How Campaigns Translate Into Spanish

The Las Vegas Sun describes the unprecedented outreach to Hispanic voters by both presidential candidates and how the focus in Spanish language media differs from the message being communicated in English.

Jorge Ramos, news anchor for Univision, the nation’s top Spanish-language television network, asked Republican presidential candidate John McCain the same question twice — but the Arizona senator answered each time that he didn’t understand.

Ramos referred to building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, an idea McCain backed in a 2006 congressional vote.

For days after the Sept. 18 interview, McCain’s wavering response echoed in Spanish-language newspapers across the nation, cited as an example of why the candidate couldn’t be trusted on immigration, a touchstone for Hispanics.

Hugo Chavez

McCain launches another Spanish ad accusing Obama of wanting to meet with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. The ad features clips from an inflammatory and anti-American speech by the Venezuelan leader. The translation, courtesy of Real Clear Politics, is below the video clip.

There isn’t a large bloc of Hispanic voters with Venezuelan roots. Outside of the Cuban American community, Chavez is probably not that big of an issue among Latino voters. More likely, folks will brush him off as a buffoon or are even slightly sympathetic towards Chavez. The point of the ad, then, is to target Cuban American voters in Florida, where they form a vital voting block for Republicans.

The other issue and a larger one at that is the ridiculousness of the basic argument. The idea of just talking to a foreign leader, albeit a hostile one, is somehow seen as abhorrent. But the idea of snubbing the leader from a friendly country, one that is a NATO ally, and one that has troops helping us in Afghanistan… that the snubbing is somehow acceptable, better even, is completely ridiculous!



Translation from Real Clear Politics:

ANNCR: Did you see who Obama wants to talk with?

CHAVEZ: Go to h*ll, you filthy Yankees!

ANNCR: Barack Obama says that he would meet Chavez without conditions.

CHAVEZ: Filthy Yankees, go to h*ll hundred times!

ANNCR: He said he would meet in his first year in office.

CHAVEZ: The United States which is behind every conspiracy against our country.

ANNCR: He said it was a disgrace that we haven't spoken with them.

CHAVEZ: If any aggression were to come against Venezuela, then there will be no oil for people or the government of the Unites States!

ANNCR: Do you believe we should talk with Chavez?

CHAVEZ: We, you filthy Yankees, know that we are resolute to be free, no matter what happens, and at any cost!

ANNCR: In November, you decide.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

ANNCR: Paid for by McCain-Palin 2008. Approved by John McCain.

Obama's Spanish Ad

I recently wrote about McCain's Spanish strategy where I argued that Obama must forcefully counter any attempts by McCain to make inroads into this crucial voting block. Today Jonathan Martin writes about Obama's Spanish language ad that is running in Florida, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico.

Even with my rudimentary knowledge of Spanish, I can tell the ad is hard hitting. It has certainly caused some controversy in that Rush Limbaugh, who is featured in the ad, is claiming that his quotes have been distorted and that the ad amounts to "race-baiting." Limbaugh has often been accused of making all sorts of derogatory remarks so his accusations of racism ring hollow. However, in the interest of fairness I'd like to see some independent analysis of the ad.

UPDATE: ABC's Jake Tapper thinks the ad is indeed misleading on many fronts.

McCain's Spanish Strategy

The New York Times reports that the McCain campaign has been running Spanish radio and TV ads blaming Obama and the Democrats for the failure of immigration reform. The Times notes that while a couple of the amendments offered by the Democrats were indeed not helpful, Obama has by and large been supportive of immigration reform. Ultimately four Republican senators were blamed for the demise of the bill. McCain led the efforts to pass a comprehensive immigration bill but backed down following furious protests from his own party. In fact, he’s played down any support for immigration reform throughout the primaries. This new push is an attempt to attract Hispanic voters and if successful, could hurt Obama especially in New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and Florida. Obama’s strength in Colorado, for example, is in large part due to strong support from Hispanic voters. The interesting thing about McCain’s attempts to lure Hispanic voters is that it must be done under the radar for the fear of raising the wrath of the nativist wing of his party. McCain cannot afford to antagonize his base. Still, Obama needs to counter any attempts by the McCain campaign to make inroads here with great forcefulness.