Presidential Campaigns Stand Up Latino Media ????

At the Omni Colonnade Hotel, with the microphones set, the cameras rolling and an audience of over fifty people, including many Hispanic Media Journalists, waiting at the set of the Political Forum Tuesday night, the missing components were the two Political Parties’ representatives including the invited vice presidential candidates.

In envisioning to address the obvious need for the Hispanic community to know each parties’ position with regards to the Latino issues, the NAHP initiated contacts with both political parties’ representatives at the highest levels through official letters and via telephone since the second week of September. Although the official confirmation from the parties’ representatives had been delayed, there were signals of intention to attend until hours prior to the scheduled forum.

It was the intention of the NAHP to provide the candidates with a unique opportunity to embrace the US Hispanic community in such a fashion that will make clear their positions with regards to the numerous issues that are directly affecting the lives of the entire Hispanic community by sending their messages through the core of the Hispanic print media, reaching over 60% of total Hispanic households in the country.

Unfortunately, neither side showed up to the scheduled forum, which had to be cancelled at the last minute in their absence.

“We regret that both, Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. John Edwards were busy on the campaign trail, and that they couldn’t come to Miami nor send a representative to address the Latino Media in an event which was planned since September,” said Hernan Guaracao, president of The National Association of Hispanic Publications, Inc., coordinating the political forum in conjunction with the Miami Ad Summit taking place in The Omni Colonnade Hotel October 12 and October 13.

In many of the battleground states, including Florida, Pennsylvania and New Mexico where there are numerous Hispanic publications, the side that the Hispanic vote falls on has the potential of deciding who will be the nation’s next leader.

It is now up to the candidates, to step forward and engage the Hispanic community and to request their support in order to get their decisive vote.