GOP Spanish Language Ads in Florida: Romney Avoids Discussion of Immigration, Gingrich Leans In

[pampango]

As Newt Gingrich seizes the momentum in the South Carolina primary and attention starts to turn toward the next primary battle in Florida, both the Gingrich and Mitt Romney campaigns are up with Spanish-language advertisements targeting Latino Republicans in Florida. Notably, while the Romney television ad purposely avoids discussion of immigration, due to the candidate’s far right stance on the issue, the new Gingrich radio ad makes immigration a focal point, and calls Romney “anti-immigrant.”

Mitt Romney’s run to the hard right on immigration, punctuated by his proud embrace of anti-immigrant leader Kris Kobach in the run-up to South Carolina’s vote, means that he has to avoid discussing immigration in his outreach to the Latino community in Florida. Not only has the Romney immigration stance made life difficult for Romney endorsers and prominent Cuban-American leaders like Mario and Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, all of whom support comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act, but it also has given Gingrich fertile attack terrain and a chance to close the gap among Latino Republican primary voters in Florida.

...prominent Spanish-language commentators and media outlets already have started to highlight the disconnect between Romney’s embrace of hardline immigration positions and leaders as he campaigns in South Carolina, while ignoring immigration issues in his direct outreach to Latino voters in Florida.

Meanwhile, Gingrich’s new Spanish radio ad shows that he is intent to make Romney’s positon on immigration known to Latino voters in Florida. The Miami Herald translates the new Gingrich radio ad, which states in part:

Mitt Romney is a government liberal, from the state of and similar to Kennedy. He is the most anti-immigrant candidate.... In contrast, Newt Gingrich is a candidate that has committed himself to the Hispanic community. A Republican similar to Ronald Reagan, with experience.

http://americasvoiceonline.org/blog/entry/gop_spanish_language_ads_in_florida_romney_avoids_discussion_of_immigration/

Great to see Newt go after Mitt on the latter's "hard right" position on immigration reform. The more publicity this gets the harder it will be for Mitt to win much of the Hispanic vote.

[denem]

1. Newt speaks fluent Spanish,

which, not to put a fine point on it, is little more popular in the US than speaking French.

[HopeHoops]

2. I hope they mention how much they hate Hispanics in those ads.

They didn't? WHAT? They didn't mention that? Well, they just should have aired them in English - the ONLY language of the United States of White English-speaking People.