What was up with the Rubio/Cruz Spanish fight last night?

[Anonymous]

Rubio accused Cruz last night of not speaking Spanish. Seems like a really strange attack in a GOP primary. Was Rubio just baiting Cruz into speaking Spanish?

[Anonymous]

The whole debate was awful. I guess the bait was a possible lure for the Spanish speaking audience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rubio accused Cruz last night of not speaking Spanish. Seems like a really strange attack in a GOP primary. Was Rubio just baiting Cruz into speaking Spanish?

IIRC, Cruz has been courting the Latino vote based on his last name, but he did not grow up in any semblance of Latino culture and admitted in some interview he doesn't even speak Spanish. Rubio was highlighting Cruz's lack of Spanish to make sure the Latino vote goes to Rubio. Cruz apparently has now memorized a few lines of Spanish to try to establish his supposed Latino bona fides. Both are playing "identity politics."

[Anonymous]

There was a good wash post article explaining this today

[Anonymous]

I thought it was Rubio who didn't speak Spanish? There's this whole storyline on Alpha House about that.

[Anonymous]

The moderater was weak.

[Anonymous]

The moderater was weak.

+1000 Terrible.

[Anonymous]

I really like John Dickerson but it wasn't a great night for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought it was Rubio who didn't speak Spanish? There's this whole storyline on Alpha House about that.

no thats cruz

[Anonymous]

Here's the WaPo article. Thanks for mentioning PP - good read.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/02/14/what-that-cruz-rubio-he-doesnt-speak-spanish-thing-was-about/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-low_fix-cruzrubio-845am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

[Anonymous]

I didn't understand what Cruz said. Is he as smarmy and mawkish in Spanish as in English?

[Anonymous]

The WaPo piece was not well written and one key sentence was mangled- it implied that what Cruz said in Spanish reflected someone who was not fluent. Any Spanish speakers out there who can confirm?

The gist is that Cruz has said he doesn't speak Spanish. Rubio made a low blow to deflect attention from his support of immigration reform back in 2009.

[Anonymous]

Pandering in a desperate attempt to get the Latino vote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really like John Dickerson but it wasn't a great night for him.

It takes a very strong hand to moderate these jackasses. I would like to see the Meghan Kelly up there again--I am not a fan of her political point of view, but she's strong and sufficiently ass-holish enough herself to push back against the most blatantly stupid nonsense. Which, of course, is why Trump abhors her. My fantasy would be to get Jon Stuart, John Oliver, Steven Colbert tag-team moderating these twerps. But, of course, nothing of the sort would ever happen: This is the GOPs chance to highlight their "amazing" candidates, so getting a sort-of-neutral to obviously partisan group of moderators is their intent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The WaPo piece was not well written and one key sentence was mangled- it implied that what Cruz said in Spanish reflected someone who was not fluent. Any Spanish speakers out there who can confirm?

The gist is that Cruz has said he doesn't speak Spanish. Rubio made a low blow to deflect attention from his support of immigration reform back in 2009.

Not fluent. Doesn't matter. Cruz is a prick. Rubio is a twerp. If this soundbite gets traction among the Hispanic electorate, it's only because it symbolizes what they already know: Cruz does not (but neither does Rubio) represent them or their interests. A non-Spanish speaking presidential candidate can and likely will get the very large majority Hispanic vote in the general election, and won't be a GOP candidate.