Notably (or not, really) missing from Univision’s Spanish-language Republican debate this past weekend was Senator Tom Tancredo. Tancredo has criticized his fellow candidates for “pandering” to Spanish-speakers who, he says, can’t even vote anyway:

Tancredo is the only GOP candidate who skipped the Univision debate that was simulcast in Spanish. He blasted his colleagues for appearing, saying the only audience that matters is people who speak English.

“If they can’t understand the English language, then, of course, they shouldn’t be citizens,” Tancredo said on Fox News. “They shouldn’t be voting. And we shouldn’t be pandering to them.”

Those bilinguals are an abomination. Yessir:

The lawmaker raised the question of to whom such a Spanish-language debate is supposed to appeal.

“Supposedly, not the people that are going to vote at all, because if you are a citizen in this country, if you’re an immigrant who has come here and has become a citizen and therefore [is] eligible to vote, you’re supposed to, by law, know and can comprehend the English language,” Tancredo said.

We know a good number of people who, for better or for worse, are citizens who do not speak English beyond “Yes” and “No.” Whether Tom Tancredo likes it or not, there is no official language in the United States beyond a state level. The fact remains, no matter what personal agenda Tancredo is trying to promote or what his intended audience might be, there are some places in this country where knowing English is not necessary. Whether you speak Spanish, Creole, Navajo, Polish, Chinese, Korean or what have you. You can get by, be an (arguably, of course) involved citizen and not speak English. But, at the end of the day, at least Tancredo is opening up an important discussion, albeit using his own fear and ignorance as a platform to do so.

Speaking of the majesty and power of the English language: Any more suggestions on adding a new word?

Tancredo asserts that Univision viewers are unlikely to vote [The Hill]
Earlier: Even More Tom Tancredo News! Turns Out His Ad Writers Are Kinda Huge Tancretins, Too.