Long-time Hispanic marketing blogger and political enthusiast Luis Clemens has a new, timely blog about the intersection of Latinos, culture, marketing and politics. With all that is happening in the arena and the line up of presidential candidates debating on many topics of deep interest to Hispanics, LaPolitica.com is a fresh, new, much-needed forum. Luis contributes the following post, originally published as his inaugural editor's note, to readers of FH Hispania Plaza. Congratulations on your new blog Luis, and happy, content-rich countdown to the 2008 election.
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Latino political marketing in presidential elections got its start in 1960 when Jacqueline Kennedy recorded a television ad in her prep-school Spanish touting the candidacy of her husband. The production quality is lousy but the message is clear, "¡Qué Viva Kennedy!"
Nearly fifty years later there is one Hispanic presidential candidate, two Latino campaign managers and three contenders who have already purchased Spanish-language media.
Hispanic online, print, radio and television media outlets are ramping up their electoral coverage. Many are going beyond reporting and actively encouraging their audience to become citizens and register to vote. Spanish-language radio disc jockeys nicknamed "Piolín" and "El Cucuy" are becoming full-blown political players. Presidential debates are conducted in Spanish and simulcast in Spanish. Latino English-language bloggers are receiving paid political advertising.
Against this backdrop, we launch La Politica one year before the 2008 elections.
There is some sort of seismic shift in the American political landscape. Indeterminate and unpredictable, yes. But, there is movement.
Enough to spur Latino voter turnout? Enough to tilt the presidential elections one way or another? Enough to encourage investment in Hispanic political advertising?
I don't know. I leave the business of predictions to others.
My business, my obsession, my passion is news and analysis. I promise to work like crazy to keep readers informed of the full range of political communications efforts targeting Latino voters at the national, state and municipal levels. And we will cover the political issues that matter to Latino voters: the economy, education, health care, the war in Iraq, relations with Latin America and, of course, immigration. Indeed, we will report on the intersection between Hispanic media and politics.
A dash of opinion - someone else's, that is - will close each weekly newsletter.
And please share your own opinions about the newsletter, politics and Hispanic political marketing at our blog.
Let's become part of the political conversation.
