Obama campaign launches new Spanish-language ads in Colorado

Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama have announced that new Spanish-language advertisements will be airing in Colorado and other battleground states.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson joined Miami Mayor Manny Díaz on a conference call today, discussing what Richardson characterized as the most aggressive ad campaign targeted at Latino voters in presidential election history.

“Latinos are more decisive than ever when it comes to the election of the next president,” Richardson said, mentioning that the ads would begin airing today in Colorado, New Mexico and perhaps the most hotly contested state with a large Spanish-speaking demographic — Florida.

One of the spots, titled “El Sueño Americano,” features Obama talking directly to viewers in Spanish, bringing up the wavering economy and encouraging a vote “for you and your children.”

Richardson stated that the ad is meant to be a closing argument to the Latino community, reaffirming campaign promises. The spots are a precursor to an unprecedented 30-minute Spanish ad that is supposed to air on Univision at 7 p.m. MST Wednesday.

“In my 30-plus years in political campaigns and political involvement, I have never seen anything like this before,” said Diaz about the half-hour spot.

Another ad called “Oportunidad” is also set to air in the battleground states, talking about campaign promises regarding higher education.

Erin Rosa was born in Spain and raised in Colorado Springs. She is a freelance writer currently living in Denver. Rosa's work has been featured in a variety of news outlets including the Huffington Post, Democracy Now!, and the Rocky Mountain Chronicle, an alternative-weekly in Northern Colorado where she worked as a columnist covering the state legislature. Rosa has received awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for her reporting on lobbying and woman's health issues. She was also tapped with a rare honorable mention award by the Newspaper Guild-CWA's David S. Barr Award in 2008--only the second such honor conferred in its nine-year history--for her investigative series covering the federal government's Supermax prison in the state. Rosa covers the labor community, corrections, immigration and government transparency matters. She can be reached at erosa@www.coloradoindependent.com.