Obama Radio Ad Targets Younger Latinos In Texas
Barack Obama has a new Spanish-language radio ad running in Texas, making a pitch to Latino voters — in particular, reaching out to younger Latino voters, with whom Obama has run stronger than Hispanics as a whole.
The ad features a young Latino talking about why he's for Obama, then adding that he's talking to all his friends and family about why they should vote for him, too.
An mp3 of the ad is available here, and the official English script is available after the jump.
Clip from Barack Obama: "There is not a liberal American and a conservative America; there is the United States of America."Barack Obama is talking to me.
He's faced many of the same challenges that we've faced in my family.
His parents weren't rich, but through hard work, he earned a scholarship and found his way — graduating from Harvard Law School.
And instead of accepting job offers that paid a lot of money, Obama decided to work with churches, giving a helping hand to those less fortunate in his community.
Clip from Barack Obama: In this election, in this moment, let us reach for what we know is possible.
Obama is talking to me.
About the opportunity to go to college … and about ensuring my parents and grandparents have the health care they need.
That's why I'm talking to others — my parents, my uncles, and my friends — because politics isn't just for those who like to fight, it's for those who want to build a better future.
Obama is talking to me, and he's talking to you too.
BO: I'm Barack Obama and I approve this message.
Bueno bueno.
February 12, 2008 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good boy, Barack, good boy.
Smart use of campaign resources, smart campaign strategists.
Intelligence is always beautiful to behold.
Well done, Obama campaign!
February 12, 2008 2:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
This will help some but I doubt enough for him to do anything but be competitive in Texas.
February 12, 2008 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
No one expects him to win Texas, but hopefully he can make a sizable dent in Hillary's firewall. I think Ohio is the easiest for him, but it is great that he is going after it all. If he can make the latinos realize he is the best candidate for them and for everyone Hillary is toast, because that is all she has at this point...well...minus old women who only care about seeing a president with ovaries before they die.
February 12, 2008 2:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think the machine in Ohio will put HRC over the top there, too. This thing is going to see-saw as HRC will probably win PA, unless Rendell's comments attract a huge backlash which I'm sure the media will certainly try and do for BHO's campaign.
February 12, 2008 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
wwjb: "minus old women who only care about seeing a president with ovaries before they die."
From one Obama supporter to another. Please shut up. This sexist shit has to stop.
February 12, 2008 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Call me a bit old fashion or nationalistic and pro-American if you will, but I do not think it is appropriate for any national presidential candidate of any party to campaign in anything but English. I don't care if it is Spanish, German, French, Russian, whatever. Citizenship requires some level of proficiency in English. There is something bordering on pandering about this. And yes, I know many of the other candidates do this as well, but that doesn't make it any more correct and acceptable.
February 12, 2008 2:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Call me a bit old fashion or nationalistic and pro-American if you will, but I do not think it is appropriate for any national presidential candidate of any party to campaign in anything but English.
No, I think I'd rather call you xenophobic.
February 12, 2008 2:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Personally, I prefer Chauvinistic, where I've used capitalization to emphasize the word's origins.
February 12, 2008 3:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why don't we take it a step further and mandate that they campaign in the native Cherokee, Choctaw, or Cree (depending on what part of the country they're campaigning in, of course)?
February 12, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why don't we just paint Obama white?
February 12, 2008 3:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
By the way, considering that you've made it clear who you do like (in other posts), do you find this button to be inappropriate as well?
http://www.hillarystore.com/store/HC0220.html
February 12, 2008 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Call me a bit old fashion or nationalistic and pro-American if you will
I was going to say xenophobic but billysumday beat me too it.
February 12, 2008 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Matthew Weaver:
Okay, if you insist. You're old fashioned, nationalistic, and pro-American.
But here's MY point. Speaking another language says only that you honor that person's language. It says nothing about dishonoring English, nor does it say anything about the need for immigrants to learn English.
Obama's just the sort of candidate who would go to Texas, greet a group of Hispanics with a Spanish greeting, and then answer a question about immigration by saying that he would require persons on a path to citizenship to learn English. That simple.
So I do think you're needlessly buying into the nationalistic frame on English, if not GOP talking points precisely.
February 12, 2008 2:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is not xenophobic. My wife is Hispanic as are my kids. I've also traveled to more than 46 countries around the world, even have some background with German, Russian, and a bit with Spanish. No, the question is not about respecting culture or using Republican talking points, it is about the pandering that candidates, including Republicans, do by campaigning in languages other than English.
February 12, 2008 2:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Puerto Rico has 63 delegates. You think the candidates should campaign in English down there?
February 12, 2008 2:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Matthew Weaver thinks that ads in Spanish "pander" to a Spanish-speaking audience.
Do ads in English "pander" to an English-speaking audience?
What about ads that target specific constituents within an English-speaking voting block? Ads, say, that target working mothers, or seniors, etc.
Clearly Matthew Weaver's argument is a veil for xenophobia--despite the charming existence of his Hispanic wife and the impressive worldliness of his travels.
February 12, 2008 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I really don't get the whole jingoistic take on language. Spanish is just a language, it's got nothing to do with whether or not the speaker shares American values, understands the government, has a stake in civil participation etc etc etc. Honestly, the only reason I can see to enforce English competency is so we don't have to print Spanish-language W-2's and ballots. Maybe it's just me, but that just seems kinda lazy.
February 12, 2008 2:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
billysumday, I actually agree with you, in Puerto Rico, speak Spanish. On Native American territory speak the appropriate language. But in the country at large, don't pander, just speak English.
It is no different than when we travel around the world to speak the local language. If I go to Mexico, I speak Spanish, to France French, to America, except those few territories and soveriegn lands, English.
February 12, 2008 2:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
What language do you speak in Belgium, or Switzerland, or Canada?
Not every country has a single nationalistic language.
Sure, a common language probably makes things more harmonious. As would sharing the same religion, skin pigmentation and ethnicity.
I do a lot of genealogical research and I can tell you that immigrants who came to this country in the mid 1800s as well as the early 1900s had strong ties to their home country even as they become strong, loyal Americans. They belonged to all kinds of ethnic groups- veterans groups, church groups, and social groups. They often spoke their own language at meetings within those groups.
The stories from those days did not seem to be passed on. So many people think their gggrandparents got off the boat and started speaking English immediately and never looked back.
I found one story about a church in Chicago. The German people had services in German, but when the Poles came, they wanted service in Polish. The tension grew- at one point the police had to be called because the Germans were blocking the aisles and would not let the Poles go to communion. Eventually the Germans left the church and formed a new one- where services and school were taught in German. The church records are also in German. I obtained copies of them for my records.
The point of all of this is that people who are immigrants do take pride in their ethnic identity. It makes us stronger to respect that while working to decrease tensions between groups. And I would agree that everyone learning at least one common language does decrease tension. Two or more would be even better.
February 12, 2008 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amen. Great comment.
February 12, 2008 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've been around the world. I get can by speaking Turkish and Spanish. But the honest truth is that there are ENGLISH signs in every country I've ever been to - road signs, signs in the airport, in hotels, on menus. And you can find an ENGLISH speaker in any country I've been too. I'm glad that you speak a lot of languages, but the fact is, other countries do a much better job of assisting people who don't speak their language. Perhaps because they're not jingoistic xenophobes.
February 12, 2008 3:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking Spanish to Latinos - even attempting to speak Spanish- IS the way to show respect for their culture.
February 12, 2008 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
When I travel around to other countries I speak English, because I can't speak another language. I also don't understand why people get so offended when they hear other languages besides English spoken in America. If they aren't talking to you don't worry about it.
February 12, 2008 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Matthew - If you recognize that there are latinos that do not have command of the English language are you than suggesting that we leave them out of the political process? When the General Election comes round do we just let them listen to the Republican message? I'm confused.
February 12, 2008 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's see who's the first to cry in Spanish.
February 12, 2008 3:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Trust me, all of the candidates and their campaigns so brutally murder the language that it can really no longer be considered "Spanish."
February 12, 2008 4:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with you adabsurdum.
But going to the bigger point of all the immigrants having to learn English. In theory fine, it even help them to learn English. I know for a fact because I am an immigrant myself. But, did anybody thought on how to teach English all of a sudden to 12,000,000 people?. Mind that may of these folks work 12 hours a day, and for many of them their schooling in Spanish is not that great to begin with. I am not saying this in a derogatory way, just pointing the fact.
I haven't seen any candidate addressing this when the immigration issue is treated
February 12, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink