McCain on the air with new radio ad… en Español

LAS VEGAS-Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain launched a new Spanish language radio ad yesterday in parts of the southwest including Nevada. The ad, titled "Economy," focuses on rising food and gasoline costs and stays away from more divisive issues including his proposed temporary worker plan.

"When we are buying groceries, we don't have a political party," the announcer reads in the ad. "When we are filling up the gas tank, we are not Republicans, Democrats or Independents. We are Hispanics, and we all are hurting together in this uncertain economic time."

Hispanic voters in the southwest will be a major battleground moving into the general election. This demographic, which has been trending Democratic since the immigration reform plan failed in congress in 2006, may be up in the air based on McCain's support for immigration reform and lukewarm feelings toward the candidacy of Ill. Sen. Barack Obama, the first African-American to top either major party's ticket.

"If you look at John McCain's previous elections in Arizona, obviously a state with a large Hispanic population, John McCain has had tremendous support, upwards of 70 percent," said McCain spokesman Jeff Sadosky. "His record and where he stands on a number of issues has a high level of appeal to Hispanic voters and we think we can do very well among the Latino community as we look towards November."

Read the transcript of the ad here.