John McCain has recently launched the Spanish-language version of the campaign site (here). There's not a ton of Spanish-language content -- apart from his biography and testimonials from four Spanish-speaking Florida Republicans. I thought I'd provide a quick look at what those commentators have to say.
The most notable testimonial is from Senator Mel Martinez, who leads off by citing an issue that has caused angst for some conservatives -- immigration reform:
When I really got to know the character of John McCain -- the personality of this man -- was when we worked side by side to try to improve the immigration laws of this nation. At that time, I know that he risked the presidency, but he always thought it was better to take a risk with his personal politics. And it was better to help the Latin population of this nation, and at the same time to help this nation.
He understands the situation of the immigrant in this nation. He has a very big heart, and he understands the necessity, but at the same time he understands that we need to have laws and we need to observe them. So he defied the normal political convention, and he risked all to create an immigration law in this nation that would be fair for the nation and for those who are here out of status.
Lincoln Diaz Balart is the only one of the other three who mentions immigration reform, and it comes in the middle of his comments. He says of McCain: 'he's used his political capital on very difficult problems, including immigration reform which would help so many Hispanics.'
Apart from those mentions of immigration, the four testimonials hit repeatedly on McCain's willingness to work with Democrats and Republicans, his commitment to the Hispanic people, his readiness to be president from day one, his understanding of the dangers of people like Castro and Hugo Chavez, and his commitment to close relations with Latin America. Three of the four specifically mention his commitment to the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. High gas prices also warrant repeated mentions, with several of the testimonials talking about his support for lower taxes -- especially on gas.
Some of the other highlights are when Ros-Lehtinen mentions that McCain's 'has suffered all the blows that one can suffer,' but has stood with his principles. She closes by saying that while McCain is very loyal to the Republican party, 'he's a person who doesn't have a party, because he works with all people to solve problems.'
A highlight of Lincoln Diaz Balart's commentary is when he says of McCain, 'he doesn't want to renegotiate NAFTA; the other candidates do want to renegotiate it -- which would be so counterproductive and dangerous.'
The comments on immigration reform suggest that McCain is going to continue to highlight his record on the issue with Hispanic audiences (as today's news shows). But the testimonials show that McCain has other strong issues to use -- the Democrats' snub of Colombia, and the foreign policy challenge posed by Chavez. All signs are that McCain will press hard for Hispanic votes, which may cause conservatives agita, but which could help him significantly in states like Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, and even California.
