McCain, Obama Address Major Hispanic Conferences

In what continues to be a year of firsts in election history, both presidential candidates yesterday addressed attendees at the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) annual conference taking place in DC this week.  Hillary Clinton, along with other influential government officials, also will address the crowd later this week.  McCain spoke during a diversity luncheon, while Obama led an open dialogue session: and each touched on immigration as they seek to solidify the support from the Latino vote. The importance of the Latino vote has been well documented and reported since this election cycle began. This link to NPR provides a library of recent stories that document how the battle for the Hispanic vote is continuing to heat up.  With voters preoccupied about the economy and how it is personally affecting them, candidates are amping up their campaigns and seeking opportunities to be closer to potential poll goers.

This year has already seen the first presidential debate in a Spanish TV network, and historical online presence aimed at all communities, including the Hispanic population.  As they reach out to the Latino vote, the candidates have been at NALEO, now LULAC and later this month they'll be at NCLR. To watch clips from their participation at NALEO click here.

On the citizen, media and community side, there also has been an unprecedented focus on getting the Latino youth engaged and just getting the general population to become more involved, beyond immigration and because of if, and for the future of policies and immediate leadership decisions that can impact the livelihood of the fastest-growing demographic in the nation. 

Aplauso to the candidates, their campaigns and advisors for being so committed to be inclusive.  And aplauso to Hispanic organizations for opening access and forums to have important discussions that will continue to shape the future for generations to come. For more posts on the election topic, click on Politics.