Political

As the United States gets ready to enter an election year, there are interesting differences in the perceptions of adults in the five largest European countries, especially compared to Americans, as to what the election may mean and how important it is. Two-thirds of Americans (66%) and over half of Italians (55%), Germans (52%) and Spaniards (51%) think the U.S. election is extremely or very important to people in other countries as do a plurality (43%) of British adults. The French, however, disagree, as just over one-third (38%) say the election is extremely or very important to other countries.

Univision Communications Inc. together with the University of Miami, made history with the broadcast of the first ever Republican Presidential Candidate Forum in Spanish. Univision’s Forum provided a landmark opportunity for the Republican candidates to speak directly to the growing Hispanic electorate whose votes will play an important role in the next presidential election.

Political campaign spending on advertising media and marketing services is expected to rocket to an all-time high of $4.50 billion in the 2008 election cycle, as an acrimonious political environment, record fundraising and the high number of presidential candidates are driving an unprecedented media spending splurge.

Talk about a turnaround: Republican presidential contenders who couldn’t be dragged near a Spanish-language debate three short months ago suddenly are tripping all over each other in the mad dash to take part in the debate next Sunday at the University of Miami.

Back in August, the Spanish-language network Univision offered the presidential candidates from both parties a chance to make history. For the first time ever, the network planned to put on nationally televised presidential debates in Spanish.

After spending the first part of this decade loosening their historic ties to the Democratic Party, Hispanic voters have reversed course in the past year, a new nationwide survey of Latinos by the Pew Hispanic Center has found.

Due to a legal challenge by DC-based Allbritton Communications, LLC the publishers of “Politico”, Arturo Villar’s just launched newsletter ‘La Politica’ was forced to change their name due to the potential of protracted litigation. The weekly newsletter will be called Candidato USA.

In a briefing at the National Press Club, a coalition of the nation’s largest and most established Latino organizations and the country’s largest Spanish-language media companies launched Ya es Hora, ¡Ve y Vota! (It’s Time, Go Vote!), a non-partisan national voter mobilization effort targeting U.S. Hispanics.

Last year, Mayor Steve Lonegan, of Bogota, New Jersey, gained notoriety by demanding the removal of a Spanish-language McDonald’s billboard created by d expósito & Partners. He then tried to make English the official language of the tiny New Jersey town that bears the same name of Colombia’s capital. In a matter of hours, Lonegan was all over the news.

Well, the curious mayor is back in the news and- irony of ironies! – this time he is mentioned for the presumed discovery of two illegal immigrants working on repairs at a second home Lonegan owns in Bogota.

This paper provides an overview of the 2007 political advertising landscape and a forecast of ad spending for 2008. Developed by TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group (CMAG), the paper discusses state and local political advertising, strong issue and advocacy ad spend and Presidential campaign ad spend.

Dewey Square Group announced the launch of DSG LATINovations, the firm’s new venture to tap the country’s fastest growing population.

DSG LATINovations will be led by former DNC Communications Director Maria Cardona and former Congressional Hispanic Caucus Executive Director Maria Robles Meier.

Telemundo and mun2 announced the launch of “Vota Por Tu Futuro” – “Vote 4 UR Future,” the networks’ national non-partisan Hispanic voter registration campaign.

MySpace and MTV teamed up with ImpreMedia as their Hispanic media partner for the 2007 series of Presidential Candidate Dialogues. ImpreMedia’s online channel, LaVibra.com will host the Spanish translated dialogues in streaming video.

Every four years, voters head to the polls to elect our nation’s president.

The process begins with a series of primaries and caucuses in the winter and spring, and ends with the November general election. To mark the start of the 2008 presidential election season, the Census Bureau has culled the following facts from previously released statistical reports.

Arturo Villar’s Solmark Media Group, which also publishes Hispanic Market Weekly (HMW), has been distributing information to people in the ad industry about the content and target publishing date of November 5th, 2007 for their new publication dedicated to help politicians, elected officials, candidates, campaign managers, advisers and consultants better understand, reach and create effective strategies to reach Latino voters.

Univision Communications Inc., together with the University of Miami, made history this evening with the broadcast of the first ever U.S. presidential candidate Forum in Spanish. Univision’s Democratic Presidential Candidate Forum provided an innovative and landmark opportunity for the candidates to speak directly to the growing Hispanic electorate, whose votes will play a pivotal role in the next presidential election.

It’s gotten cheap to say, but Sunday night it will be true: History will be made. For the first time ever, presidential candidates will take part in a nationally televised debate en español. That anyone would even entertain the idea is a sign of the growing political clout of Hispanics. BY JOSE CANCELA