MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — The two leading Democratic presidential contenders traveled to Florida on Sunday to aggressively woo the crucial Latino vote.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both stressed similar themes — but it was the senator from Illinois whose passion and energy impressed many here.
David Vera, 58, a deputy fire chief from Phoenix, said he initially leaned toward New York's Clinton. But after hearing Obama at the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights group, he's not so sure.
"There's an inspiring aura about him. I think he really cares for people in the country," Vera said. "I've been kind of looking at Hillary, but I think (Obama's speech) gives me something else to look at."
At Sunday's convention, both Clinton and Obama called for comprehensive immigration reform and both addressed the need to improve the nation's education system. Obama stressed how the struggles of blacks and Hispanics are inextricably connected.