Obama campaign woos Hispanics with TV, radio ads

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — President Barack Obama's re-election team is running upbeat ads on Spanish-language stations in pivotal election states — a sharp contrast to the hard-hitting commercials in English that the incumbent's campaign is airing against Republican rival Mitt Romney.

With the lighter tone, Obama hopes to shore up what polls indicate is a large lead over Romney among Hispanics. They are the nation's fastest growing minority group, usually a reliable Democratic voting bloc that's causing consternation for Republicans trying to position their party for the future.

Privately, Republicans say Romney isn't likely to carry the Hispanic vote in swing states. But they insist he can take them by, in part, trimming Obama's margin among Hispanic voters rather than winning it outright.