First-Ever Spanish Language Presidential Debate on Tap
Democrats go on Univision to reach out to Latino voters.
Sept. 9, 2007— -- As presidential debates go, this one is likely to stand out.
The first-ever Spanish-language presidential debate on the Univision network is just one of many ways Democratic candidates are reaching out to Latinos — from radio ads in Spanish to bilingual Web sites.
It's a sign of the growing clout of what is now the fastest growing segment of the electorate.
"If you do not pay attention to the Hispanic community, you're running the risk of losing the future," says Univision anchor Jorge Ramos, who's moderating the debate tonight, along with co-anchor Maria Elena Salinas, from the University of Miami.
"Their vote is up for grabs, and they're waiting to see who is going to convince them — let's see who is going to romance that part of the vote," says Salinas.
Not long ago, President Bush and his ex-strategist Karl Rove worked to make real inroads among Latinos, who tend to be conservative on issues like abortion and gay marriage.
In 2004, a record 40 percent of Hispanics voted Republican. But in 2006, that number fell back to 30 percent.
The reason: fallout from the debate over immigration reform — which some Republicans now worry could swing the Hispanic vote decisively toward the Democrats in 2008 and beyond.
"The reality is, immigration reform hurts Republicans because the rhetoric on the right tends to sound like it's anti-immigrant," says Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez.
Rhetoric from candidates like Rep. Tom Tancredo — who, at one Republican debate, went so far as to propose a moratorium on legal immigration — has alienated many Hispanics who might otherwise be receptive to Republican ideas.
"When the language gets very visceral — when people feel very much as if they're under attack, or a community is under attack — Hispanics are going to look at it holistically and say, 'you mean all of us, not just illegals,'" says Sanchez.
Right now, most Republicans running for president are working hard to court conservatives, whose support they will need to win the party nomination. Significantly, the Republican Univision forum was cancelled after every candidate except John McCain cited scheduling conflicts.
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