John McCain: only Republican to do a debate in Spanish

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:19 pm  

BY BETH REINHARD
breinhard@MiamiHerald.com 
 

Six debates are being promoted in Florida before the Jan. 29 presidential primary, a record-setting number of chances for the state to play host to would-be occupants of the White House and all the national media that come with them.

Whether the candidates will show remains to be seen.

On Wednesday, John McCain became the first and only Republican to agree to a Sept. 16 debate broadcast live by the Univisión TV network from the University of Miami. The other leading candidates say they're mulling it over, along with the YouTube-CNN forum planned for the following day in St. Petersburg.

''It devolves into a game of presidential chicken where you're trying to figure out what the other guy is going to do,'' said GOP strategist David Johnson, who is not affiliated with any of the campaigns. 'The candidates have to ask themselves: `Do I want to debate that many times? If the date is pushed back, will the debate be more manageable than a football team because some of the others will drop out?' ''

The last GOP presidential primary debate in Florida was in 1995, on the eve of the party's straw poll in Orlando. The Democratic contenders faced off in Miami in 1987 and 1991.

This year, the GOP candidates are invited to the back-to-back debates in Miami and St. Petersburg, as well as to nationally televised forums in Orlando and Tallahassee. The Democrats are slated to face off in Miami and Tallahassee.

A new law bumped Florida's primary from mid-March to Jan. 29, making it the first big state to weigh in.

``These debates really signal Florida's arrival as a

major venue for the presidential campaign,'' said Ron Sachs, past chairman of Leadership Florida, which is co-hosting the Tallahassee debates.

Sachs said he expects all the major candidates to attend, though none have confirmed they are coming.

''It's not in their nature to commit five months in advance,'' he said.

They do play it cool. Republican candidates Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney have each paid $100,000 to attend the Florida GOP's convention in Orlando, but neither has officially committed to attend the debate that will be the centerpiece.

The Miami debates on Sept. 9 and 16 will be the first presidential forums conducted in Spanish, with questions simultaneously translated into English.

''I look forward to communicating with Hispanic voters nationwide in this unique discussion of issues,'' McCain said in a written statement.

To detractors, the Arizona senator has nothing to lose. He's down in the polls and practically broke.

To supporters, McCain has everything to gain. Univisión is the nation's fifth-largest TV network and the most popular Spanish-language outlet. Immigration is bound to be at the forefront of the debate, and McCain was the only GOP candidate who championed revisions.

''I think John McCain is again showing his courage and his willingness to express views that may not be popular with his conservative base,'' said Miami political consultant Carlos Curbelo, who worked for McCain before layoffs.

On the Democratic side, only New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd have agreed to appear at the Univisión debate. Hillary Clinton has said she plans to attend only the six debates sanctioned by the party between July and January.

Julio Rumbaut, a Hispanic media consultant in Miami, said: ``It would behoove any candidate to take advantage of the opportunity, because if they don't, another candidate will.''

Are the candidates required to speak in spanish or will there be translators?  My question is, if it is a requirement to take a citizenship test in English, why would it be necessary to have a debate in Spanish.  If they don't speak English, then they are not citizens and cannot vote...correct?  I personally would not vote for a candidate that stooped to a spanish debate...we speak English in America....and that is what I expect my next president to speak.....His Spanish should be reserved for when he travels abroad. 

Why do you think he stamped his name along with Kennedy on the failed Immigration Reform bill?  He didn't know we were out there watching and listening.  His presidential bid was based on the Latino vote but it got shot down because we are large in numbers and we spoke out loud and clear.  He's still trying for that Latino vote as a last ditch effort, but his campaign is practically dead in the water.

What disappoints me is that I used to view him as a hero - someone who fought for the America I knew and loved.  Seven years in the Hanoi Hilton made him that hero at the time.  Now it seems almost traitorous that he would sell out the American people to better his political career.  His chances of becoming president were very good until he made that illegal immigration blunder. 

Graciela Sandt said: Diane53mo: McCain is DESPERATE! He envisioned himself as the next President and he is just playing his last card....if he goes out there and gets the latino votes, he may get his wish! Be the next President of the USA.  What he doesn't know is that he already lost the respect of lots of americans. 

Graciela, I agree with you.....it is ashame that we can't find a candidate that truly speaks what he believes without trying to use any trump cards...the sad thing is if we have to tell someone that is what we are looking for, then it is not real....I want a president that throws out the 'political' and uses common sense and does what is right for Americans.  I want a president that has values based on moral character...I want a president that is not afraid to stand up to our enemies...I want a president that makes it understood that if you come to our country you live by our laws...ie either accept them or leave, and that we are not going to change our laws to accomodate you.  I want a president that does not worry about the latino vote, or the black vote, but worries about the American citizens as a whole.  I want a president that envokes an 'all illegals out' referendum.  I want a president that secures our borders...I want a president that REALLY does something about the drugs in this country.  I want a president that will not coddle special interests groups that want extra priviledges because of who they prefer to have sex with...I guess I ask for too much though...how silly of me.

John07 said: I have a new Spanish name for him. I think I'll call him Assholio. That fits nicely.

ROTFALMBO, and I can't stop and I can't get up and I can't help it.  LOL, LOL, LOL!

Patriot's Pixie said: Diane - research Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter.  When their mouths open they speak what they have already been doing in the House with their votes and the bills they back and promote.  They are strong on border control and expelling the criminal invading Mexicans,  and they are great on family values and morals.  We the People just need to get behind them and tell all our friends and acquaintences who they are and WHY we want them as our official candidates.

Patriot's Pixie said: Diane - research Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter.  When their mouths open they speak what they have already been doing in the House with their votes and the bills they back and promote.  They are strong on border control and expelling the criminal invading Mexicans,  and they are great on family values and morals.  We the People just need to get behind them and tell all our friends and acquaintences who they are and WHY we want them as our official candidates.

I wil for sure check them out.....I have not started my in depth research of the candidates...maybe because I have been so busy keeping an eye on Osama...errr excuse me I mean Obama, and Hillary.....two candidates that both scare the pants off of me.  I just hope that the American people are not dedazzled by their slick talking to fall for their rhetoric.  I am at this point desperate for a decent moral candidate....guess I need to give the socialist and the muslim a break and put my mind on the more decent side of the agenda.  thanks and you can rest assured once I am behind behind a candidate they will get my full support and I will definitely get the word out.

Patriot's Pixie said: Diane - research Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter.  When their mouths open they speak what they have already been doing in the House with their votes and the bills they back and promote.  They are strong on border control and expelling the criminal invading Mexicans,  and they are great on family values and morals.  We the People just need to get behind them and tell all our friends and acquaintences who they are and WHY we want them as our official candidates.

Diane: Thanks for your post.  It was very interesting to read what you said.  Exactly true.  I also agreed with Patriot because Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter are the best candidates because they have shown from the very beginning their true sides.  Neither one of them are flip flop like other candidates and you can tell by the way they talk that they stand very firm in their believes.  I strongly support them.

Isn't this the United States of America?

Isn't our language English?

 Isn't a requirement of citizenship the ability to speak and understand English?

 Aren't only people who are citizens allowed to vote?

Does it suprise anyone that Juan McCain would be the ONE Republican candidate to participate in such a disgusting display of pandering to the illegal alien invaders?

Juan McCain was one of the masterminds of the grand bargain shamnesty bill.

Connect the dots.

I was in Orlando FL a couple of weeks ago and I would easily say that 50% of the people in the airport were speaking Spanish.  Even the workers for the TSA would speak only Spanish to one another.  If you asked them a question they would speak in very broken English, and then turn to one another and again speak in Spanish. 

Also in this airport as well as the Dallas Fortworth Airport all the signs are in English and Spanish.  In fact if you fly American Airlines (American- I guess is no longer American) they have seperate magazines in the seats one that is in English and one that is in Spanish.  All of the instructions are given on the plane in English and Spanish.

Big business does not care about America or Americans - they only care about profits to the stock holders on the NY exchange.  If they have to put everything in Spanish in order to "enlarge their customer base" then they do so.

You can fly American Airlines from a city in America (los angeles) to another city in America (Dallas TX) to another city in America (Orlando FL) and you will hear everything in Spanish as if you were on an International flight to Mexico or Spain.

This is not the same on United or Delta or other airlines so I would check it out before I gave my money to an airline. 

I just bring this up because Juan McCain is trying to do the same thing - hopefully Mexico has not "bought and paid for" the USA yet and so the voters who don't speak Spanish will have a say on who gets the top job.

BUT if CA will soon be 52% Hispanic - then time is quickly running out for American's to fight for this country.

Graciela Sandt said: Blaze: Why did you say...the problem is that they cannot get elected? Did you say that because they do not have strong supporters? monetarily speaking? I will be very sad if neither one of them make it to the primaries.