McCain, Obama duel in DC before Latino audience
Washington, DC._ In the first of three summer appearances before Latino groups the two would be presidents squared off, but not at the same time, before the NALEO conference here. The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials hosted the first summer Latino audition over the weekend at the Renaissance Hotel in the nation’s capitol. Both candidates did their best to establish themselves as the “natural” choice for Latino voters by making their case on issues and relationships important to Latino voters.
John McCain focused on energy and the economy but also spoke about immigration reform that he supports along with border security. After citing his respect for his opponent McCain chided that he would have liked to have had a joint appearance with Obama in a town hall format so both could answer questions from the group. He made mention of his respect for “the contributions of Hispanic-Americans to the culture, economy and secutiry of the country I have served all my adult life.” Though he has appeared to flip-flop at times on immigration, Latinos still appreciate his long standing support for their issues. He tried to strike a balance between his support for securing the border while at the same time, “respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States.” He lightly touched on the importance of the path to citizenship which must be part of any comprehensive reform.
During his speech Barack Obama went right at the importance of the Latino vote. “This election could well come down to how many Latinos turn out to vote. And I am proud that my campaign is working hard to register more Latinos and bring them into the political process. Because I truly believe that if we work together and fight together and stand together this fall, then you and I together will change the political map from top to bottom.” Obama is still looking to establish a foothold and then traction with Latino voters who supported Hillary Clinton over him by more than 2:1 margins in large part because Latinos do not know him. During his allotted time Obama mentioned, “reform that finally brings 12 million people who are here legally out of the shadows by requiring them to take steps to become legal citizens putting them on a pathway to citizenship. I will say it now and I will say it after I’m president.” Both candidates got standing ovations from the NALEO group in their quest for voters who in the most recent AP/Yahoo poll showed Obama 47%, McCain 22% and Undecided 26%. Next up in July are LULAC and NCLR to keep the candidates on their toes and after Latino votes
