Romney Launches New Spanish-language Radio Ad in South Florida

Mitt Romney´s campaign began airing a new Spanish-language radio ad in South Florida today. The spot features Mitt´s Spanish-speaking son, Craig Romney, introducing his father to listeners.

The original text is copied below in Spanish followed by the English-language translation:

“Hola, quiero hablarles de alguien que ustedes en el Sur de la Florida posiblemente no conocen. Un líder republicano que aspira a la presidencia de los Estados Unidos.

“Ese hombre es Mitt Romney.

“Un hombre firme. Un hombre de acción. Un hombre de fe. Un conservador que entiende y respeta a los hispanos, incluyendo al exilio cubano y a otros que han venido a nuestro país en busca de libertad y oportunidades.

“El record de Mitt Romney habla por si solo. Exitoso como empresario. Salvó las Olimpiadas. Y como gobernador de Massachussets bajó los impuestos y estimuló la economía.

“Pero sobre todo, Mitt Romney es un hombre de familia, un gran padre, esposo y abuelo.

“Yo lo se porque Mitt Romney es mi papá.

“Soy Craig Romney y les invito a conocer mejor a mi padre, Mitt Romney, un líder que ama a nuestra nación, reconoce nuestros retos y tiene soluciones para enfrentarlos.

“Visita MittRomney.com”.

MITT ROMNEY: “Soy Mitt Romney y apruebo este mensaje”.

LOCUTOR: “Pagado por Romney para Presidente”.

“Hello, I want to speak to you about someone you (people) in South Florida might not know. He’s a Republican leader who is running for President of the United States.

“This man is Mitt Romney.

“A man of strength. A man of action. A man of faith. A conservative that understands and respects Hispanics and particularly Cuban exiles and others who have come to our country in search of liberty and opportunity.

“Mitt Romney’s record speaks for itself: successful as a businessman, saved the Olympics, and as Governor of Massachusetts, lowered taxes and stimulated the economy.

“But above all, Mitt Romney is a family man, a great father, husband and grandfather.

“I know because Mitt Romney is my dad.

“I’m Craig Romney and I invite you to get to know my father, Mitt Romney, a leader who loves our nation, recognizes our challenges and has solutions to confront them.

“Visit mittromney.com.”

MITT ROMNEY: “I am Mitt Romney and I approved this message.”

ANNOUNCER: “Paid for by Romney for President.”

Craig Romney learned Spanish during a missionary stint in Chile. He speaks the language with a light accent.

The ad hits many of the same themes as the introductory Spanish-language video at Mitt Romney´s website. Except that in this case he singles out the Cuban exile community and “others who have come to our country in search of liberty and opportunity.”

Romney

DCCC Spanish-language Radio Campaign

Spoke to Kyra Jenning, southern regional press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee who provided some additional information about the radio campaign. The DCCC bought the sponsorship of news, traffic and weather segments on over a dozen Spanish-language radio stations that transmit in the Congressional districts represented by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Lincoln Diaz-Balart and his younger brother Mario Diaz-Balart. According to Jennings, the DCCC campaign is running as a sponsorship with a script voiced over by the announcer.

Similar radio ads in English first ran in eight Republican congressional districts before being expanded to Spanish and the three Cuban American Republicans in South Florida.

Below you can find an excerpt of the press release, which spells out the Spanish-language text and translation of the traffic and weather segment sponsorship ad against Republican Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart. Similar ads will run against his younger brother and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

“El Presidente Bush en contra de los niños estadounidenses. El Congresista Diaz-Balart tiene que tomar una decisión entre el seguro médico para 10 millones de niños o en continuar su apoyo a Presidente Bush, quien esta dispuesto a quitárselos. Dígale a Lincoln Diaz-Balart que escoja a nuestros niños.”

English Translation:

“President Bush versus America’s kids. Congressman Diaz-Balart has a choice: health care for 10 million children or continue to stand with Bush to block it. Tell Lincoln Diaz-Balart to choose our kids.”

I will post the audio of the voiceover as soon as I receive it.

SCHIP

Cuban-American Republican Members of Congress Criticized For SCHIP Stance

I was wondering if this might happen. The Miami Herald reports

Democrats will begin running Spanish-language radio ads Wednesday criticizing Miami’s three Republican House members for siding with President Bush’s veto of a children’s health insurance bill.

The ads come as Democrats and children’s advocates ramp up the pressure on lawmakers in advance of a vote Thursday that seeks to override Bush’s veto. The radio spots — which mark the first time the national party has spent money in the three reliably Republican congressional districts — will air for at least a week. They urge listeners to tell their representatives “to choose our kids.”

The three lawmakers — Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Lincoln Díaz-Balart and Mario Díaz-Balart — said in a release late Tuesday that they support the program, but not the version passed by the House last month. And in a preemptive strike on Spanish radio Tuesday night, Mario Díaz-Balart called the ads ”a declaration of war against the community” because of high taxes that he said would affect small businesses.
SCHIP