My Take - The Republican Univision Debate

Yesterday I watched with interest the Univision Republican Debate, which took place at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. The questions were asked in Spanish, and each candidate heard and viewed a simultaneous translation before giving an answer in English. Now, this was the first time in which all leading Republican candidates addressed a minority audience in a live debate and this was also the first Republican debate in which multiple candidates had to answer specifically on public education.

For those who missed it, the candidates were asked to respond to two questions on K-12 education reform, and not just about NCLB either. And unlike at the Univision Democratic debate, in which there was just one education question and only three candidates allowed to respond, this debate included two questions allowing six candidates to answer, giving a greater variety of opinion and opportunity for voters to have their educational questions addressed.

What's more, in introducing the first education question, the moderators cited the poll that ED in '08 sponsored last summer with the National Council of La Raza, which showed that education is the single most important issue to Latino voters.

Several candidates even mentioned education as one of the key issues while answering questions about how to attract Latino voters to the Republican party, perhaps in response to last Friday's poll from the Pew Hispanic Center that showed a dramatic drop in support for Republican candidates among Hispanic voters. (Maybe they've been reading my blog!)

Now, I am hopeful that Latino concerns about education will continue to be voiced in this election. Two thirds of Latinos will vote in primaries before February 5, and they make up 37 percent of the electorate in New Mexico, 14 percent in Florida, 12 percent in Nevada and Colorado; all of which were important swing states in the 2004 general election. Let's keep the ED talk coming. This is what we've been saying all along - the American people, Latino or otherwise, are ready for a candidate who is willing to take action to ensure that their children can receive the excellent education they deserve in a strong American school.