The Spanish-language TV network Univision's presidential forums continued Thursday with a no-holds-barred discussion among co-hosts Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas, and their guest, President Barack Obama.
The event, at the University of Miami, came one day after Republican contender Mitt Romney took the hot seat. This time it was the president's turn to field questions on a TV network watched widely by the country's Latino communities whose votes will be critical in the November election.
Before an auditorium stocked with cheering partisans, Ramos and Salinas fired tough questions at the commander in chief. As with Romney's forum, the immigration debate took center stage, with both co-hosts prodding the president about his failure to deliver on his 2008 campaign pledge to tackle immigration reform during the first year of his term.
Below is a round-up of social media reactions to the live event:
Storified by GlobalPost · Thu, Sep 20 2012 14:23:27
President Obama: “People want a hand up, not a handout.” #ObamaUnivisionLatinos for Obama
"My biggest failure is that we haven’t gotten comprehensive #immigration reform done," #Obama, adds not 4 lack of trying #ObamaUnivisionLawrence Pedrosa
Obama’s been asked "biggest failure" a number of times. Only time he’s said immigration is on Univision." #pandermuchChris Sanborn
Obama: "I did not make a promise that I would get everything done, 100 percent." (Settle for 47%?) #UnivisionForumRick Klein
RT @RNCResearch: Obama’s event with #Univision summed up so far: I’m not really responsible for anything even though I’m the president.RNC
Obama: I’ve Learned You Can’t Change Washington From The Inside http://youtu.be/kEuDqBFuFK4 #ObamaUnivision #Destino2012RNC Latinos
President Obama on immigration reform: “This is not something to use as a political football. People’s lives are at stake.” #ObamaUnivision"GANGEOUZ cfo
"@LatinosforObama: “He considers the Arizona law the model for the nation.”—President Obama on Mitt Romney #ObamaUnivision"@AlanQudams alan
Did you see how #POTUS answered the Immigration Reform question, including the follow up one? Genius !!! #Forward. #UnivisionForum.Vals Berlin