Should Richardson and Dodd be permitted to speak Spanish at tonight's debate?

[oberliner]

Anchors Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas will pose questions in Spanish and the candidates will wear earpieces to hear simultaneous translations into English. Similarly, their English answers will be translated into Spanish for the live, 90-minute broadcast.

Two participants — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd — have objected to the format because they speak Spanish and want to address the viewing audience directly. Debate rules say all answers must be in English to level the contest, but it was unclear whether Richardson or Dodd would comply.

[Mass]

1. Can you say " stupid"? Forcing somebody to speak English and retranslate

in Spanish when the person speaks fluently Spanish? What else? Force Obama to wear a mask in from of an AA forum? Hillary to appear hidden in front of a women audience?

:banghead:

[NoodleBoy]

2. I love it that a white politician from Connecticut is fluent in Spanish

I know it's from being in the Peace Corps, but I still think it's cool.

[wake.up.america]

5. ¿Para una queja, con quién tengo que hablar?

If not, why not?

[Demit]

3. We mustn't allow some candidates to display the assets they would bring to being president.

That would be just so unfair! Everyone must appear equal!! That's the only way we can pick the best candidate for president!!! Holy mother of god.

[RC]

6. What you said.

How dare a candidate display knowledge or abilities his/her rivals don't have. That would give them an unfair advantage. This is the US of A after all.

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Porque no?

[LeftyMom]

7. Of course they should be able to

I'm no fan of either but being truly bilingual to the degree that one can discuss difficult matters of policy in more than one language is certainly a good quality and a real advantage rather than a staged political one.

Also, eliminating two layers of translation gets rid of the possibility of translation error for spanish speaking viewers and reduces it greatly for those who only need hear one layer of translation from spanish to english.

I don't know much spanish at all but I certainly wouldn't find it offputting that a canidate does.

[Colobo]

8. Es bastante estupido que Richardson y Dodd no puedan hablar en español.

Ellos no necesitan traductores.

[L. Coyote]

9. Deben permitir que todos contestan en Espanol

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

40. Estoy de acuerdo, hablar espanol hoy dia es una habilidad muy util para el gobierno!

Es mi esperanza que mas personas involucradas en el gobierno y el politico, lo aprenden!

[JackintheGreen]

10. All participants should be equally mis-translated

just to be fair, after all.

But would his handlers let Bush respond in Spanish? I know he has some abilities in that direction, but I don't know what they are. I just know his accent is horrible.

I would have *loved* to see a presidential debate in Spanish between Richardson/Dodd and *

[Myrina]

11. ... or Howard Dean and Dimson in 2003/04 ...

... the good Dr. is also rather multi-lingual :)

[rucky]

12. The debate rules are seriously insulting.

who the hell made them up?

[Frogger]

13. No,

where does that leave us English speakers??? English, for better or worse, is the language that hold the country together and makes us one people instead of many.

[ProudDad]

17. As someone who lives in the territory that was stolen

from Spanish-Speaking Mexico, I take issue with your fallacious inference that a stupid "language" holds "the country together and makes us one people instead of many"...

The U.S. is a Spanglish Speaking country. They should be allowed to answer in either of our official languages...

[Frogger]

21. I disagree.

Without communication, there is no "one people". Oh, and by the way, spanish is not an official language of the United States. You might notice that spanish speaking peoples did not create the institutions of the American government, for instance. The constitution and the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers, all founding documents of our country, not one was written in Spanish. All were written in English.

And further, the territory was not "stolen".

[ProudDad]

23. 'And further, the territory was not "stolen"'

and Iraq is a "liberation"...Go tell it to the Iraqis...

and to the folks in the north-western third of Mexico; stolen in Polk's "preemptive war" of 1846-1848.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

38. I agree with Prouddad, Spanish is *not* a foreign language in USA, it's native and equal to English!

Frogger, English is categorically *not* what unifies us in the USA, never has been. Remember, the Founding Fathers explicitly rejected English as an official language because they had to recognize the rights of native American languages, which preceded English.

I'm sorry, but Spanish is not just another immigrant language of guests-- Spanish actually precedes English as a language of the USA, it was a fundamental language and well in place before English came along. In fact, Spanish was established and in active use throughout the Southwest before the Mexican-American War, used for centuries before English. So Spanish is an American language!

[sandnsea]

19. Did you forget the sarcasm smilie?

How would having Spanish translated to English cause the fall of the US??

It's only in recent history that we didn't have immigrants speaking German, French, Italian, Scandinavian languages, etc.

Multi-lingual citizens would enhance this country, not hurt it.

[Frogger]

22. It's nice to be multilingual.

But we must all be able to communicate with each other, and not through an interpreter. If the debates are not in English, then the majority of Americans are excluded.

[ProudDad]

24. How about Switzerland or Belgium?

and numerous others...

"we must all be able to communicate with each other, and not through an interpreter."

That's not a prerequisite for "nationhood" or a cohesive population...

It's a red herring...

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

41. You're right-- in fact, due to Sante Fe and St. Augustine, we already are multilingual

Since Spanish precedes English here, it has official and legal recognition in the Southwestern states and in Florida. For all public applications. We are a multilingual nation and always have been. Like Switzerland, it's something that helps us to thrive.

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Frogger]

28. You are making an incomprehensible

and contemptible leap of logic.


It's one debate, watch a different one
Posted by sandnsea
What difference could it possibly make to you, or to the majority with your attitude, who would round up everybody who wasn't white anglo-saxon protestant and throw them out of the country; and aren't going to watch the debate anyway.

How do you get that I would throw out anyone not white, anlo-saxon, or Protestant from what I said. This is bigotry, pure and simple. All I'm saying is that we need a common language, and that language is English. If I wanted to live in Mexico, I don't think I would have any trouble learning to speak Spanish. I could practice English at home.

I await your spology, but not with any expectation that I will get it..

[sandnsea]

29. the majority with your attitude - would

That's the company you keep, bigots. No, I won't apologize for speaking the truth.

It is just a pure lie that language is what unites this country. A flat lie. Willingness to allow each person the independence to conduct their business any way they want, in any language they want, is what has always held this country together. Live and Let Live. That's the motto of America.

[Frogger]

31. No, I won't apologize for speaking the truth?

I could accept that. If you had spoken the truth.

No one says that they can't conduct their business however, they want, in any language they want. But the public business should be conducted in English. It's always been conducted in English, until recently.

And I hate to burst your oh-so-morally-superior buble, but you have no idea how I think or who I associate with. You are making unfounded, negative assumptions, the very essence of bigotry. Any one who disarees with you is a bigot?? I don't think so. Goodbye

[sandnsea]

44. English only people are bigots

You share their philosophy, that's the company you keep. At least on this issue. It's your choice, not mine.

One debate is not the public business. It's candidates speaking to the public. People have spoken to each other in their native tongues since the beginning of this country. It's the bigotry of the last few years that has changed in that regard.

[EFerrari]

30. Spanish was spoken in America long before English.

Crack a book or take a language class.

[Frogger]

32. So?

It still isn't the language that the United States was founded with.

But, OK. We still need one, unifying language. If that's Spanish, the principle still holds.

Also, your snide remarks that I am ignorant of either history or Spanish are mistaken, as is your idea that I can't read a book. I admit my Spanish is very rusty, but I took 3 years of it in high school 40 years ago, and during my work on my dissertation I had to translate an engineering paper from Spanish to English so I could reference it.

I wouldn't care to do it again. It required the use of a S/E dictionary and two days, but I did it. Don't bother to try to test me. I no longer speak Spanish at all, and the work of translating your little test would be more than I cared to invest, Amigo.

[EFerrari]

33. "That still isn't the language the United States was founded with."

And this is the party that prides itself on diversity. Some of us haven't gotten the memo, I see.

I really don't understand why Spanish is so dreaded. Are we so insecure that we can't stomach one debate being spoken in the language that most of Miami speaks?

You want to unify in English -- it's not really a problem. Just don't move to Miami.

And, that's "amiga".

[Frogger]

34. Sorry about that..

Didn't realize you were female.

[EFerrari]

35. It's okay, Frogger. Sorry to be grumpy.

I haven't welcomed you to DU yet. Welcome.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

39. The USA wasn't "founded" with English, either-- remember Cherokee, Creek, Navajo? (and Spanish)

That's why we have no official language in the USA, the Founding Fathers were respecting the native Americans whose languages preceded English. Spanish is the same-- in Florida (St. Augustine) and the SW states (Santa Fe), official use of Spanish precedes even the Jamestown colony.

So if anything, it's probably more accurate to say that the USA was founded with Spanish, since it precedes English here.

[ljm2002]

14. Yes, we wouldn't want their proficiency in Spanish...

...to work to their advantage or anything, because that would be unfair...

:sarcasm:

[Cha]

15. Yeah, rules can be changed just

ask Bill Maher. Bill Richardson and Chris Dodd should be able to answer in Espanol..can you imagine being able to speak another language that well? How beautiful..I know Richadson is part Spanish but Dodd?

[oberliner]

16. Dodd served in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic nt

[Cha]

20. Well, he's fast learner and must retain..

cause if you don't use it you lose it..at least in my case.

I think it would be good for everybody for them in answer in Espanol.

[mitchtv]

18. They should speak in Spaniish except for the questions

That way they show off their Castellano, yet abide those ridiculous rules

[ProudDad]

25. They should ALL be required to answer in Spanish

The "top tier" might make more sense if they did... :) :hide:

[knowledgeispwr]

27. Yes

It removes an extra layer of translation and they can show off their ability to speak more than one language. I personally don't think being able to speak more than one language makes one especially more qualified to be President of the United States, but they should be able to demonstrate it.

I understand those who say that Dodd and Richardson would have an advantage over the other candidates in that regard, but most of the candidates have advantages over the others in one sense or another and they shouldn't have to mask them to "level the field."

All that said, I should hope that no one votes for a presidential candidate based on what non-English language they do or do not speak.

Being bilingual in English and Spanish myself, I'm going to try to watch the debate and see how the translations go. I'm kind of expecting a mistranslation at some point.

[oberliner]

36. "Is somebody going to run over and tackle Richardson and Dodd if they start speaking Spanish?"

Richardson spokesman Pahl Shipley called the rule "kind of ridiculous ... Why the candidates who do speak Spanish should be penalized is fairly frustrating."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070909/ts_alt_afp/usvote2008democrats_070909205410

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

37. Absolutely! Spanish is an American language just like English is

Spanish isn't a foreign language in the USA-- in fact it predates English in the territory that's now the USA (e.g. St. Augustine and Santa Fe). And in the Southwest, Spanish was long established before the Mexican-American War, it was given strong rights to be used in public after the war, and it's been in continuous use there for centuries, much longer than English has.

So if the candidates speak fluent Spanish, more power to them. That's something that more candidates need these days.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

42. Fortunately, more common these stays to have part-Spanish immersion in schools, next gen is fluent

I suspect in the Presidential election of 2028 (assuming that the Rethugs don't declare martial law before that), all of the candidates will be Spanish-fluent, as it's becoming more common to use Spanish as a medium for teaching classes in the USA. Pretty soon for professionals, at least in Southwestern states and Florida, it'll be unusual *not* to speak Spanish!

[Superman Returns]

43. It would be unfair

If Richardson and Dodd spoke directly to the audience, they have an unfair advantage over the non-spanish speaking candidates who need interpreters.

[Orangepeel]

45. why is it an unfair advantage?

It's an advantage, sure. But why an unfair one? The ability to speak a language is a skill. If they have it, why shouldn't they be able to use it?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

46. Dodd won the debate

if you go by who got the best applause for all their answers.
So it is interesting that in addition to speaking the language, he can actually back it all up with substance.
His call for the end of the Cuba embargo is a good example.