For the record, and because I don’t believe it got the attention it may deserve: Julian Castro has officially announced as a candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination.
He is a former mayor of San Antonio and later Secretary of Housing in the Obama administration. His twin brother, Joaquín, is a congressman for a South Texas district.
Castro’s speech in front of a San Antonio crowd rallying in support got some attention Saturday. But not much. Most political observers put his chances of being nominated President to be slim, at best. Although Nate Silver recently wrote “he has all the makings of an inspirational candidate,” and spelled out a path to the nomination.
Maybe so. Who knows at this early stage?
On a personal note, and keeping in mind that I don’t endorse candidates, I don’t have nor do I intend to have in future a “candidate.”
But all that being said, whatever, if anything, you may think about Julian Castro, his family – including his grandmother, mother and twin brother – is remarkable. Remarkable for their backstory, their long active involvement as citizens, and as patriots in the best sense of that word.
Julian Castro may or may not be going anywhere as a Presidential possibility. But he is the kind of candidate–in either party– who deserves consideration, at least a fast look and listen.