President Obama Praises DREAMers In Spanish In New Ad
The president praises DREAMers in Spanish in new ad
Oct. 9, 2012— -- To hear President Obama tell it, DREAMers are not all that different from his own kids, Sasha and Malia.
At least that's what he says in a new ad his campaign released on Tuesday that features him praising DREAMers in Spanish.
The 30-second ad is intended to boost Obama's positive image among Latino voters by speaking personally about the sensitive, emotionally-charged issue of immigration.
"In the young people known as DREAMers, I see the same qualities Michelle and I try to instill in our daughters. They respect their parents. They study for a better life, "Obama says in Spanish. "And they want to give back to the only country they know and love. As a father, they inspire me. And as president, their courage reminds me that no obstacle is too great. No road too long."
Obama concludes the spot by using former Univision and Telemundo host and prominent endorser Cristina Saralegui's signature phrase: "Pa'lante!"
The ad will air in five battleground states where Latino voters are key: Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Virginia, and Ohio.
As he did in 2008, Obama is relying on Latino voters to help him win the election. A Latino Decisions/impreMedia tracking poll released Monday showed him increasing his Latino support to 72-20 percent over Republican Mitt Romney, a larger national share than he won four years ago.
The so-called "Latino vote" appears out of reach for Romney, but the Obama campaign is taking steps to boost enthusiasm among Latino voters and ensure high turnout on Election Day, which he'll need to win in an increasingly tight race.
Obama has not yet gone direct-to-camera in Spanish during this campaign. Although he did use the aggressive technique in 2008.
Obama has also repeatedly emphasized his support for the stalled DREAM Act, which is backed by an overwhelming majority of Latino voters, and has highlighted the fact that Romney said earlier this year that he would veto the current version of the legislation if he was elected. He also issued a directive in June to allow some DREAMers -- young undocumented immigrants seeking a college degree or military service -- to apply for a temporary reprieve from deportation.
Romney in recent weeks has taken steps to moderate his position on the issue, saying he would not deport immigrants granted deferred action under the Obama program and emphasizing that he would work toward a "permanent solution" for DREAMers. Though he has yet to reveal the details of such a proposal.
The Romney campaign also launched a new Spanish-language ad on Tuesday. In contrast to Obama's emotional appeal, Romney made the case that Latinos have seen their economic well being suffer with Obama in office the past four years.
The spot features Romney speaking directly to the camera in English (with Spanish subtitles) about entrepreneurship in the Latino community.
"Our economic recovery needs the success of the Hispanic community. But President Obama's misguided policies are dragging down businesses. You deserve better."
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