Santorum tells Puerto Ricans to speak English if they want to be a state.

[Gravis Marketing]

Are you a troll? Puerto Rico is a country of several million people that the U.S. conquered from Spain and virtually all of its residents are native Spanish speakers.

Says the Canadian.

I'm not Canadian, I'm American and have always lived here - the avatar is misleading.

[Vosem]

When it comes to the official language of the United States, English, French, Spanish, and Hawaiian are all 'official' to some extent, since they are all official languages of at least 1 U.S. state.

[J. J.]

Basically, when we made Louisiana a state, didn't they mostly speak French there?

[Jayhawker]

This guy knows nothing about pandering to voters.

[IDS Speaker Ben Kenobi]

TM - isn't that why you're a Romney supporter?

Basically, when we made Louisiana a state, didn't they mostly speak French there?

Yeah, which is why the law there is instructive. English is official in LA.

[TJ in Wisco]

This guy knows nothing about pandering to voters.

TM - isn't that why you're a Romney supporter?

Tmth's right though. Santorum is not a very good politician. He's horrible at driving the media narrative. He's managed to get himself portrayed as being more extreme than he is. And I'm saying that as a somewhat sympathetic to Santorum undecided Republican.

Romney has a whole host of other problems but he is a much better politician at least as far as speaking.

[J. J.]

Basically, when we made Louisiana a state, didn't they mostly speak French there?

Yeah, which is why the law there is instructive. English is official in LA.

Ah, well, actually, it isn't.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_States#Official_language_status

There is no official language, but English and French are considered de facto "official languages."

[IDS Speaker Ben Kenobi]

There is no official language, but English and French are considered de facto "official languages."

So IOW there are official languages one of which is English. Thanks JJ.

[J. J.]

There is no official language, but English and French are considered de facto "official languages."

So IOW there are official languages one of which is English. Thanks JJ.

Look up the term "de facto."  Both are recognized by the courts in LA, but neither was given "official" status.

[Jayhawker]

TM - isn't that why you're a Romney supporter?

Sure.

People can find ways to bring this back to Romney all they want, but the fact is, in order to win elections, you have to learn how to pander to voters. Obama probably doesn't mean half of the compliments he throws out, but he says them to win votes - it's not a bad thing, it's just politics. And Santorum doesn't know how to do it, with comments like this.

[IDS Speaker Ben Kenobi]

There you go folks. Couldn't have said it better myself.

[IDS Speaker Ben Kenobi]

Look up the term "de facto."  Both are recognized by the courts in LA, but neither was given "official" status.

Ah, that would be because I specified de jure in my post...

[J. J.]

Look up the term "de facto."  Both are recognized by the courts in LA, but neither was given "official" status.

Ah, that would be because I specified de jure in my post...

No, that be because you used word "official" in your post.

Yeah, which is why the law there is instructive. English is official in LA.

[IDS Speaker Ben Kenobi]

If I had specified de jure I would think I would have said de jure. This is fun.

[J. J.]

If I had specified de jure I would think I would have said de jure. This is fun.

I didn't mention that turn.  You mentioned "official."

[IDS Speaker Ben Kenobi]

How did you divine the de jure, de facto distinction?

[J. J.]

How did you divine the de jure, de facto distinction?

Yes, but you have not, obviously.  And since you have raised the distinction, de facto refers to "in facto" as opposed to "in law," or in this case, by "official" designation.

Santorum screwed up again.

[Tidewater_Wave]

I'd vote for English to be our national language if it was on a ballot but there's no real point in making it a priority. I'm in favor of funding for immigrants who are poor in English though.

[J. J.]

I'd vote for English to be our national language if it was on a ballot but there's no real point in making it a priority. I'm in favor of funding for immigrants who are poor in English though.

Well, it was bloody stupid thing to say 5 days before a primary in an area where a majority of the voters speaks Spanish (especially where there is a WTA possibility).

[Likely Voter]

To emphasize how stupid this was, Santorum was being interviewed by a Spanish language newspaper...knowing his answers would appear translated in Spanish.

And the question he was asked translates roughly as "Would you endorse (support) a state where Spanish is spoken as the primary language?" (which should shut up those saying most Puerto Ricans speak English)


Reading what Santorum has to say translated into Spanish makes it all the more insulting

[Tidewater_Wave]

I think Santorum does it on purpose or is out of touch with the response of such voters. At least he won't have to worry about their votes if he does somehow become our nominee. He admits to going too far in speeches like when he said that Romney and Gingrich will lose to Obama but when he does admit such things it's always little things like that.

[Jacobtm]

Lucha, lucha
Como lucha libre
Por la libre, viva Puerto Rico libre
Hay mucho tiburón en el Caribe
100 x 35 es el calibre

F.B.I. Asesinos

Que viva Puerto Rico libre
Que viva la unidad Latinoamericana
Hasta la victoria, siempre

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMYJvwwlg64

[True Federalist]

While de jure there is no requirement that Puerto Rico speak English to obtain statehood, de facto there is.  The fact that Puerto Rico is not integrated into the mainland culture (of which English as the dominant language is a part) to anything even close to the degree that Hawaii was at statehood is one reason why there is no push from the Federal side for them to become a State.

[5280/East California]

Santorum cost his chances of winning PR by making that statement, especially before primary night.  Not a smart move on his part.

[IDS Speaker Ben Kenobi]

People are aware that the party that is republican overwhelmingly trashed the '91 law?

This isn't the democrat primary, people.