PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE | MIAMI

Democrats try to speak to Hispanics

In a debate at the University of Miami broadcast by Spanish-language television giant Univisión, Democratic presidential candidates hoped to speak voters' language.

BY BETH REINHARD

breinhard@MiamiHerald.com

The first presidential debate conducted in Spanish and English marked a history-making moment in American politics Sunday night, though the candidates aimed more at embracing the nation's fastest-growing minority group than in breaking new ground on the issues.

The Democratic candidates saved their sniping for the Republican Party, whose candidates rebuffed an invitation to a similar forum next week. More surprising was the criticism leveled at broadcaster Univisión by the only Hispanic candidate. Just 14 minutes into the debate, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson asked in Spanish if he could respond in that language, knowing that the rules permitted him to speak only in English.

''I'm disappointed today that 43 million Latinos in this country will not hear one of their own speak Spanish,'' he said. ``Univisión has promoted English only in this debate.''

Richardson and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, the only bilingual candidates, were told they could speak only in English so as not to show up their rivals. But the two long shots had nothing to lose by mocking the rules on live television.

When Dodd was asked if he would promote Spanish as a second official U.S. language, he said, ``I'm proud of the fact that I hablo español perfectamente.''

The event marked a coming of age for the Hispanic community, whose voting population has ballooned 50 percent over the past decade. Univisión anchors Maria Elena Salinas and Jorge Ramos asked the questions in Spanish, which were translated into English for the candidates wearing United Nations-style earpieces. Their reponses were translated back into Spanish for viewers.

No major gaffes occurred, but the on-air translation of the candidates' answers into Spanish was spotty at times.

''It detracted tremendously from the quality of the debate,'' said Eduardo Gamarra, director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean studies at Florida International University. Gamarra, who led a focus group of 19 young Hispanic Democrats who watched the debate, also criticized the candidates for giving vague responses.

GOOD OPPORTUNITY

Outside of the better-known contenders for the nomination, Richardson had the most at stake. The forum was a cost-free opportunity for Richardson, whose name doesn't give away his Mexican background, to telegraph to Hispanic viewers at home that he is one of them.

He also had a chance to separate himself on the issues, such as the proposed construction of a wall along the Mexican border to keep out illegal immigrants. He decried what he called the ''dehumanization'' of the Hispanic community, more often portrayed sneaking across the border than risking their lives in Iraq.

''You're going to build a 12-foot wall?'' Richardson demanded. ``You know what's going to happen? A lot of 13-foot ladders. This is a terrible symbol of America.''

Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York defended their votes in favor of the wall, noting that they supported legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to earn citizenship.

''I do favor much more border patrolling and much more technology, and in some areas, even a physical barrier, because we've got to secure our border,'' Clinton said.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said there's no reason the United States shouldn't do a better job keeping track of people coming in and out of the country.

'When you walk into a Blockbuster, you may not see a person, but you'll hear, `Welcome to Blockbuster,' '' he said. ``If we can figure out when someone is walking into a Blockbuster, we can figure when someone comes into America.''

PRIMARY PROBLEMS

The Democratic debate in Coral Gables comes during the liveliest primary campaign Florida has seen in years. But the new law bumping up the primary to Jan. 29 -- upending the calendars set by the national parties -- has come at a price. The Republican National Committee plans to take away half of Florida's delegates to the 2008 convention, while the Democratic National Committee won't count the state at all at its convention.

Nearly all the Democrats have pledged to skip states that break party rules, throwing the Florida campaign into disarray.

Democratic leaders are trying to work out a compromise before Sept. 30, when the candidate boycott would go into effect.

Joe Biden of Delaware, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, just returned from Iraq and was the only Democratic candidate not at Sunday's debate.

Univisión officials say the Republican forum will be rescheduled, but the campaigns have been vague about that possibility. Arizona Sen. John McCain was the only GOP candidate who agreed to participate.

LATIN AMERICA

Unlike debates on the other major broadcast and cable networks, where foreign policy questions typically center on the war in Iraq, Latin America was at the forefront Sunday night.

Dodd was cheered loudly when he criticized the United States for sending only $1.6 billion in aid to Latin America when the Iraq War is costing more than $500 billion.

''We shouldn't be losing public relations battles to Hugo Chávez,'' he said.

Dodd came to Miami one day before the debate to call for an end to the trade embargo with Cuba, a stance that puts him at odds with most of his rivals. When Obama announced in Miami two weeks ago that he favored allowing Cuban Americans to freely visit and send money to their families on the island, he made it clear that the embargo should stay in place to use as leverage after leader Fidel Castro's death.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel gave dramatic responses to questions on Latin America, reflecting their wild-card status in the race.

Kucinich said his first act in office would be to cancel the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he said takes away jobs and lowers wages in Mexico. Gravel said he would ''reach out'' to Chávez, the fiercely anti-American president of Venezuela.

''Why can't we recognize Cuba?'' Gravel demanded in a question that would unnerve many Cuban exiles who pray that Castro's death will usher in democracy. ``What's the big deal?''

ANY REFERENCE

The candidates who couldn't speak Spanish pulled issues from their past, and even from history, to try to make a connection with the Hispanic audience.

Edwards talked about his bootstraps upbringing in a small North Carolina mill town, where half of the residents are now Hispanic. Obama referred to a telegram from one civil rights leader to another, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Cesar Chavez in the 1960s.

Clinton noted that her campaign manger is Hispanic, and she decried the inflammatory tone of the debate over an immigration overhaul.

''For me,'' she said, ``this [forum] is not only an opportunity, it's a privilege.''

Miami Herald staff writers Pablo Bachelet, Laura Figueroa and Laura Morales contributed to this report.