We’ve hit a new, if hilarious, low in the Spanish language ad wars. It’s hard to imagine what it would have been like to be a fly on the wall in the focus group where the NRA developed the latest, most bizarre, approach to reeling in Latino voters of this election. According to the Washington Post:
The latest TV ad from the National Rifle Association yokes immigration fears to the gun rights debate by raising the specter of crime by illegals before noting that Barack Obama voted against a 2004 Illinois bill to provide additional legal protections to individuals defending themselves with firearms against home-invading criminals.
After what must have been months of tedious message-pruning, they’ve decided to spend around 8 figures running Spanish and English language ads that essentially brand all undocumented immigrants as dangerous criminals, on par with rapists and drug dealers, in battleground states where the Latino vote could well swing the election.
“Families should be able to defend themselves against rapists, drug dealers and other criminals illegally crossing our borders,” says Andy Vaquera.
The NRA thinks Latino voters will be outraged that Senator Obama would not encourage American citizens to shoot at these ‘dangerous criminals,’ who obviously came from across the border. Despite the fact that the 2004 legislation in question had nothing to do with immigration, we wonder about the NRA’s logic here.
Maybe it’s just us, but making criminals – much less target practice- out of immigrants is not going to fly with Latino voters on Election Day. Painting hard-working immigrants, whatever their status, as criminals is, in fact, one of the most offensive things that the extreme right wing has done, and expecting that message to work with Latino voters who know better, may be one of the dumbest.
The ad will air in both English and Spanish on broadcast and cable stations in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas through Election Day.
How do you say backfire en Español?
