John McCain makes a radio play for Latino voters
John McCain, campaigning in Louisiana, simultaneously is making a play for Latino voters in Nevada and New Mexico -- likely battleground states in the fall. The campaign just released a Spanish-language radio ad to air in both states.
What's interesting that while his national focus seems to be national security, the targeted ads are all economy -- which he has acknowledged isn't exactly his strong suit. Here's the ad in Spanish, and the campaign-provided English translation is below:
"ANNOUNCER: When we are buying groceries, we don't have a political party. When we are filling up the gas tank, we are not Republicans, Democrats or Independents. We are
Hispanics, and we all are hurting together in this uncertain economic time. We need someone that has a good economic plan, and that is John McCain. His plan is a realistic plan, not a political one, and it will help jump-start the local and national economies.
"He proposed to Congress a federal gas-tax holiday for the summer months. He wants middle-class families to pay less taxes so we can have more money in our pocket and less in Washington. And he wants to help families hurt by the housing crisis under his HOME Plan.
"He is optimistic and knows that we all, 'unidos,' together, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, can find a better way to fill up our tanks, our shopping carts, and our dreams.
"That's why in (Nevada/New Mexico), 'Estamos Unidos con John McCain.'
"JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message."
-- Scott Martelle
Photo credit: Mark Boster/ Los Angeles Times
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Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000. A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
Johanna Neuman is a veteran Washington correspondent for both The Los Angeles Times and USA Today, having covered presidents and politics as far back as Ronald Reagan. A former president of the White House Correspondents Assn., she authored a book on media and foreign policy, “Lights, Camera, Wars.” Most recently she was co-author of the 
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