Ready or not, it’s almost presidential debate season. Last week, the Presidential Debate Committee announced that the first debate on September 29 would be held in Cleveland, after the University of Notre Dame withdrew from public physical fitness restrictions. The moment the debate has already moved to Miami, after the University of Michigan withdrew. The third debate is scheduled for Belmont University in Nashville, and the vice presidential debate will take place at the University of Utah. These discussions will have a single moderator selected through the committee, which will be announced in early September.
The Presidential Discussions Committee can make history by opting for a Latino moderator for one of the 4 events. Latinos are a critical demographic detail in the upcoming elections and deserve to be represented at the scene of the debate. Past practice and long-term trends recommend that the time has come to offer that opportunity and popularity to a qualified Latino journalist.
According to the Pew Research Center, the 2020 election will be the first time Latinos will be the largest racial or ethnic minority organization in the electorate, representing more than 13% of all eligible voters. Almost one of the Americans is Latino. With Democrats and Republicans courting this voting bloc, it’s imperative to have a moderator who understands the considerations of the Latino community.
Although Latinos served as co-moderators in the number one Democrat and Republican debates, no Latino has hosted a presidential debate. Imagine how shocking it would be if no African-American had hosted a presidential debate, or if no woman had. So how can the prestige of Latinos be acceptable?
Having a Latino moderator in a debate can be just the speech on immigration, because beyond the debates they have ignored the factor or relegated it to a few minutes of discussion. However, a Latino-led debate would not just be about immigration. In fact, Latinos do not classify immigration as their ultimate life problem. A Univision ballot in February found that the highest sensible considerations of Latinos were the costs of physical care, earning revenue, and creating tasks. Since then, Latinos have been disproportionately affected through COVID-19, which has had devastating physical and economic consequences for Latin American families.
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A Latino moderator would also be in a special position for President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden on the risk of white supremacy violence that led to the mass shooting in El Paso a year ago. Asking a Latino moderator to ask any of the applicants about their plans to deal with the pandemic and gun violence would be a reminder that Latin American disorders are American disorders.
In 2016, the commission decided on a diverse organization of moderators, adding two women, adding a woguy of Asian descent (Elaine Quijano), an African-American boy (Lester Holt) and a gay boy (Anderson Cooper). But he was not named a Latino moderator, which probably benefited Donald Trump because he didn’t have to face a member of an ethnic organization he so despised. Nor did he have to interact with a moderator with a non-public attitude to the considerations of the Latin American community.
Although the CEO of Univision and then the president of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce suggested that the commission reconsider the selection of a Latino moderator, it was too late; the moderators had already been elected. That’s why it’s time to insist on a Latino moderator. Think of it as asking for a position on what will be, for one night, the maximum visual table in the country.
There are Latino hounds who can moderate the presidential debate. Jorge Ramos and Ilia Calderón of Univision, Tom Llamas and Cecilia Vega of ABC News, CNN’s Jim Acosta, NBC/Telemundo’s Maria Daaz-Balart and NPR’s Maria Hinojosa are counterfeit options. Organizing a debate is not only a massive responsibility, it is also a wonderful opportunity. Playing that role can be a household name, and Latin American hounds deserve the opportunity to make their mark, as do their non-Latino counterparts.
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Certainly, if the commission appointed a Latino moderator, there would probably be accusations from Trump supporters that the user opposed the president because of his ethnicity. However, disqualifying The Latin hounds on the basis of such a reflected image would amount to a backing of such intolerance. Like other hounds before them, Latinos can perform their duties professionally and impartially.
In the past, Latinos may have been possible moderators of the debate. But visibility is important, and not having a Latino moderator this year turns out to be on the verge of exclusion. For the Committee on Presidential Debates, opting for a Latino moderator would be the right thing to do.
Raúl Reyes, a lawyer, is a member of the USA TODAY Taxpayer Board. Follow him on Twitter: @RaulAReyes