"His campaign has been at 10,000 feet," Cortes said, "so the question is how do we get to him?"
Both campaigns view the fast-growing Latino vote as crucial to their national strategies. McCain has told some Republicans that he believes his popularity among Latinos might help him in California, for example, and both campaigns are planning to fight it out for Latino votes in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Florida -- states that could well decide the Electoral College.
Steve Schmidt, a McCain strategist, said the campaign was "confident" it would build support over the next five months.
"The reality is we have to do well and we think we can exceed what President Bush did in 2004," Schmidt said.
"We think we can top 40% of the Hispanic vote in this election."
The radio ads running in the Southwest promote McCain's "realistic" plan to "jump-start" the economy. And McCain is trying to show Latinos that, despite his hardened views on immigration, he still will push his party to change its often harsh rhetoric on the issue.
A Memorial Day ad online honored Latino green card holders serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The ad uses a clip from a Republican debate in New Hampshire where McCain called on his fellow party members to "remember that these are God's children" and said that while immigrants must come to the country legally, "they have enriched our culture and our nation as every generation of immigrants before them."
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peter.wallsten@latimes.com
Times staff writer Maeve Reston contributed to this report.
