Should Dem. Presidential debates be done in Spanish, too?

[ecstatic]

:shrug:

There was a discussion of whether the debates should be held in Spanish to accommodate non-English speaking citizens/residents. What do you guys think?

I don't think it's necessary but I could be wrong.

ETA backstory:

Univision, the country’s highest-rated Spanish-language television network and a leading draw for young adult viewers, has invited White House hopefuls from both major parties to participate in the first 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 probably focus on the battle over legalizing millions of undocumented immigrants.

http://freepress.net/news/23687

[Jim__]

1. There's a talk show host in Denver that would go insane if they did that.

Here's hoping ...

[LSK]

2. what do you mean "done in Spanish"? The Candidates talk in Spanish??

Or with interpreters or closed captioning?

[Bucky]

3. Yes, a Dodd vs Richardson debate would be so scintilating.

Why have a debate in a foreign language?

[Warpy]

4. Perhaps replayed with Spanish subtitles on Spanish TV stations

later that night or on a subsequent night.

Real time dubbing and Spanish captioning would be inadequate.

[The Count]

5. TV stations should dub them in Spanish to be watched with CC

My TV has an option for languages - a lot of shows - such as The Simpsons - have Spanish dubbing.
But it would be unfair to expect of all candidates to be fluent in Spanish.

[Totally Committed]

6. Wes Clark did an entire interview in Spanish on Telemundo

during the last primaries. It went quite well, as I remember. I don't remember any other candidate doing that, but I could be wrong. Anyway, it was a very nice thing to watch.

Do all the candidates know how to speak Spanish? If so, what a great thing to do! I'd tune in and watch for sure.

TC

[pnwmom]

12. I'd say the odds against all of them speaking Spanish

well enough to speak in a debate approach 100%.

[treestar]

19. I'm impressed there is a candidate who can do anything in Spanish

But if they can, there's nothing to stop them giving interviews in Spanish or any other language.

I remember Chimpy claimed he spoke Spanish, though he admitted he did so "haltingly" which also describes his command of English.

[pnwmom]

7. We already have enough trouble

getting them to speak clear, forthright English.

[depakid]

10. LOL! Ain't that the truth

Some of the translations might be amusing though....

[pnwmom]

14. I'm sure you are right.

The translations could be VERY amusing. If it wasn't so darn important to get things right this time around . . .

[Marrah_G]

8. What about all the other immigrants? don't thier languages count?

[ecstatic]

21. True, but I think Hispanics are the largest minority nt

[BlooInBloo]

9. We're Americans! We accomodate NO ONE!

[SteelPenguin]

11. Held in Spanish? No.

Well, unless all the candidates want to of course. If they all agree on it and all feel comfortable speaking in it for however long a debate is, then it's fine.

Otherwise what's wrong with translators and closed captioning?

As far as accomodating non-english speaking residents (non-citizens) I don't see why that matters.

[Bluebear]

13. HELD in Spanish or simulcast/translated to Spanish? nt

[napi21]

15. There are lots of spanish stations ON MY CABLE that are

spanish only and perfectly capable of broadcasting the debates if they choose to do so. If enough of their customers contact them, I'm sure they will.

[wuushew]

16. No, there is no advantage politically

and I don't want another Republican in the Whitehouse EVER.

[ecstatic]

22. I'm surprised by the responses so far, it seems to contradict other common memes

I'm confused.

[peace13]

17. Albanian!

Now there are some folks that would appreciate it!

[treestar]

18. Why not? I assume they would be subtitled

If a channel wants to do it, there is nothing to stop them from subtitling or dubbing them in Spanish, French, Latvian or Gujarati.

That can't be forbidden, either.

[soothsayer]

20. Sure, for presidential elections in Mexico or Spain, I reckon.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. Why not? The more informed the public is, the better.

Though I consider the "debates" little more than beauty contests and an opportunity for "gotcha" politics, at least the Spanish speaking would have a chance to make their choices on something other than paid commercials.

[Tom Joad]

24. If Bush were to be involved it would have to be translated into English

[taught_me_patience]

25. It ought to be held in Chinese

after all... with the amount of debt they keep buying from us, in the future, they will literally own this country!

[MADem]

26. They can do some of it NOW. All they have to do is acquire the rights to air the program

and hire some good translators for the simultaneous translations.

They won't be able to control the entire agenda, or use their news reporters as moderators, but if UNIVISION or another spanish language network picked up the rights, the moderators would be crazy not to toss in a few 'migra' questions:

The precise format has not been decided. But simultaneous translation would 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 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 encouraging thousands of Latinos to attend mass demonstrations protesting a push last year by congressional Republicans to make illegal immigration a felony.

If this is a debate IN ADDITION to other scheduled debates, there's the big chunk of prep time for the candidates, in a fair weather month when they're doing a lot of fundraising, to consider. While it may be a good, interesting, or useful idea, that's why I don't think they'd go for it, or try to hold off and make this one of the general election debates.

Alot depends on the skill of the translators, too, and Dodd and Richardson would have a HUGE (and some might say unfair) advantage over the other candidates in that type of forum--I mean, really--you tend to listen more closely and EASILY to the person speaking your first language. If I were a candidate, I'd want to know if I could pick my own translator--hell, all you need is some stumblebum with an obnoxious voice, and there goes your base!

On the GOP side, I don't know how much Spanish Romney speaks, but his father was derisively known as "chihuahua George"--an oblique reference to the fact that his family used to hightail it to Mexico a lot, seeing as George's gramps had a few wives and a boatload of kids.

It would have been amusing to see old "Taco y Cerveza por favor" Jorge Bush in that sort of forum. He'd have been pressed to trot out his fer-shit spanish, which would have been hugely entertaining, I'd wager.

I honestly don't see the absolute necessity for this, myself, either. It might appeal to the segment of their audience that is undocumented, but they can't vote, anyway, so it would simply be a ratings winner for the station. Most Latinos who are US citizens and who vote are bilingual; UNIVISION could do the translations by partnering with one of the debate networks and/or acquiring the broadcast rights. As an aside, UNIVISION and TELEMUNDO are talking about going to English language - hispano-centric programming to accomodate this new emerging demographic of hispanic heritage Americans who speak English as their first language.

UNIVISION could partner with another network and do the translations, as I mentioned above, but an entire debate on immigration? Honestly, I'd rather see an entire debate on the frigging WAR.

[drmom]

27. Translated to several different languages might not be a bad idea...

...but who would pay for it?

[annabanana]

28. lol! . . . . It would be worth it just to drive the nativists crazy. . .

Why they'd just sputter themselves to death.

[ContraBass Black]

29. Do they all speak Spanish fluently enough to debate in it?

[StudentsMustUniteNow]

30. ABSOLUTELY NOT

It would start a precedent which would be discriminatory towards non-Spanish-speaking candidates.

[LBJDemocrat]

31. No way

English is the language of the United States of America. No candidate should stand at a disadvantage for not speaking Spanish.

Yeah; it's good for a candidate to be able to converse with leaders of foreign countries in their own language; but at that rate, why should a candidate who speaks, say French or German, be at a disadvantage relative to one who speaks Spanish?

It's just a lame attempt to pander to the Latin American community, and I'm against it. It sends the wrong message.

[damntexdem]

32. Yo creo que si.

Seria mucho mejor.