Pubdate: Wed, 07 Aug 2002
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2002 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Section: New York Region
Author: Shaila Dewan

MCCALL SEEKS HISPANIC VOTES

This 30-second commercial, in Spanish, is the second in H. Carl McCall's 
campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor. Two Spanish-language 
television stations, Telemundo and Univision, began broadcasting the spot 
yesterday. A similar radio commercial is also on the air.

PRODUCER GMMB and the MirRam Group

ON THE SCREEN The ad opens with Fernando Ferrer, the former Bronx borough 
president, who mustered what many thought was a surprisingly strong showing 
in his bid to become mayor last year. As he speaks, a series of 
biographical images showing the highlights of Mr. McCall's career appear: 
standing in an Army uniform with his mother, at his swearing-in as state 
senator. It ends with him in his current position, state comptroller. 
Scenes of Mr. McCall, the campaigner, follow: in a parade with Mr. Ferrer, 
with youngsters, walking with an elderly man. Mr. Ferrer, who has been 
narrating throughout, appears again at the end.

THE SCRIPT Mr. Ferrer says, in Spanish: "Carl McCall is one of our heroes. 
He came from humble beginnings. He succeeded and became a state senator, 
president of the Board of Education, ambassador, a bank vice president, and 
today comptroller.

"We have always had in Carl McCall a friend who understands our families' 
struggles. Carl McCall deserves our votes and our support."

ACCURACY Like Mr. McCall's first English-language commercial, this one 
makes no claims beyond the basic facts of his biography, with one quibble: 
although he did have the rank of ambassador, he was not the chief United 
States representative to the United Nations. His title was representative 
for special political affairs.

SCORECARD This advertisement capitalizes on two of Mr. McCall's strengths: 
his leadership experience and his support among Democratic political 
leaders. And it aims squarely at an important Democratic constituency, 
Hispanic voters. By using Mr. Ferrer, Mr. McCall effectively broadcasts his 
support among Hispanic leaders. Further, by emphasizing the bootstrap 
quality of Mr. McCall's life, it establishes him as someone with a history 
and with positions the average Hispanic voter can embrace. His Democratic 
opponent, Andrew M. Cuomo, sent a similar message to black voters last 
week, in a commercial that features Martin Luther King III, son of the 
civil rights leader, and Adam Clayton Powell, son of a Harlem congressman. 
But timing could be everything: Mr. McCall's ad started running the day 
after Mr. Cuomo trumped him by taking a stronger stance against the 
Rockefeller drug laws, an issue important to Hispanic voters.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens