Spanish Dem Debate - Thoughts

[knowledgeispwr]

I thought the whole concept was an interesting one, and kind of neat.

The "answer in English only" rule was silly to me, but they did enforce it, even when Richardson tried to get around it. Richardson often looked uncomfortable when the camera showed him, perhaps it was because his frustration with the English rule.


The candidates all seem well received by the audience.

I thought too many of the questions were fluffy, like "What is the greatest thing Hispanics have done for/brought to America?"

And the translators...oh my gosh.

They had someone who sounded like he was from the Southern Cone (southern South America) translating for Richardson and someone who sounded like he was 100 years old translating for Kucinich. On top of that, all the translators spoke in monotone voices, even when the candidates themselves were getting emotional.


So all in all, interesting concept, but it turned out disappointing for me. Any thoughts, questions? I wonder how the English media will cover it.

[Colobo]

1. The translator were awful. Obama's translator was boring.

[knowledgeispwr]

4. I agree. What did you think about the questions?

I'm kind of surprised by the lack of apparent interest on DU about this debate. I guess the language barrier is the main cause. I believe there was some live-blogging on dailykos with some on the fly translations.

[Colobo]

11. The questions could have been better.

Although Maria Elena Salinas did put Obama, Clinton and Dodd on the spot with the Border Wall thing. I also think Obama could have said something about foreign policy but he wasn't asked anything.

[MADem]

2. They should have let the candidates pick their own translators, and the

debate sponsors should have paid the freight for them.

That way, it's the candidates bust if they pick a shitty translator.

The smart candidate would pick a translator with a similar vocal pitch and an ability to mimic their principle.

[EFerrari]

7. That's an interesting idea. I didn't catch the debate but wonder

with so many attractive and skilled translators why these less than attractive ones were chosen. That's just strange.

[partylessinOhio]

3. This is America. Everyone should speak English. Fire away.

This is NOT Mexico, Cuba, or wherever.

:thumbsdown:

[Warren DeMontague]

5. "Everyone should speak English"?

Good grief. What are you, the language police?

What business of yours is it what language other people choose to speak?

[knowledgeispwr]

6. Are you saying there should have never been a debate in this format

period?

[fedupfisherman]

8. Agreed

I don't know too much Spanish so I ignored this debate.

[EFerrari]

9. Why are you afraid of Spanish?

:shrug:

[RebelOne]

22. I agree also.

One of the reasons I left Miami, FL was that no one spoke English anymore. I was so sick and tired of going into a store and the clerks would speak Spanish to me. I would constantly have to tell them to speak English.

[Olney Blue]

10. I am liking Richardson right now.

[Colobo]

12. His performance was poor.

[Olney Blue]

13. Not in the op ed I read in the Washington Post yesterday.

[knowledgeispwr]

15. About the debate tonight?

There was an op-ed in the Washington Post yesterday about how Richardson performed in tonight's debate?

Anyway, of any of the candidates, I think Richardson was probably the one to make themselves appear worse. I think the rest either maintained their popularity or increased it.

I really want to see press reaction to this debate, in both English and Spanish.

[Olney Blue]

21. No, I was talking about the anti-war piece that Richardson wrote.

Apparently, he writes better than he debates. :-(

[knowledgeispwr]

14. I have to agree...

at first I thought maybe it was because he was uncomfortable with having to answer in English in a Spanish debate, but then I realized that he hasn't performed particularly well in the most the debates so far.

The most recent example I can think of was when he fumbled about whether or not people are born gay during the LOGO debate.

[pingzing58]

16. It's difficult if you know the spanish language and the questions are in spanish not to formulate

an answer in that language. The brain kicks over into that language. The translators may not have been advised to interpret emotion just words and phrases. This is a first. I hope to see more in the future as our country's destiny continues to be defined by the children born of the conquest.

[knowledgeispwr]

17. "Born of the conquest"?

Can you explain that phrase?

[pingzing58]

23. The ethnicity of the Mexican people and many Latin Americans is Spanish and Native American.

Social class and ethnicity were important to Europeans of the 16th century. Once conquered the Spanish and Native American ethnicities were blended. As were the Spanish and African slaves and African Slaves and Native Americans (brought to all of the Latin American Continent). The availability of inexpensive land attracted other Spanish immigrants who sought the social status afforded to land owners by Spanish society at that time. These permanent settlers gave rise to two distinct social classes. Criollos were people of pure Spanish descent who were born in New Spain. Although they were usually limited to the lower echelon of their professions with little political power, many acquired great wealth and economic influence. It was this class, in response to increasing taxes and regulations by the Crown, that initiated the 11 years of rebellion to claim independence for Mexico in 1821. After the expulsion of the Spanish, criollos became the ruling class of Mexico.


Mestizos were people of mixed blood who ranked lower than the criollos in New Spain’s social hierarchy and possessed little economic or political influence. Most Mexicans today are descended from this class whose mixed ancestry is indelibly linked to Mexico’s national identity. Native American influences are reflected in their brilliantly colored folk art, traditional dances, fiestas and cuisine while language, Catholicism and the legal and educational systems denote their Spanish legacy. Perhaps the unique blend of Mexico’s European and Native American heritage is best symbolized by her patron saint, the dark-skinned Virgin of Guadalupe.

Indigenas still occupy the lowest rung of Mexico’s social structure and recent uprisings in the Chiapas area tell of their ongoing struggle. Coupled with Mexico’s financial problems, some foresee a bleak future for these native peoples. Mexican poet and philosopher, Octavio Paz, once bemoaned "the perversion and destruction of traditional culture." He noted that whenever displaced Indigenas move to the cities, they forsake their traditional culture to embrace forms of an industrial culture that "are inferior to those of the US and Europe." Fortunately, efforts are now being made to preserve their rich traditions of land stewardship, herbal medicines, and social harmony.


These are all the children of the conquest and they cannot be ignored even by the ever decreasing Americans of Northern European heritage.

[MADem]

20. Spanish language TV is having a big fight now about english programming

They're losing their younger viewers...because ENGLISH is their first and preferred language.

If that's what you mean by 'children of the conquest.'

[illinoisprogressive]

18. the translators speaking on top of the candidate speaking drove me crazy.

[illinoisprogressive]

19. oh! forgot. there were no real winners. they all seemed

to be on route. however, I only watched bits and pieces.