Thread: Spanish-language presidential debate eyed here

http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/129986.html

Spanish-language presidential debate eyed here

BY BETH REINHARD

breinhard@MiamiHerald.com

Univisión, the most popular Spanish-language television network in the United States, has invited the Democrats and Republicans running for president to Miami for the nation's first-ever presidential debates conducted in Spanish.

Kick-starting the campaign after the traditional Labor Day holiday, the Democrats would face off Sept. 9, while the Republicans would meet one week later on Sept. 16 at the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami.

Simultaneous translation would be provided to the candidates and viewers, creating a United Nations-like atmosphere on national television.

Of the 18 declared candidates so far, only two Democrats are known to speak Spanish fluently: Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut.
''Hispanics will play a pivotal role in this crucial presidential election, and Univisión is excited and honored by the prospect of hosting this historic event,'' said Univisión spokeswoman Stephanie Pillersdorf. ``The time is now for candidates to speak to the fastest growing segment of the U.S. electorate, as so many of the issues facing our nation today affect the Hispanic community directly.''

The invitation comes as the debate over immigration boils over on the campaign trail and in Washington, where the Senate is weighing a plan to allow millions of illegal workers to earn citizenship.

Republican candidate John McCain came to immigrant-rich South Florida on Monday to deliver an impassioned defense of the bill and accuse his rivals in the party of ''silent amnesty'' if they don't put forth their own plan.

Republican Mitt Romney responded in a written statement that he opposed ''special incentives'' for people who came to this country illegally.

Meanwhile, Florida voters are poised to play their biggest role ever in choosing the presidential nominees. A new law moves the primary from the second Tuesday in March to the last Tuesday in January, pushing the nation's biggest battleground state to the vanguard of the 2008 primary campaign.

It's unclear if the candidates, who have already committed to a series of debates over the next eight months, will accept the invitation.

The Doral-based Univisión is the fifth largest network in the country, behind the major broadcast outlets but in front of cable channels like CNN and MSNBC, which have already aired debates. Univisión ranks No. 1 some nights among young adults ages 18-34.
Last week, Univisión averaged 3.5 million viewers.

The forum would be moderated by Univisión's news anchors, Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas.

Invitations were sent to all of the candidates and the national parties on Friday, signed by Joe Uva, chief executive officer of Univisión, and Donna Shalala, president of the University of Miami, where the debates would be held. Shalala, a former Cabinet member under President Bill Clinton, helped lure one of the three official 2004 general election debates to the campus, attracting media from time zones all over the world.
''Miami is sort of a natural place to hold debates of this kind because of its diversity and political importance,'' said Rudy Fernandez, the university's vice president of government affairs.

``We've already proven we can pull off debates, and any time you have the opportunity to host an event of this magnitude is a tremendous opportunity for the student body.''
President Bush and his brother, former Gov. Jeb Bush, were credited with bringing Hispanics into the Republican fold, but the Democratic Party made gains in the 2006 election which cost the GOP control of Congress.

If the candidates accept Univisión's proposal, Florida could host as many as four presidential primary debates.

Just last week, a partnership between Leadership Florida, the Florida Press Association and the Florida Public Broadcasting Service announced plans to host back-to-back debates on Jan. 23 and Jan. 24. The partnership, which ran debates last year between the candidates for governor and U.S. Senate, has not yet chosen a location.
The Republican Party of Florida is hosting a debate for the GOP candidates in Orlando on Oct. 21, to be broadcast by Fox News.

Miami Herald staff writer Evan S. Benn contributed to this report.

You can count Tancredo out!

He won't pander!