Conservative group uses Spanish-language ad to go after Obama
By: Jordan Fabian
Channel: Politics
A deep-pocketed outside conservative fundraising group signaled Monday that it’s looking to sway Latino voters away from supporting President Obama in 2012.
The group, Crossroads GPS, is launching a Spanish-language television ad hitting at Obama’s economic policies and his demand that Congress raise the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt-limit.
The one-minute spot, titled “Despertarse” (To Awaken), will begin airing Monday night in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Denver, Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, El Paso, Las Vegas, Reno, and Washington, D.C.
In the ad, a sleepless woman wakes up in the middle of the night and appears worried about her two children.
A Spanish script appears on screen that reminds viewers that Obama initially promised that the $787 billion federal stimulus act would create or save 4 million jobs, but that the unemployment rate remains north of nine percent. It also casts Obama’s insistence on raising the debt ceiling in a poor light.
It then directs viewers to visit the Crossroads website: “Do something: NoMoreBlankChecks.com.”
The ad is a clear sign that Crossroads, and perhaps other conservative groups, will spend money on directly targeting Latino voters, who supported Obama by a two-to-one margin in 2008.
The U.S. Latino population skyrocketed over the last decade to 50 million people and many political observers believe that they will be an influential voting bloc in 2012.
The ad is airing in crucial swing states that contain large Latino populations: Florida, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada. It will also be shown in Texas, a Republican stronghold where Obama and Democrats are looking to make inroads with Latino voters.
Crossroads GPS and it’s sister organization, American Crossroads, were founded last year by former George W. Bush advisers Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie after a Supreme Court decision paved the way for unlimited political spending by corporations and unions.
As a non-profit, Crossroads GPS does not have to disclose the identity of its donors, a point of contention with its opponents on the left.
Together, both groups raised $71 million for the 2010 cycle, which helped propel Republicans into the majority in the House and gain six seats in the Senate. With the presidential race looming in 2012, they’ve set the goal of raising a whopping $120 million to spend on political contests.
