Daddy Yankee To Moderate Debate

In Hopes Of Luring Young Voters, The Reggaeton Star Will Moderate Puerto Rico 's Gubernatorial Debate

(AP)  Tom Brokaw, Jim Lehrer, Gwen Ifill and Daddy Yankee?

The 31-year-old reggaeton star is taking a turn as moderator of a debate Thursday among candidates for governor of Puerto Rico. It's part of an effort to lure young voters to the polls on Nov. 4.

The artist, whose real name is Ramon Ayala, will be one of three moderators at the debate, which has the slogan "Vota o quedate calla'o" - "Vote or keep your mouth shut." A local journalist and a television personality will join him.

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Photos: Celebs@The DNC

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Best known for his song "Gasolina," Daddy Yankee has already made a plunge into national politics by endorsing Sen. John McCain for president, calling him "a fighter for the Hispanic community."

But he has said he is not biased toward any of the four gubernatorial candidates.

"I am going to be an instrument to deliver the people's questions," he told the newspaper Primera Hora.

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Photos: McCain Main Event

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His selection by sponsors, including the local Univision network, has gotten mixed reviews.

A group of young people burned Daddy Yankee albums Thursday outside the convention center hosting the debate. One, Jose Perez, said the artist is being used as "bait" in a system that otherwise neglects young people.

Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila is facing three challengers in the debate. Some of the questions were submitted through social-networking Web sites, including Facebook and MySpace.

[learnenglish]

I DELETED THE DADDY YANKEE MUSIC FROM MY IPOD. WHAT A DISGRACE TO LATINOS THIS GUY IS. HOW DARE HE EVEN HAVE A POLITICAL OPINION WHEN HE CAN''T EVEN SPEAK, READ, OR WRITE ENGLISH!! I''M INSULTED THAT HE SAID MCCAIN WILL SUPPORT US LATINOS! THAT IS NOT TRUE--MCCAIN SUPPORTS HIS WHOLE 5% OF RICH PEOPLE THAT''S IT. DADDY YANKEE ISN''T EVEN AS RICH AS BILL GATES, AND HE HAS THE NERVE TO BELIEVE MCCAIN WILL DO GOOD FOR HIM. I SUGGEST DADDY YANKEE NEVER MAKE ANYMORE MUSIC--HE HAS ONE GOOD SONG ANYWAY. DADDY YANKEE DOES NOT REPRESENTS LATINOS---HE REPRESENTS GREED ANYWAY. DON OMAR IS BETTER THAN HIM--THERE I SAID IT. I HOPE EVERYONE WHO HAS A DADDY YANKEE CD (IN HIS CASE A SINGLE CD) WILL BURN IT. HOW DARE HE SAY HE REPRESENTS LATINOS--HE SURE DOES NOT!! I''M SO ANGRY AT HIS IGNORANCE--I WILL NEVER LISTEN TO HIM AGAIN. IF HE WANTS ME TO TRANSLATE IN SPANISH, HE CAN EMAIL ME SINCE I KNOW HE CAN''T READ THIS.