¿Qué Pasa, USA?
Update. 8:29pm Eastern. Blech. I’m watching a bit of the “debate” online. It’s a self-congratulatory panderfest. The candidates are being asked the hardball question: “What is the greatest contribution of Hispanics to the U.S.?”
***
Dios mio. Looks like the first-ever Spanish-language presidential debate didn’t get off to a very good start. Via the WashTimes:
“Are we going to have audio?”
“Vamos a tener audio?”Reporters who didn’t speak Spanish were already anxious about the translation devices that didn’t quite fit in our ears. (Porque soy de California, yo hablo un poquito Espanol.)
But 90 seconds before the forum began tonight, the Media Room had no sound – not in Spanish, English or French. Nada.
Spanish- and English-speaking reporters in the room erupted in a panic, sending University of Miami staff scrambling to try and fix the feed. What most reporters heard for the first 16 minutes of the debate was static – both from the closed television feed and from the translation device.
Even Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) seemed to have trouble, yanking the earpiece from his ear mid-way through his answer to a question on Iraq.
The WT’s Christina Bellatoni quotes one reporter complaining, “This is ridiculous.”
Well, yeah. What’s next: A Vietnamese language debate? Arabic, anyone?
Nonsense, you say? Well, hell, I needn’t remind you that there’s already Spanish language White House website.
Then there’s the idiocy of foreign-language ballots that I blogged about in July (did you know that “Hillary Clinton” in Chinese characters is “Upset Stomach?”).
Question I’d like every GOP candidate to answer:
Do you support the repeal of Clinton’s executive order 13166, yes or no?
***
Bill Richardson, bilingual whiner:
Univision’s late entry to the field of networks hosting such high- profile political events was evident Sunday night. Reporters from around the world who came to Florida to cover the debate were left with no audio feed in the room where they were placed outside the debate hall, for example.
[Bill] Richardson, one of two candidate who speak fluent Spanish, objected to the debate rules that required all candidates to answer in English. The rule was designed to make sure that no candidate had an advantage in appealing to the Spanish-speaking audience.
“I’m disappointed today that 43 million Latinos in this country, for them not to hear one of their own speak Spanish, is unfortunate,” said Richardson, the governor of New Mexico. “In other words, Univision is promoting English-only in this debate.”
***
More: How do you say surrender in Spanish?
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton insisted Sunday night that it’s time to start pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq as she and her rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination debated the war anew on the eve of a much-awaited asssessment by U.S. commanding Gen. David Petraeus.
In the first presidential debate ever broadcast in Spanish, her primary campaign rival Bill Richardson challenged Clinton to get every U.S. soldier out, not just some of them.
“I’d bring them all home within six to eight months,” the New Mexico said in the debate which took place in south Florida and was broadcast on Univision, the nation’s largest Spanish-language network. “There is a basic difference between all of us here … This is a fundamental issue.”
Clinton said that a report being presented in Washington by Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker this week won’t change the basic problem that there is no military solution in Iraq.
“I believe we should start bringing our troops home,” she said during the debate at the University of Miami. “We need to quit refereeing their civil war and bring our troops home as soon as possible.”
***
Here’s Miami Herald writer Glenn Garvin’s write-up.
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Categories: 2008 campaign
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The language fiasco is the real slippery slope of this century. Repeal the order now.
How charming that on the same day we’re having a presidential debate for the benefit of those potential voters who habla no anglais, the British have announced that THEIR new immigrants will now be required to “speak, write, and understand” English.
The money quote, as they say, from a UK official is this:
“Those who we welcome into the UK to work and settle here need to understand our traditions and feel that they are part of our shared national culture. They need to integrate into our country, learn English and use our language.”
So, apparently the Brits are waking up, while we continue to sleep. And pander.
Read on:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/09/nmigrants109.xml
Repeal it now … I had not heard of that order … another one they snuck through in the 90s huh?
Learn English or go back where you came from … period …
So, what message are the candidates debating in Spanish sending?
- That an American presidential hopeful better be proficient in the language of all illegal immigrants.
yes, they are pandering to the illegal vote.
We gee, all this does is point out the absurdity of trying to have a united country without a single unifying language.
I vote for English to be it…who’s with me?
So in other words it was the same as with proper audio.
Count me in the “English as our National Language” camp.
“Blech” is right!
Sly of Bill Richardson to conflate Latinos with hispanophones (Spanish speakers). As far as I am aware, Latinos are just like everybody else — anyone on the other side object to that clause? — in that they tend to speak the language of their ancestors less in successive generations. What would we say if Obama complained that he was prevented from speaking to African-Americans in Dutch? (Huh? Remember Spanish is the language of the conquerors, not the indigenous peoples. Thus Bill Richardson is an imperialist as well.)
The Chimichanga…
Bless them for the chimichanga…
As I have, often, and regretfully said lately… You can’t fix stupid.
Given that today was the opening Sunday of the National Football League, I would not be shocked if even the families of the candidates skipped this debate.
The few people not watching football today were most likely watching the Chabad Telethon.
Some tree huggers fell in the forest, and nobody was around to hear them argue about nonsense in any language.
Respectfully,
eric http://www.blacktygrrrr.wordpress.com
Entrega or submision or Democratico or Senoir Harry Reid. Take your pick!!!!!
/s/
Mr. guerilla
OK, this wasn’t a debate at all (I didn’t have to see it to know). It doesn’t matter what they actually say, but HOW THEY SAY IT.
That is the Democrat’s MO. So what that their positions are hypocritical, they say it so well.
The only reason for this is to pander to the Hispanic vote (sorry for the most self evident statement of the century).
I guess there will come a day when English in America will be the 2nd language, and everyone will be happy about it because we are so ‘progressive’ that we chip away at the foundations of what makes us great.
I applaud people who are bilingual. But unless they decide to drop the requirement that ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS LEARN ENGLISH, this exercise is pandering to NON-AMERICANS.
Absurdity and self righteousness squared.
How do you say surrender in Spanish?
Me entrego …
or in the words of a famous boxer …
No más … not a true translation but it would probably be understood by most non-Spanish speakers … lol
They joined with other Texans to create the “Republic of Texas” in 1836. Its first V.P was Lorenzo de Zavala. Several Mexican states made a break from Antonio López de Santa Anna dictatorship at that time but only Texas Kept its freedom.
Un discusión en español está muy bien con mí.
A balota en español está muy bien con mí.
However, I want voting officials to make sure that only U.S. citizens are allowed to register to vote and are allowed to vote in elections in the United States of America.
This is insane. We’re building a tower of babel against all logic and common sense. You don’t need to embrace scripture or even like it to understand the common sense of some of the parables.
If conservatives don’t up the stakes and push the envelope – in reverse, so to speak – it’ll be almost impossible to begin predict the damage that will be done. We can laugh, but it really isn’t all that funny.
To the Dems who participated in the illegal-panderer debate.
Toro poo-poo!
Gracias para no hablar espanol! (Yes, I have the T-shirt).
I reckon that’s true for the most part, raybury. “My people” don’t speak Swedish a whole lot other than as a cultural interest. Unfortunately things like this pandering “debate” will only serve to undo the practice of adopting the language of the nation you choose to live in as your “first language”.
Good points, MrCC, but I think the biblical analogy may be incorrect. In Genesis 11:1-9, God confounds man by destroying the Tower.
Unless you’re thinkin’ on Spanish as being accepted and promoted as a universal “Tower Tongue” over other laguages. (It’s certainly being pushed enough on non-speakers)
On mentally revisiting things Biblical, MrCC, I need to edit that last tidbit to God confounded mankind who where building the Babel Tower, it’s taken from extra-biblical sources – i.e. Josephus – that God destroyed the Tower.
They will probably have a larger rating then any other previous debate because of the target audience here. I personally will vote for no candidate that attended this debate because this is the USA, not Mexico or Spain.
Next Stop: The Debate Before Bearded Ladies to be held at Tatoo U.
slp said:
El español es una de varias idiomas que me hablo sin embargo todavía pienso que todas las actividades oficiales y legales en este país se deben conducir en inglés SOLAMENTE
Whomever has taken DesertLover, Please return our on-line friend.
I wonder now how all these brain donors think about Mexican trucks? I’m hearing news about 37 dead from a truck or trucks filled with dynamite. Just getting it together and havn’t heard the full story yet but it cant be to good .
This is on my roadrunner home page.
Peachy.
#25, I heard the next one will be on the Cartoon Network and Homer Simpson will moderate. Doh!
Morning aj … lol
The difference is that there was no pandering to the people who spoke those other languages. The other difference is that those immigrants came here legally. What I would like to know is the difference in attitude between those who legally emigrated from Mexico and those who broke our laws to get here.
My first guess is that those who actually respect our laws and came here legally are not demanding we bend over backwards to accommodate them. On the other hand I am willing to bet that those who have no respect for our laws are the ones expecting special treatment. It would make sense since they are demanding special treatment when it comes to their demands to stay here without going through the proper procedures and waiting period.
If you want to come to the U.S. and live and work here
A) go through the proper paperwork and waiting period
and
B) learn English, there is no responsibilty on the U.S.’s part to accommodate your childish demand that your needs have to be accommodated.
For your enjoyment. Must see TV
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sEJfS1v-fU0
I woke up at 0300 hrs to throw my guts up this morning. Now I know why. I just thought I had the flu going around our area. Watching the world from home between trips to the bathroom or kitchen sink today. At least the virus will pass and improve my immune system, but the outrage will be very hard to get out of my system.
How do you say pander en Espanol?
Absolutely appalling.
el Domocrato
People retain other aspects of their culture for generations, however, and corruption and “todo por la raza” racism are a part of their culture, which has rubbed off on most of our politicians apparently.
As exhibit#1 I offer that 70% of Latinos voted against the Republicans last election simply because a few Republicans were trying to uphold our laws on immigration and the sovereignty of our land. Whether they speak good English or not, their primary loyalty remains to la raza and not to the United States, and this is combined with contempt for our immigration laws and no strong cultural tradition of respect for law. Note that Alberto Gonzales almost singlehandedly dismantled freedom in America with his Mexican values of buttkissing the Jefe, torture, no habeas corpus, and so forth. Wait till we get 50 Latinos like Gonzales in high places in the government and Hispano-fascists like Mel Martinez and Luis Gutierrez running things!
I would guess that the reason that Hispanics in general are more racist than patriotic is that they come from countries with corrupt strongman governments and so loyalty to a country is not part of their culture–they rely on la familia, la pandilla, y la raza, but not on el govermento.
“What is the greatest contribution of Hispanics to the U.S.?” I don’t recall candidates ever being asked the same of Irish, Italians or Germans. And I’m forced to wonder what that answer would have to do with effectively running the country. The answer is it doesn’t. What it does is let a self-segregating separatist special interest group know the Democrats are going to give them whatever they want.
We need Teddy Roosevelt to remind America, especially Democrats, about hyphenated Americans.
I liked “Que Pasa USA” when I was a kid. I didn’t understand when they spoke in Spanish, but from body language and when they did English, I picked up on what was going on.
Now, what was that about the Whosacrats?