‘Los Panderos’: Jon Stewart Considers Which Candidate Panders Best

Which candidate — President Barack Obama or Mitt Romney — pandered best to Latino voters last week? Jon Stewart dissected the speeches and revisited his award-winning segment: “Los Panderos.”

The greeting is everything, Stewart said. Romney spoke to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials as if he wasn’t sure everyone spoke English. Obama, on the other hand, easily greeted the crowd in Spanish. First round goes to Obama.

Next was “connection to and comfort with the community.” Obama praised Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, the first Hispanic woman to serve as a cabinet member. “Some of my best secretaries of labor are Latino,” Stewart quipped.

Romney’s father, though, was born to American parents in Mexico. He’s “Mexican-ish,” Stewart said. Round two goes to Romney.

The jury was out on the third round — the legislative panders. Obama announced a shift in immigration policy that would provide a path to citizenship for some young immigrants. “It was the right thing to do,” Obama told the NALEO conference. “And one week before coming here was the right time to do it,” Stewart mocked. Romney told the audience he would “replace” and “supersede” Obama’s immigration move.

“Like a tattoo American college students get on a spring break Mexican bender, you don’t know what it is yet, you don’t know if you like it, but it will be permanent,” Stewart said.