The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page A9

THE A9NATION NEW YORK When running for mayor, it helps to be asmooth talker. This year, candidates are having to work a little harder at it. The competition for New Hispanic voters is so fierce among Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the four Democrats vying to unseat him that most of the candidates are struggling to speak Spanish on the campaign trail, even though some had never spoken a word of it before. Only one grew up with the language. not very admits Rep.

Anthony Weiner. His last encounter with a Spanish textbook had been in junior high school, so he hired a tutor last year. In a city with more than 2.1 million Hispanics about a quarter of the population multiple Spanish-language television stations and several Spanish daily newspapers, the candidates are at least making an effort to explain themselves. could always communicate nuances much better in a tongue comfortable said Weiner, 39. for someone like me who probably will never be fluent in Spanish, it is to symbolically express respect for their culture and their language, and also to show that Politicians at all levels are recognizing the power of the largest minority group.

Last Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry, said he learned Spanish from audiotapes, and on Capitol Hill lawmakers gather weekly for language classes. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper learned Spanish before he went into politics and ended up defeating his Hispanic opponent, City Auditor Don Mares. In Los Angeles, a swell of Hispanic pride helped Antonio Villaraigosa win a decisive victory over incumbent James Hahn, and when he is sworn in July 1he will become the first Hispanic mayor since 1872. Bloomberg began taking Spanish lessons four years ago, during his first campaign for City Hall. The millionaire businessman was new to both politics and Spanish but was eager to learn, his former teacher said.

has a lot to do with it; harder the older you are, but he was very said Juan Carlos Ayarza, who occasionally accompanied Bloomberg to campaign events such as the Puerto Rican Day parade or a Colombian festival. Bloomberg, who works with adifferent tutor now, often sprinkles his speeches with Spanish phrases, although observers say he needs to work on his accent. At a recent press conference, areporter asked the mayor in Spanish how long been studying the language. Bloomberg tried his best, answering hora media, cada which translates to hour and ahalf each City Council Speaker and mayoral candidate Gifford Miller, who also was a beginner when he began working with a Spanish tutor last year, likes to show off his language skills in song particularly the Puerto Rican national anthem, Bo- which he belted out recently at a senior center. When singing appropriate, Miller prepares a few sentences in Spanish but says he achieved his goal to understand and answer questions in Spanish.

important to be able to communicate as best as possible, so I make an effort at said Miller, 35. wish I spoke it better. why careful about what I The candidate with the bilingual edge is Fernando Ferrer, a former Bronx borough presi- dent who grew up speaking Spanish and English. At campaign events and press conferences, Ferrer frequently repeats his comments for the Spanish media. However, he said the language is of who I am and a part of what this city is, so I brandish it as a political The fourth candidate challenging Bloomberg in the November election, C.

Virginia Fields, 58, studied Spanish in high school and college but comfortable speaking it on the campaign trail yet, said her spokesman, Nick Charles. AQuinnipiac University poll this month showed Bloomberg suffers low approval ratings among Hispanic voters; just 30 percent said they were impressed with the job he was do- ing, compared with 54 percent of non-Hispanic whites. The poll was conducted before Bloomberg released a television campaign advertisement targeted toward Hispanics. In it, Bloomberg speaks entirely in Spanish. New York City mayoral candidates trying to reach more voters by speaking Spanish By Sara Kugler Associated Press Calling Get Unlimited For ONLY 9 99 Monthly Access Per Additional Line on Choice SM Family $59.99 monthly access and higher.

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