COLUMBUS, Ohio — Spending on Spanish-language ads in the Democratic presidential primary has surpassed the sum four years ago and shows no sign of slowing, according to a study released Wednesday.
Democratic rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have hit a record, spending more than $4 million to target Spanish-speaking primary voters, and likely will blanket swing states such as Ohio, New Mexico and Pennsylvania for November’s general election, according to the Hispanic Voter Project at Johns Hopkins University.
“The record amount that’s being raised in the presidential election leads me to believe that the pot is inevitably going to be bigger,” said Adam Segal, director of the nonpartisan project that tracks political efforts targeting Latino voters. “If the electoral opportunity is there, we’re likely to see a record amount of money being spent during the general election on Hispanic media.”
The Democrats spent about $320,000 on Spanish-language ads during the 2004 primary. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean spent the most, laying out $150,160 for ads before losing the nomination to Sen. John Kerry. The Kerry campaign spent $78,084, trailing retired Gen. Wesley Clark’s $91,845.
Both parties are likely to spend money on Spanish-language ads even in states with small Latino electorates. The thinking is that the airtime helps political parties secure support in future elections and can signal to donors that the campaign cares about Latino voters.
“Latino issues are American issues,” said Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli, Clinton’s chief spokeswoman to Spanish-language media. “You have to invest for the future and appeal to them now so they start paying attention to the Democratic Party brand.”
Republicans, too, will target the heavily Democratic demographic, hoping to narrow their gap.
Republican Sen. John McCain isn’t conceding the airwaves on the way to his party’s nomination and aired a Spanish-language ad last week in New Mexico aimed at the general election. He aired ads in Spanish during Florida’s primary, which he won. Former candidates Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani also aired Spanish-language ads.
President Bush’s advisers in 2004 pushed to spend money in Latino-heavy states he had slim chances of winning, such as 17 percent-Latino California, trying for long-term erosion of the group’s support for Democrats. Many of the same arguments are being repeated in both parties’ circles this year.
It’s one reason Clinton and Obama both bought airtime in the Cleveland area for Spanish-language ads, along with stations in Texas and Nevada — states Bush won in his 2004 re-election.
In 2004, Bush outspent Kerry more than 2-to-1 on Spanish-language TV ads. A Hispanic Voter Project report from 2005 showed $8.7 million in Spanish-language ads in that presidential contest, including heavy spending from independent liberal groups.
“I think a lot of people would argue the money spent previously was below share and it’s finally starting to catch up,” Segal said.
Exit polls conducted by The Associated Press and television networks during the 2004 general election showed 53 percent of Latino voters supported Kerry and 44 percent voted for Bush.
Campaigns note that in states where Bush won by slim margins, increased Latino participation or slight party shifts could make the difference.
“There are other states that in a general election are so darned close and so critically close that a rising Hispanic vote and influence will eventually see the Hispanic vote become one of the critical elements in achieving victory in those states,” Segal said.
It’s not enough just to have an ad in Spanish, said Rodriguez-Ciampoli, who also was spokeswoman to Spanish-language media for Kerry’s presidential run in 2004.
“I think it’s lack of respect to just translate an ad or repackage it. . . . You still have to tailor your message.”
