Thread: Univision proposes presidential debate for Spanish-speaking

Univision proposes presidential debate for Spanish-speaking audience
By Peter Wallsten, Times Staff Writer
5:46 PM PDT, June 5, 2007


WASHINGTON -- Univision, the country's highest-rated Spanish-language television network and a leading draw for young adult viewers, has invited the White House hopefuls from both parties to participate in the first-ever presidential candidate debates to be conducted entirely in Spanish.

The network has proposed two debates, one for each party, to be held on back-to-back Sundays in September -- giving the candidates unprecedented exposure to a mass audience of increasingly important Latino voters.

The debates, to be held in immigrant-rich Miami, would likely focus heavily on the battle over legalizing millions of undocumented workers.

The Democratic candidates tend to back legalization. But the Univision debate could further exacerbate a split over the issue among the GOP contenders, further highlighting a divide that party strategists fear might alienate Latino voters even as that electorate grows fast.

On Monday, for example, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a backer of the legalization measure now before the Senate, used a speech before a mostly Latino audience in Miami to challenge one of his chief rivals, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has opposed the plan as being too soft on illegal immigrants.

Moreover, the Spanish-only aspect of the debate could prove particularly awkward for the Republican field, in which all candidates except McCain favor making English the official language of the United States. (On the Democratic side, longshot Mike Gravel, a former senator from Alaska, is the only candidate who supports that proposal.)

It was not clear today whether any candidates would accept Univision's proposal. Officials from several campaigns, deluged with debate proposals from interest groups and media, said they would consider the invitation.

Network officials said they believed the size and importance of the audience would make it difficult for candidates to decline.

Univision is the fifth-most viewed network in the country, behind the major broadcast networks but ahead of English-language cable channels such as CNN, Fox News and MSNBC that have broadcast their own debates. It sometimes beats the broadcast networks in the coveted 18-34 age range.

"Many of the issues being discussed in this election season are of particular interest to the Hispanic community," Univision CEO Joe Uva wrote in a letter to the candidates that was also signed by University of Miami president Donna Shalala, a former Clinton administration Cabinet official on whose campus the debates would be held. "Consequently, we have seen a sharp increase in the number of citizenship applications and voter registrations which we believe will further accelerate the growth of the Hispanic electorate."

The letter argues that Latino voters could prove decisive in key early primaries -- including California's and Florida's -- in addition to deciding the general election in states such as New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado.

The precise format has not yet been decided. But simultaneous translation will be provided to the candidates and the audience. Of the 18 declared candidates on both sides, only two -- both Democrats -- are known to be fluent in Spanish: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who is Latino, and Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd.

The candidates would take questions for 90 minutes from Univision's evening news anchors, Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas, who have devoted much of their airtime in recent months to the immigration issue. Their coverage is credited with helping to drive thousands of Latinos to attend mass demonstrations protesting a push last year by congressional Republicans to make illegal immigration a felony.

For Univision, the debates would mark a rare foray into presidential politics. But network officials said Univision would be playing a greater role -- illustrated by a new public affairs program to be hosted by Ramos that is scheduled to debut in the fall.

peter.wallsten@latimes.com


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... crosspromo

[ahem]

To be a citizen you MUST SPEAK ENGLISH

To vote you MUST BE A CITIZEN


any candidate in this debate should be tossed out

I wonder if they'll invite only the pro-illegal candidates?

For some reason, I can't see Tancredo participating.

I really don't know how all of us Hispanics with voting rights have managed until now. Univision is without a doubt the MOST agenda-driven pro-amnesty network there is, and those two anchors who would be asking the questions have shown their pro-illegal bias over and over and over and over...

Now you've gone and done it! You've given those that need special attention one more thing to demand and complain about.

Correct me if I'm wrong but you are suppose to pass an English test to become a citizen and only citizens are eligible voters so why would we need to do this in Spanish?

Well, unless non-Americans intend on voting.

Dixie

First heard about this on the John and Ken show tonight. They were having a field day with this. They pointed out most people who still speak only Spanish aren't citizens, as in not voters!
This is going too far!

No.

I'm guessing all the dems would show up and be praised for it. Any republican that showed up would be instantly shunned by a majority of their party