McCain Camp Happy To Inject Racial Tension Into Latest Web Ad

***UDPATED BELOW***

John McCain's advisers are doing their best to convince media outlets that they're not interested in talking about race ever again, though that message might become more difficult to push if they keep sending out new web ads meant to stir up racial uncertainty about Barack Obama.

No, not among white people, but Latinos.

Perhaps it's meant to be all in good fun. But someone at McCain HQ evidently thinks it's really important that, in his speech from Berlin, Barack Obama neglected to cite a Latin American country.

The new web ad, which features exclusively Spanish-language super-titles and a saucy Latin percussion rhythm, is entitled: "Barack Obama Forgot Latin America."

There exists some debate as to whether the oft-mentioned "black-brown divide" in politics is actually an active phenomenon or a simplistic media creation. But with lines such as "maybe he forgot about us," it would appear McCain is sending out a few signals just in case it's true.

Watch:

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Another point of potential humor: at first blush, the negative reaction to Obama's speech in conservative circles was focused around the "citizen of the world" line. Now, apparently, Obama is at fault for not citing enough foreign nations in his speech.

English and Spanish-language scripts for the ad below:

English Script For "Barack Obama Forgot Latin America" (WEB 1:00)

CHYRON: The World According To Barack Obama

BARACK OBAMA: Tonight I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen; a proud citizen of the United States and a fellow citizen of the world.

CHYRON: But Entire Nations Were Forgotten!

BARACK OBAMA: France, Berlin, Hamburg, Britain, Kandahar, London, Rwanda, Iran, Bangladesh...

CHYRON: Where Was Latin America Left?

BARACK OBAMA: Karachi, Beijing, the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Paris, Bali, Russia, Chad, Zimbabwe...

CHYRON: And Latinos?

BARACK OBAMA: Afghanistan, Somalia, Darfur, Belfast, South Africa, Madrid, Europe, Burma, Amman...

CHYRON: Maybe He Forget About Us?

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

Spanish Script For "Barack Obama Olvid America Latina" (WEB 1:00)

CHYRON: El Mundo De Acuerdo A Barack Obama

BARACK OBAMA: Esta noche no les hablo como un candidato para Presidente, sino como un ciudadano; un orgulloso ciudadano de los Estados Unidos y un ciudadano ms del mundo.

CHYRON: Pero Naciones Enteras Fueron Olvidadas!

BARACK OBAMA: Francia, Berln, Hamburgo, Gran Bretaa, Kandajar, Londres, Rwanda, Iran, Bangladesh...

CHYRON: Y Donde Qued America Latina?

BARACK OBAMA: Karachi, Beijing, La Antigua Unin Sovietica, Pakistan, Paris, Bali, Rusia, Chad, Zimbabwe...

CHYRON: Y Los Latinos?

BARACK OBAMA: Afganistan, Somalia, Darfur, Belfast, Africa de Sur, Madrid, Europa, Burma, Amman...

CHYRON: Ser Que Se Olvid De Nosotros?

JOHN MCCAIN: Soy John McCain y apruebo este mensaje.

###

LATE UPDATE: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Federico Peña have issued the following statement in response to McCain's ad:

"Once again, this is just another low road attempt by John McCain to distract from his own record on Latino issues by making false attacks on Barack Obama. On a day when our economy lost another 51,000 jobs and when Latino families all over the country are struggling, John McCain chose the low road rather than offering a real plan for the Latino community. What is clear is that Barack Obama has fought for issues Latinos care about for the past 20 years as a community organizer, Illinois State legislator, US Senator and as President he will continue his fight for comprehensive immigration reform, education equality and healthcare for everyone."

Comments

[jupitor]

this is sad and simply to slow! post are disappearing, never again to be seen. If other blogs can keep up why can't this sight?

[Tulka2]

Yeah. This site is slow to keep up today. Vacations in August?

[CharlesJ]

It is an internet ad, that cost almost nothing to send it throught the web where those fanatics anti-Obamanacs can spread it around like a virus, generating more hate and vile for a candidate of change.
The newer add mocking Obama as the messiah is worse and is a slam against those that truly believe in the real messiah, or god or however you wish to call him. McCain and his camp think this is funny and they say they are just having fun. Well all I can say is this, the republican party as a whole is revolting and discusting and so is anyone that supports and buys into this.

[Intelligentia]

One question people need to ask McCain: Before be became a Presidential Candidate, how much was he concerned about Latinos/Hispanics. He can always show how much he loves them by choosing a Latino/Hispanic as his Vice Presidential running mate. How about that John McCain and Republicans?

[wellfleetsurf]

The only effect this will have is on McCaine's base -- they'll cheer it. But no fool would be swayed by such idiotic nitpicking. I personally see McCaine burying himself alive with these negative ads. My grandfather, who has a sense of humor, said he's showing terrible taste and judgment and was not amused by the Moses reference. But then again my grandfather is younger than McCaine, so maybe it's a generational thing.

[gigi09]

An African American and a Latino sounds great, but will not work in America... at least not at this time. Do you see what a hard time Obama is having in regards to his race. This election has shown us that racism is still quite prevalent. It would be great if the browns and blacks could come together, what a powerful force it would be! Then maybe the HILLRAISERS would not forget the millions of pissed off African Americans voters! Obama 08!

[Tulka2]

This kind of fraud works. That's the sad thing.

Please tell every senior you know Obama's tax plan proposal: No senior with less than 50,000 dollars income per year will pay any income taxes. Enough of paying income taxes on Social Security income. Seniors talk about this current inequity all the time. They will hear this if it ever gets to them. We surely can not count on msm getting the word out.

[poco767b]

The White millionaire understands minorities best. hmmmmm....

[Desdemondo]

The old goat understands nothing

[apoyo]

How did the word "Latin" come to be used to refer to Spanish speaking peoples and who started it?

I highly doubt it was a Spanish speaking person since they refer to themselves by country of origin not by some obscure label. Anyone who lumps all Spanish speaking peoples into one single demographic is only showing their ignorance.

[ThunderclapNewman]

The Spanish language, along with the other Romance languages-­--Portugue­se, Italian, French, and Roumanian---are all descended from Latin.

It is a linguistic appellation, not a demographic one.

Try researching things before you sound off and look silly.

[kid5rivers2]

The last wry remark, it's intended for Emsee, not apoyo; not so? lol

[kid5rivers2]

The final wry remark is really intended for Emsee, not so? :-)

[mshazen]

Seriously, I live 60 minutes from the Mexican American border and yes we use the term "Latin" yes I said it. Please how politically correct do you expect to get. It is used because there are people of several different origins and actually it encompasses a great deal of people so perhaps you would not be offending someone of Mexican heritage with someone of Cuban heritage. Hence the term Asian, Caucasian, and so on get over yourself.

[Guynemer]

The ad is completely valid. Senator McCain has travelled extensively in South and Central America. Senator Obama has not. For years, Senator McCain has campaigned heavily for the fair treatment and retention of illegal immigrants. Senator Obama has not. And LA's mayor labels these "false attacks"? What a funny thing to call empirical facts.

[Jasel]

How has Obama not? Have you even bothered checking out his record on illegal immigration?

[Guynemer]

What record? Did he co-sponsor a bi-partisan Senate bill that would have effectively given a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants? For this, McCain caught hell from the rightwing of his party. Obama has taken the easy road and produced little by comparison.

From politico.com
McCain was reelected to the Senate in 2004 with more than two-thirds of Arizona’s Hispanic votes. His legislative record includes efforts to reduce the Latino high school dropout rate, make Medicaid benefits available to legal immigrant children and pregnant women, and to preserve sites that were landmarks in the life of United Farm Workers union founder Cesar Chavez.

[Darnamell]

Here's an empirical fact: McCain has sold out his respectable views on immigration in order to be the GOP nominee.

He has no business running on his past when he is willing to cast it aside to appeal to nativists and bigots.

Obama doesn't have a record here you say? No record is better than the one McCain has made for himself.

[tecpatl]

McCain allied himself with the neocons and voted AGAINST Comprehensive Immigration Reform in order to gain the Republican nomination. That means he is AGAINST Latinos.

[Guynemer]

It seems you need a little education. McCain co-sponsored the bi-partisan Kennedy-McCain Immigration Bill in 2005. Since then he has repeatedly taken considerable heat from the rightwing of the GOP for his continued support for comprehensive immigration reform.

[ThunderclapNewman]

McMaverick turned his back on his own immigration bill in order to gain votes from xenophobic and bigoted Republicans.

[Guynemer]

His bill was dead in the water. He had no choice. The fact is immigration reform is an issue that crosses party lines. Many Republicans (myself included) support lenient immigration reform. Believe me, I've had many discussions with many xenophobic multi-generation union card carrying Democrats.

[sherylsworld]

McBush taking the low road again, you are already on the curb looking up, you can't get any lower....

[meltingpot101]

Please visit this site and make McSame's worst nightmare come true by signing this petition.

http://www.obamaclark.com/

Let's take the high road and get General Clark on the ticket.

OBAMA/CLARK 08

[chitown8]

Done and Done

[roneckley16823]

He makes me ashamed to be an American. By the way, I'm white and his age. Shame McCain!!!!!

Obama 08

[ebanks84]

Jealousy will get you no where macdaddy. GIVE IT UP.

I wish supporters of macdaddy would email him every time he makes them change their mind and turn to BO. If he gets enough lost voter emails, maybe then he'll wake up.

The man is insanely jealous.

[nomadrick]

C'mon... Is there any value in this ad or are they just wasting money.

[Tulka2]

How can the McBushes be wasting money. They are not paying for any of this drek to be seen on t.V. are they. The main stream media just plays this garbage over and over as "news". You don't see anyone playing Obama ads for free, do you? Heads up.

[MoeSart]

Dems are the ones that inject race into everything.

No one else has to do it. You're getting played again.

[SCG]

Yeah, the Clin.ton's went into the gutter. Thankfully it backfired.

[Darnamell]

Really? So you've not received your racist GOP email threads yet?

Hang on, I'll forward you the ones I'm received from my helpful Republican friends who are sick of their party.

[StillIRise]

Tell that to Harold Ford!

[WatchIt]

Oy veh! Visitó Sr. O el Medio Este y Europa. No visitó Latina América. Por eso mencionó estes países en el Medio Este y Europa.

No sería apropiado mencionar en este discurso países de Latina América, duh. Pero-- cuando visitaría Latina América, estoy seguro que mencionara México, Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brasil, Belice, Guyana, Suriname, y Guyane (FR). Eso es inglés, castellano, portugués, francés y muchos idiomas indígenas.­.. Esperan, amigos...

[ObamAtomic]

Cuba ,que paso,?lol.­......

[nellie]

Si se puede.

[AbrakadaBarak]

HuffPost says: 115 Pending Posts [for evaluation?]

No wonder I never see my posts, yet you want me to read others' comments and - Click to refresh New Comments! Where is the interactivity, when one's replies is lost in cyberspace?

[drayntx]

precisely my complaint with this site. This is why often times I just read the post and the comments rather than try to join the "discussion".

[erdanidi]

This is SUCH a disgusting ad.

[BigBen]

He did mention Madrid.Lat­ino si,pero Americano no.

[tecpatl]

Latino refers to Latin America and is language-based, not race-based like the word Hispanic. It recognizes that not all people in Latin America are Hispanic, such as the many Polish people that went to Mexico after World War 2. Therefore, a Mexican of Polish descent that moves to the US is Latino, not Hispanic. It is a more inclusive term than Hispanic and more accurate. Spain is not in Latin America, so they are not Latino.