The 2008 presidential campaign, which has fueled an unprecedented level of ad spending in the general media, now appears likely to do the same in the Spanish-language market as the Democratic candidates compete for the crucial Hispanic vote in Texas.
Ahead of the state’s March 4 primary, Hispanic broadcasters are reporting that both Sen. Barack Obama’s and Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaigns are devoting far more of their ad budgets to Spanish-language media in Texas than any previous presidential contenders.
In California, another state with a heavy concentration of Hispanic voters, the two candidates together spent nearly $2 million on advertising in Spanish-speaking media ahead of the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday primary.
The candidates are buying more markets in Texas, which has a potentially bigger Hispanic vote than California, and are spending more per market. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, 23% of California’s eligible voters are Latino, making it the third-largest Hispanic market in the country. In Texas, which is second behind New Mexico, 25% of voters are Latino. Of the eligible Hispanics, 22.1 % don’t speak English very well.
The Pew Center said last week that because Latinos lean more toward the Democratic party, they could make up as much as a third of the voters who turn out for Texas’ Democratic primary.
“I’ve been in Spanish television since 1985 and this is the most active season I’ve ever seen,” said Enrique J. Perez, senior VP of sales for the Telemundo Station Group. “For the first time, Hispanic media is being planned side by side with general media.”
Mr. Perez said the spending of the Obama and Clinton campaigns is on a pace to exceed California spending by 20% to 25%. He said he was hopeful the attention also would translate into more money in the fall general election.
A Univision rep said its stations are seeing major boosts as well. Univision has stations serving 15 markets in Texas, compared with 11 in California.
“Historically we haven’t gotten a lot of primary money,” the Univision rep said. “Both Hillary and Obama have kind of learned their lesson [from California] and they are out in force in just about everyplace in Texas.” Univision last week co-sponsored a Texas presidential debate between Sens. Clinton and Obama that aired on CNN and later on Univision.
TNS Media Intelligence’s Campaign Media Analysis Group reports that prior to Texas, a total of $2.6 million had been spent on Hispanic media during the campaign in all states. Texas has already seen $400,000 and the broadcasters said total spending is moving up fast.
The changes come as the importance of the large contingent of Texas Hispanic voters grows in the wake of the impact of the Hispanic vote in California.
In the California results, Sen. Clinton drew 67% of the Hispanic votes, versus 32% for Sen. Obama, according to CNN exit poll numbers.
In another sign that the Obama campaign is taking the Hispanic vote far more seriously, the campaign has tapped an Austin-based Hispanic ad firm to produce its Spanish-language spots in Texas. The campaign declined to say whether the ads also would run in Ohio in advance of its primary, also set for March 4.
Spanish-Language Stations Benefit From Focus on Hispanic Voters
Feb 24, 2008 • Post A Comment
Michelle Obama’s America — And Mine
By Michelle Malkin
February 20, 2008
Like Michelle Obama, I am a “woman of color.” Like Michelle Obama, I am a working mother of two young children. Like Michelle Obama, I am a member of the 13th generation of Americans born since the founding of our great nation.
Unlike Michelle Obama, I can’t keep track of the number of times I’ve been proud — really proud — of my country since I was born and privileged to live in it.
At a speech in Milwaukee this week on behalf of her husband’s Democratic presidential campaign, Mrs. Obama remarked, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country, and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.”
Mrs. Obama’s statement was met with warm applause from other Barack supporters who have apparently also been devoid of pride in their country for their adult lifetimes. Or maybe it was just a Pavlovian response to the word “change.” What a sad, empty, narcissistic, ungrateful, unthinking lot.
I’m just seven years younger than Mrs. Obama. We’ve grown up and lived in the same era. And yet, her self-absorbed attitude is completely foreign to me. What planet is she living on? Since when was now the only time the American people have ever been “hungry for change”? Michelle, ma belle, Barack is not the center of the universe. Newsflash: The Obamas did not invent “change” any more than Hillary invented “leadership” or John McCain invented “straight talk.”
We were both adults when the Berlin Wall fell, Michelle. That was earth-shattering change.
We’ve lived through two decades’ worth of peaceful, if contentious election cycles under the rule of law, which have brought about “change” and upheaval, both good and bad.
We were adults through several launches of the space shuttle, in case you were snoozing. And as adults, we’ve witnessed and benefited from dizzyingly rapid advances in technology, communications, science and medicine pioneered by American entrepreneurs who yearned to change the world and succeeded. You want “change”? Go ask the patients whose lives have been improved and extended by American pharmaceutical companies that have flourished under the best economic system in the world.
If American ingenuity, a robust constitutional republic and the fall of communism don’t do it for you, hon, then how about American heroism and sacrifice?
How about every Memorial Day? Every Veterans Day? Every Independence Day? Every Medal of Honor ceremony? Has she never attended a welcome home ceremony for the troops?
For me, there’s the thrill of the Blue Angels roaring over cloudless skies. And the somber awe felt amid the hallowed waters that surround the sunken U.S.S. Arizona at the Pearl Harbor memorial.
Every naturalization ceremony I’ve attended, where hundreds of new Americans raised their hands to swear an oath of allegiance to this land of liberty, has been a moment of pride for me. So have the awesome displays of American compassion at home and around the world. When millions of Americans rallied to help victims of the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia — including members of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group that sped from Hong Kong to assist survivors — my heart filled with pride. It did again when the citizens of Houston opened their arms to Hurricane Katrina victims and folks across the country rushed to their churches, and Salvation Army and Red Cross offices to volunteer.
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT:-)
If you think Barack Obama with little or no experience would be better than Hillary Clinton with 35 years experience.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience can fix an economy on the verge of collapse better than Hillary Clinton. Who’s husband (Bill Clinton) led the greatest economic expansion, and prosperity in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience fighting for universal health care can get it for you better than Hillary Clinton. Who anticipated this current health care crisis back in 1993, and fought a pitched battle against overwhelming odds to get universal health care for all the American people.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience can manage, and get us out of two wars better than Hillary Clinton. Who’s husband (Bill Clinton) went to war only when he was convinced that he absolutely had to. Then completed the mission in record time against a nuclear power. AND DID NOT LOSE THE LIFE OF A SINGLE AMERICAN SOLDIER. NOT ONE!
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience saving the environment is better than Hillary Clinton. Who’s husband (Bill Clinton) left office with the greatest amount of environmental cleanup, and protections in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with little or no education experience is better than Hillary Clinton. Who’s husband (Bill Clinton) made higher education affordable for every American. And created higher job demand and starting salary’s than they had ever been before or since.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience will be better than Hillary Clinton who spent 8 years at the right hand of President Bill Clinton. Who is already on record as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that you can change the way Washington works with pretty speeches from Obama, rather than with the experience, and political expertise of two master politicians ON YOUR SIDE like Hillary and Bill Clinton..
Best regards
jacksmith…