Republicans sign on to Univision debate

Making inroads into the Hispanic vote has been a cornerstone of George W. Bush's political strategy, but the volatile immigration issue has put it at risk. Nonetheless, seven Republican presidential candidates are going to take the challenge and appear on Univision's debate scheduled for 12/9/07. Agreeing to participate are Rudy Giuliani (R-NY), Mike Huckabee (R-AR), Duncan Hunter (R-CA), John McCain (R-AZ), Ron Paul (R-TX), Mitt Romney (R-MA) and Fred Thompson (R-TN).

"We are thrilled to add another participant to the roster of Republican candidates who recognize the unprecedented opportunity this event offers to connect with the ever-growing Hispanic community," said Joe Uva, CEO of Univision. "As part of our commitment to inform, educate and empower Hispanics, we are proud to offer our audiences the ability to hear first-hand from this powerful selection of GOP candidates."

The debate will be broadcast on Univision's extensive television and radio platforms, and will be moderated by company news anchors Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas.

RBR/TVBR observation: At the same time that the Hispanic population is increasing almost exponentially, the Hispanic community represents ground zero in one of the most contentious debates in the current campaign cycle, the ever-heating issue of illegal immigration. We commend the candidates who are willing to face this music head-on. For Univision, it is a win-win. It scores major public interest points with its audience and at the same time makes a play for the vast amount of political spending expected to enrich broadcasters this cycle.

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