| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Monday, May 20 2002 |
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| Spanish-language television is so hot that even the Republican Party wants a piece of the action. The next time you're channel-surfing, don't be surprised to see a high-ranking Republican politician speaking in Spanish about the virtues of the GOP. You might even see President Bush himself saying "Mi casa es su casa," or the president's handsome nephew George P. Bush urging Hispanics to vote for a GOP candidate.
Beginning this month, the Republican National Committee will join a long list of hair-transplant surgeons, personal trainers, financial gurus and rotisserie-oven salesmen who hawk their goods on television by using infomercials. And like so many balding men, overweight Americans, wannabe millionaires and future chefs, there are Hispanic voters out there who are hungry for information that will improve their quality of life.
The GOP's program will be called "Abriendo Caminos," which translates to "Forging New Paths." It's a 30-minute show that the Republicans are calling a "newsmagazine." In reality, it's an infomercial - an expensive one, at that. The GOP is investing $1 million on the show, which will initially air as paid advertising on Spanish-language TV networks Univision and Telemundo in Miami; Orlando, Fla.; Denver; Fresno, Calif.; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Las Vegas. Each city was chosen because it has a large Latino population and will host key elections this year.
The fact that the GOP is getting into the Spanish-language TV business is a sign that the Hispanic vote is the hottest political commodity. This year, the Republican Party began offering Spanish lessons to party leaders and began to actively recruit potential Hispanic candidates for office. With a Hispanic population of 35 million and a record 7 million Hispanics voting in the 2000 presidential election, both parties are scrambling to capture the Latino vote in the midterm election.
Democrats question whether a TV show reflects a true commitment to Hispanics. Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe has said Republicans are interested in winning Hispanic votes rather than addressing the needs of the Hispanic community. Democratic House Whip Nancy Pelosi went even further in attacking the program, saying it should be called "Cerrando Puertas," or "Closing Doors," because of what she calls the GOP's anti-Hispanic voting record. The truth is that even though Latinos have traditionally supported Democrats, in the last election Republicans made inroads.
The GOP says "Abriendo Caminos" will contain a mix of news headlines and issue-oriented discussion. One of the first issues covered might be the nomination of Judge Miguel Estrada, a 40-year-old native of Honduras whose appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington has been blocked by Democrats who claim that Estrada is too conservative in his judicial rulings. Mel Martinez, the Cuban-born U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, will reportedly appear in a show about housing.
Actually, "Abriendo Caminos" could be a useful tool for Hispanics - as long as they remember exactly what it is: an infomercial, political propaganda. Just like you don't always buy the rotisserie oven you see on the infomercial or the abdominal-muscle machine hawked by personal trainers on television, voters should take "Abriendo Caminos" with a grain of salt. Be aware that everything you see on the program will have a GOP spin. Just like with the psychic-help hotline, let the viewer beware. |
