundo/Mason-Dixon poll. “Biden’s going to need to win two-thirds of Latino voters to win Nevada, anyway. And he doesn’t have that.”

Biden’s campaign and surrogates deny they’re ceding the Latino vote.

Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas) canvassed for Biden over the weekend in minority neighborhoods around Las Vegas. He said he’s sensing “overwhelming support for Biden” among Latinos 40 and over, based on his conversations with voters.

Also, some pollsters question the depth of Sanders’ support among Latinos in Nevada and elsewhere.

Stephanie Valencia of the Latino-focused Equis Labs, said it remains to be seen whether it’s Sanders “the candidate” or the broader “movement” he’s leading that attracts Latinos. Her polling reflects Sanders’ strength among the demographic, especially young Latinas.

“Do people who are Latino Bernie supporters feel so strongly about him that they’re going to show up and caucus for him?” Valencia said. “Because it’s one thing to show up and vote for somebody, it’s another thing to go and caucus for somebody.”

But Sanders’ campaign is acutely aware that his polling strength among young Latinos won’t necessarily translate in a caucus state like Nevada, given the time and effort required of voters. Young voters, regardless of race, are historically the least likely group to turn out.

That’s why his campaign said starting early was crucial. In 2016, his advisers didn’t realize Sanders’ potential with Latinos until late, said Rocha. Everything was “moving so fast, we never had time to go build our relationships in that community,” he said.

“We wanted to start the campaign where we left off, so we started in the Latino neighborhoods,” Rocha said. The first of 11 field offices it opened in Nevada was in the largely Latino East Las Vegas. And the first TV ads Sanders purchased in the state were in Spanish. “We’re blowing people out organizing-wise,” Rocha said.

Ironically, part of the campaign’s effectiveness among Latinos stems from the fact that it did not create a separate arm for courting Latinos, said Analilia Mejia, Sanders’ national political director. Instead, outreach to Latinos was integrated into every part of the organization. No matter the topic of a press release, Mejia said, a Latino staffer has looked at it before it goes out.

One of Sanders’ first messages to Latinos in Nevada came in an August mailer that told the senator’s family immigration story. That was followed by issue-specific mailers, including one in November prominently featuring progressive star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Ocasio-Cortez held a town hall for Sanders in December entirely in Spanish, a rarity that drew widespread notice in the Latino community. Notably, Ocasio-Cortez is not scheduled to campaign for Sanders in Nevada in the final days before the caucuses.

Sanders’ final Spanish-language TV ad to Latinos this week was narrated, written and produced by Dreamers on his staff, according to the campaign.

Sanders’ rivals are trying to loosen his perceived grip on Latinos. Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, and Amy Klobuchar all joined Sanders and Steyer on Spanish-language airwaves in the past two weeks. Warren met with the Latino organizing group Mi Familia Vota and held an event with Culinary Union workers. She’s also been joined by Julián Castro, a top Latino endorser, throughout the week.

Buttigieg campaign co-chair Nelda Martinez, a Texas mayor, is scheduled to campaign in Nevada this week. Buttigieg, Steyer and Klobuchar sat down with Telemundo in Nevad for a presidential townhall last week as Sanders tele-conferenced in.

Sanders’ biggest vulnerability among Latinos and all Democrats — attacks on him by the state’s powerful Culinary Union — was likely mitigated by the union’s decision not to endorse another candidate.

“The fact that [Culinary Union] chose to stay neutral means they’re essentially allowing Latinos to make their own decision on their own,” said Andres Ramirez, a Nevada political consultant. “Had Culinary endorsed Biden or Klobuchar, then I think it would have made a big difference.”

Marc Caputo contributed to this report.

#arrives #first #Foreign #Politics

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