(cross-posted @ Good Tithings) 

On Sept. 9th, The Dem’s engaged the first ever Spanish language debate, hosted by Univision.  Two of the candidates, Gov. Richardson and Sen. Dodd, speak Spanish fluently, but, they were all translated to level the playing field.

This is a great gesture here in the west, where  there is very large Spanish speaking community.  Even if most voting Spanish speakers in America also speak English, doing the debate in their cultural language is a way of saying, “You matter to the Democratic Party.”  And they should!  Spanish Speakers make up a large chunk of the cultural fabric here in the West.  And that fabric votes.

The Republicans, by contrast (with the exception of John McCain) snubbed the Spanish speaking population of America by declining to do something similar.   And by snubbing the latinos, they snubbed the entirety of the West.

The Republican base is shrinking by the day.