In the Lone Star State, the idea of conducting a debate in Spanish for the position of United States Senator has been proposed by Republican David Dewhurst, the current Lt. Governor.

Opponent for the R-nomination Ted Cruz demurred, but in a way that is not reassuring for friends of traditional American culture.

Cruz is supposed to be a big favorite of Tea Party patriots, but his response makes me think, “Hmm.”

“My Spanish is a situation many of your viewers will recognize, which is that as a second generation immigrant, my dad came from Cuba when he was a teenager not speaking English. And I grew up here speaking Spanglish,” Cruz said, shouting out a phrase in half English, half Spanish to illustrate his point.

Ted Cruz curiously identifies himself as a “second generation immigrant” rather than an immigrant, period, who was born in Canada. If he were running as a Dem he could celebrate his two-fer diversity (Cuban-Canadian) and be the sweetheart of the multiculti media. But perhaps Cruz’s diversity is not the right flavor.

Is his excuse of speaking Spanglish really a cover for an accent that won’t appeal to the mostly Mexican Hispanics who live in Texas, who might not cotton to the Cuba-sound from his father?

Cruz could have said, “The debate for the Republican nominee for the Senate should be conducted in English because this is the United States, and that’s our language, not Spanish or French.”

But he didn’t.

What’s wrong with these Republicans who won’t stand up for the culturally unifier of the English language? The Hispanderers (like Newt Gingrich) are willing to allow that speaking English is financially beneficial for immigrants, but not that the ability will promote their assimilation to the American community and values.

Some in the tribal brigade even argue that cultural assimilation is a bad thing. In 2008 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated in Germany to his auslanders, “Assimilation is a crime against humanity.”

Rasmussen pollsters found in 2010 that 87 percent of voter believe that English should be the official language in the USA.

Now back to the present and the Ted Cruz tap dance:

English please: Ted Cruz doesn’t want Senate debate in Spanish, The Daily Caller, June 4, 2013

Over the weekend, the white Lieutenant Governor of Texas, David Dewhurst challenged his opponent in the Texas Senate race, Ted Cruz, to a debate — in Spanish. Cruz, the Cuban-American former Texas Solicitor General, said he would prefer to debate in English.

Univision reported that Dewhurst made the challenge to Cruz. ”I would welcome a debate with Lt. Gov. Dewhurst in any form,” Cruz told the Spanish-language network. “But I think we would have a better debate if we did the debate in English.”

He explained that as a second generation Cuban American, he grew up speaking “Spanglish.”

“My Spanish is a situation many of your viewers will recognize, which is that as a second generation immigrant, my dad came from Cuba when he was a teenager not speaking English. And I grew up here speaking Spanglish,” Cruz said, shouting out a phrase in half English, half Spanish to illustrate his point.

“That’s the world in which I grew up, and that’s a world in which a lot of second generation immigrants find themselves.”

Dewhurst and Cruz are locked in a Republican primary run-off battle for the Texas Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison at the end of the year. There is no viable Democratic candidate, and given the demographics of the state, whoever wins the primary run-off on July 31 will take the seat.

Texas has a huge Hispanic population, being a border state, and that demographic will be hugely important for both candidates.

Dewhurst is clearly making a play for that vote.

“I’m only asking who Ted Cruz is,” Dewhurst told Univision, speaking in poorly accented Spanish. He doesn’t have a proven record. We don’t know who he is.”

Contacted by The Daily Caller, Cruz campaign spokesman John Drogin did not comment on the Spanish-language debate challenge.

“This is the real story,” Drogin said, referring to an invitation Cruz accepted to participate in some debates held by local conservative activists. “Will Dewhurst show up to these debates? Any others? He says he’s willing … but we’ll see!”