Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus last week suspended a debate to be hosted by NBC and its broadcast partner Telemundo in February.

This came shortly after the third Republican debate on CNBC. Many within the GOP were loudly critical of the moderators in that debate.

If the parties can't strike a deal, the Republican candidates could lose their only chance to appeal to a large group of Latino voters, and that's just half of the story. 

Luis Alvarado, a Republican consultant specializing in the Latino electorate, tells Take Two the decision comes at a critical time for the GOP. The party has long faced challenges making inroads with Latino voters. This much was made clear in a 2013 report released by the RNC that examined the key reasons why Mitt Romney lost the presidential election to Barack Obama the previous year. 

"Some of the consultants had used bad strategy in understanding and building a message to actually get the electorate as a whole for our candidate," Alvarado said. 

Alvarado says Latinos will become increasingly important heading into the 2016 presidential election. He points out that -- in some states -- the demographics have changed 100 percent. 

"If you have a tight election where there is a fifty-fifty fight for two candidates, and the Latino electorate could probably swing that vote by two or three points, and you're not talking to them, then you're just giving up on your candidate," Alvarado said. 

Armed with a better understanding of the role Latinos play in determining the next leader of the free world, Alvarado says several Republican presidential candidates have made it a point to reach out to voters. But he adds that the RNC's decision to suspend the debate could make it difficult for candidates to introduce themselves to the crucial group of voters. 

"The Spanish-speaking networks ... do actually have a reach, and they are more prominent in the decision making for the voter," Alvarado said.

The Republican consultant adds that this characteristic sets the Latino electorate apart. 

"The Latino electorate is really connected to the television as an information platform," Alvarado said. 

Passing up on such a significant portion of voters could have a negative impact on some of the GOP candidates, but Alvarado says candidates like Donald Trump, Dr. Ben Carson and -- to an extent -- Sen. Ted Cruz may actually benefit from not appearing on Spanish television. 

Press the blue play button above to hear why.