Tonight: Univision Dem Prez Debate in Spanish & English

Spanish-language TV station Univision is hosting a Dem presidential candidate debate tonight from 6:00 to 7:30 PM Mountain Time. Albuquerque viewers can tune in to the live broadcast from the University of Miami on KLUZ-TV, channel 41, or on Comcast cable channel 15. The broadcast will also be available on Radio Cadena Univision and online at Univision.com. It's the first presidential debate to be broadcast entirely in Spanish, as well as the first to specifically address Latino issues.

Seven of the eight contenders for the Dem presidential nomination will participate. Sen. Joe Biden will miss the event to prepare for next week's Senate Foreign Relations hearing with Gen. Petraeus, which he will chair. Only two, Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Chris Dodd, speak fluent Spanish, but that actually shouldn't be much of a factor in the debate.

Univision anchors Maria Elena Salinas and Jorge Ramos will ask the questions in Spanish but the candidates will hear them translated into English via the UN-style earpieces they'll be wearing. Their answers in English will be translated into Spanish be an interpreter for the TV viewers. English-speaking viewers can watch using the closed caption service on their TVs.

Expect glitches and delays. Plus, I can't imagine that Richardson and Dodd will refrain from showing off their prowess in Spanish at some point, even though the rules say they must speak English during the debate. Why? Univision claims it's to give everyone a level playing field. Both Richardson and Dodd have objected to the rule.