GOP foray into Spanish TV: savvy or pandering?

The campaign was conceived to tap into a wide melting-pot demographic, though foremost the strategy is directed toward people like Felipe Duran. He is an influential business entrepreneur who has rapidly amassed a small empire of Mexican restaurants in metropolitan Denver.

Mr. Duran casts himself as "undecided" politically. But he's impressed by the effort the GOP is making to reach Hispanic voters – and the show's themes of less government and lower taxes, and its portrayals of Hispanics as role models.

"I'm not one to wear my political beliefs on my sleeve because I don't want to alienate customers," says Duran, a father of two, sitting in the first "Villa del Sol" restaurant he opened. "I am not an activist, but I am willing to support a political party that recognizes the challenges confronting small business people."

When Duran first crossed the border into the US from Mexico decades ago, he couldn't speak English. Eventually, he learned the language, worked his way through college, and took an accounting job. He reveres what it means to be upwardly mobile, though he's confused about which party represents his interests.

"Education is the key to success in this country and if 'Abriendo Caminos' helps to educate people, then it's a good thing," says Duran.

Democrats, not surprisingly, ridicule the GOP move. Democratic National Committee chair Terence McAuliffe has characterized the programming as nothing more than "political infomercials." He decries the show as an attempt to mislead voters in regions where Republican candidates have struggled with issues ranging from immigration policy to labor regulations.

Yet Democrats are clearly closely watching. Reports indicate they're considering a TV "news magazine" of their own, and the party is sending staffers around the country to work with Latino politicians and voters in states with key congressional races.

"Whenever a Democrat does something good for the Hispanic community it's considered thoughtful, but when Republicans do something similar, it's condemned ... as pandering," Castillo says. "Latino voters are savvy, and they're issue driven."

Castillo contends that little gestures matter to Hispanics, such as when President Bush opened talks with Mexico President Vicente Fox by peppering his introduction with salutations in Spanish.

Although launched as an experimental departure from the usual array of partisan political ads, the show has garnered enough positive response that the GOP is considering expanding it into larger markets such as Los Angeles and New York.

In the end, though, what's important will be the substance of the shows. "This business of trying to speak Spanish is fine, but it's what is actually said that's just as important," says Christine Sierra, a political scientist at the University of New Mexico.

• Abraham McLaughlin contributed to this report.

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