Latin star Daddy Yankee endorses McCain at school
by John Faherty - Aug. 26, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona RepublicThe students at Central High School in Phoenix thought it was a pretty big deal when Sen. John McCain appeared on campus Monday morning.
But when McCain introduced his "special friend," it felt like when the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.
The girls squealed and the boys tried to look cool as Daddy Yankee, a Reggaeton star from Puerto Rico, stood shoulder to shoulder with the senator.
"I believe in his ideals and his proposals," Daddy Yankee - born Ramon (Raymond) Ayala - told the students during his endorsement of McCain. "He's been a fighter for the Hispanic community. He's been a fighter for the immigration issue."
If you don't know who Daddy Yankee is, ask your children.
He is a huge star in Reggaeton, a Latin-infused combination of reggae, hip-hop and dancehall music.
He could serve as a bridge for McCain, 71, to a young Hispanic demographic.
In 2006, Time magazine named Daddy Yankee one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Sen. McCain was on that list. Sen. Barack Obama, McCain's opponent in the race for the White House, was not. But he made it the next year.
McCain's appearance at the school lasted just 20 minutes, it lacked any talk of policy and a question-and-answer period with the students did not happen.
But it remained a thrill for approximately 120 students who were picked to attend because of their roles in student government or because they are taking advanced social-studies courses.
"Everybody is real excited about it," Jimmy Baker, a senior, said about McCain. "To have somebody like this come here is special. We usually get ignored here at Central."
Technology educator Erik Erspamer spent his weekend at the campus and arrived at 3:30 a.m. Monday to make sure the audio and video aspects of the visit worked properly as he broadcast the visit to the entire student body.
"This is one you really don't want to mess up," Erspamer said. "No, no, no. Not this one."
During his time in the school's small library, McCain said that Central High, from which his wife, Cindy McCain, graduated in 1972, could serve as a model for the nation.
He pointed specifically to the diversity of the student body.
In terms of academic achievement, however, Central is not an ideal model.
In 2006 and 2007, Central, did not meet benchmarks established by the federal No Child Left Behind program.
In addition, fewer than half of the school's students passed the most recent AIMS math test.
Central was also below the statewide average in reading and writing.
On Monday, however, the students were just happy that McCain decided to bring Daddy Yankee, whose hits include Lo Que Pasó, Pasó and Gasolina.
"It was a huge deal to see McCain, especially if he goes on to be president." said Viridiana Montengro, a junior. "But when I saw Daddy Yankee, I couldn't believe it. I thought, 'Is that really him?' "
It really was.
And he did not disappoint the students. Wearing sunglasses and large diamond-studded earrings, he walked around the library saying hello to each of them.
There were hugs and handshakes and pictures.
With the students buzzing and cameras popping, the senator looked around and said, "Thank you. Thank you, Daddy Yankee. Go Bobcats. Thank you."
http://www.azcentral.com/...6/20080826McCain0826.html
