Posted on 04/23/2015 1:41:40 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[must read set-up SNIP]
".........For a candidate trying to show his conservative bona fides to a skeptical base, Perry’s immigration stance was a godsend. Romney could tack to the right of the Texas governor, and other candidates would follow suit in a similar effort to box out a potentially serious opponent. And, with the help of Perry’s feckless campaign, he did just that, all but pushing the governor out of the race (that would take a few more months and a few more failures).
Walker isn’t blessed with the same caliber of opponent. Bush might be flabby from a long break from politics and Rubio might be a little too young and a little too eager, but both are shrewd men of good political judgment. They’ve distanced themselves from comprehensive immigration reform, even going as far—in Rubio’s case—to disavow their own proposals. But broadly, they’re still interested in trying to integrate unauthorized immigrants into American society, and using that as the basis for shared appeal to Latinos, Asians, and other groups with strong ties to immigrant communities.
Those are strong positions in the Republican primary; restrictionist enough for conservative voters but not too draconian for a general election. That is, if the base doesn’t follow Walker on legal immigration. If it does, then he may raise the cost of that “moderate” position, forcing them to switch gears and move toward him. Not only could Walker win votes, it would fit with his persona as the Republican who doesn’t have to compromise, the candidate who can win without ever budging from conservative principles........"
[Must read conclusion SNIP]
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
Very instructive.
Please come back and comment once you've read his take.
It isn't a long piece.
One note from my perspective, Walker isn't anti-immigrant, he's pro-American worker - his focus is on the economy and jobs.
The Left sees a real threat in this for their election chances.
**ping**
Comments at Slate on this article are instructive:
19 minutes ago
“I am not a Republican or a Scott Walker fan, but I would vote for him on this basis alone. America faces many problems, and they are all made worse by immigration. Good for someone to finally have the nerve to go against this sacred cow that is so contra-indicated.”
I have 2 extended family members who trained their foreign replacements - and friends who have had to do the same thing.
Yet we’re told by business that there aren’t enough technically able Americans to fill jobs openings at their companies.
B.S.!
And say, for the sake of argument, that WERE the case. Why is that!!?? Are American’s TOO stupid to learn?
NO!
This has been caused by EXCESSIVE taxation, EXCESSIVE regulation and EXCESSIVE activist lawsuits rained down on American businesses by BIG GOVERNMENT.
And it’s caused a trickle-down meltdown for jobs and our economy.
Legal and illegal immigration both need to be addressed. Legal immigration is fine in my book so long as it definitely puts Americans first, but even then, there have to be some limits. We simply cannot open the door to everyone who wants to come to America. We can’t afford that culturally or economically—not with our social welfare state.
Of course, the left would shriek at me for daring to mention culture, but America is (was) a success for specific reasons, culture being a major one. There’s a reason why Mexico is a crap hole and Japan is not. Both countries have about the same populations, but Japan is actually much poorer resource wise. Culture is key to understanding why Mexico fails and Japan succeeds.
Americans overwhelmingly oppose current immigration policy or the lack thereof. Putting American jobs first is a very popular position—one that can definitely win elections.
.....Immigration has an important place in American life, but it can never become more important than American life. It is not an unlimited good and its implementation must flow from what is best for Americans, not from warping the freedoms that we believe in until they become an abstract ideology that destroys the people who practice them.
Scott Walker is not betraying free market principles when he contends that immigration should be based around the needs of Americans, he is practicing and protecting them.......
America is a nation of immigrants, or so the left and RINOs love to remind us. So what? Just because something worked in the past, it doesn’t mean it’s still good today. Immigration, like you pointed out, is not an unlimited good. It’s not more important than American life itself.
I posted this to the other link but it should go here too.
When they talk about leading, conservative presidential candidates, they’re dripping with contempt as they talk of their “unelectable whiteness” — constantly pushing the racist button. This tells me division is all that they have. They have no solutions. They must divide the country more to cling to power.
The problem with our economy crosses all racial, ethnic and gender lines - it is something that the Left cannot run on (they can only run on income redistribution for social justice reasons).
The economy and jobs are the issues that will win the White House.
“In terms of legal immigration, how we need to approach that going forward is saying—the next president and the next Congress need to make decisions about a legal immigration system that’s based on, first and foremost, on protecting American workers and American wages,” [Walker]said, “It is a fundamentally lost issue by many in elected positions today—is what is this doing for American workers looking for jobs, what is this doing to wages, and we need to have that be at the forefront of our discussion going foreward.”
FReep mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
January 3, 2011 - Walker assumes Office of Governor of Wisconsin.
June 27, 2011: Walker Revokes In-state Tuition For Undocumented Students Attending Univ And Colleges In Wisconsin "- On Sunday, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) signed his two-year 2011-2013 budget, which included ending in-state tuition for undocumented students attending public universities and colleges. In-state tuition for undocumented students was approved two years ago by former Governor Jim Doyle (D) after the Hispanic community struggled for 10 years to pass it."...
WHEN THAT BUDGET WAS PASSED THE LEFT RESPONDED - and the siege on Wisconsin and Walker began.
The Clintons and their backers look to the UN, and to George Soros, and to anti-American countries (who have a vested interest in a weak U.S. national defense [what Hillary and her administration in waiting call "SMART" national/international defense/diplomacy] and a weak U.S. economy).
When Americans (of all stripes) understand that this is where the Clinton's money and muscle comes from, they will understand why her election is so bad for them.
It couldn't be clearer and that is why the MSM is going along with Hillary's "Un-running" campaign.
“In terms of legal immigration,how we need to approach that going forward is saying,we will make adjustments,”Walker said. “The next president and the next Congress need to make decisions about a legal immigration system that’s based on, first and foremost,on protecting American workers and American wages. “Because the more I’ve talked to folks—I’ve talked to Senator Sessions and others out there,but it is a fundamentally lost issue by many in elected positions today—is what is this doing for American workers looking for jobs,what is this doing to wages, and we need to have that be at the forefront of our discussion going forward.”
These comments were not precisely welcomed by an array of voices on the center-right. Not only Republican senators in the pro-comprehensive reform camp but also an array of conservative writers accused Walker of “economic ignorance”and“being brow-beaten into submission”by anti-immigration activists..., of an “inexplicable”and “pandering” lurch toward policies that represent a “perversion of American ideals and a recipe for decline”...,of an embrace of “a know-nothing aversion to immigration that defies reality”....
These are all pretty strong reactions to remarks that promised,not an end to legal immigration,not a cut to legal immigration,but just “adjustments” made with working class wages and native unemployment rates in mind. It’s true that Walker seems to be executing a deliberate(and self-acknowledged)flip-flop on immigration policy and trying to leave the full amnesty-comprehensivist position behind,so criticizing him for being possibly insincere or flagrantly pandering is perfectly fine. And the policy course he’s(ambiguously)gesturing at can,like most policy courses,be reasonably criticized at well. However,treating it as insane,mystifying,beyond the pale,something a politician could only embrace out of ignorance or under pressure from the ignorant...well,let’s just say this treatment leaves me mystified in turn. Here are four reasons why....."
Thanks for the ping. I like Gov. Walker. But, I think he made a bad move on the legal immigration. The article states:
“Not only could Walker win votes, it would fit with his persona as the Republican who doesn’t have to compromise, the candidate who can win without ever budging from conservative principles.”
That’s the relevant point, Gov. Walker has now taken a very public position— and now he will be judged by his adherence to that position. And imo, he will ultimately pull a “Pence” here, he will back pedal. And that’s why, I believe he should not have taken this position on legal immigration- he won’t hold it. we’ll see.
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