You don’t even have to know what he’s saying to know what he’s after: the Puerto Rican vote.

Hillary Clinton may have the advantage in Puerto Rico due to her popularity with Latinos, but Barack Obama does have one thing on his side: a killer accent. Whether he’s taken Spanish classes in the past or just practiced really hard for this ad, I know enough about Spanish to know that the way he speaks in this ad is pretty darn good.

I’m not the only one:

“He’s kind of always been around Latinos, and obviously heard some language,” says Vincent Casillas, coordinator of Spanish media for the Obma campaign, who adds he only recent heard the senator’s Spanish-speaking skills during a recent campaign stop in Miami. The ad has been well received in Puerto Rico, Casillas added, suggesting the senator may do similar ads in the coming months.

And for the record, here’s what he’s saying in the ad:

I’m Barack Obama and I approve this message. I was born on an island, and I understand that food, gas, and everything costs more. Puerto Rico has a right to a better future. My plan offers new incentives to replace the 40,000 jobs that have been lost. And invest in the education of Puerto Rican children. On June 1st, it would be an honor to count on your vote.

One of Obama’s problems in Puerto Rico is that he just doesn’t have the name recognition that Clinton has. Perhaps hearing Obama speak to them in their language will cause Puerto Ricans to take more notice of him.

Will this direct appeal to Puerto Ricans, in their language, help Obama in the June 1 primary? Probably not enough to beat Clinton but, yes, I think so. Or, en español, sí.