Donald Trump’s Immigration Message May Resound in New Hampshire

NYT ^ | 5 Feb 2016 | MAGGIE HABERMAN

[mandaladon]

Political pundits and Republican leaders like to say that nobody could have foreseen the extraordinary rise of Donald J. Trump’s presidential candidacy.

But there were early signs that the electorate was ready for an insurgency like the one Mr. Trump has inspired this election. And some of the most powerful of those indicators came from New Hampshire.

In 2014, Scott Brown, a Republican and former Massachusetts senator who was running for a Senate seat in New Hampshire, aired an ad that seemed a curious fit for the state: As ominous music played in the background, and scenes of southern border crossings flashed on the screen, Mr. Brown described an “immigration crisis” sweeping the country.

“Americans go through security before they get on a plane, enter a government building or attend a ballgame,” Mr. Brown said. “But folks who come here illegally? They just walk across the border. That’s wrong.”

The advertising message from Mr. Brown seemed surprising for several reasons. It collided with national Republican leaders’ moves to temper the party’s views on immigration after the 2012 election. And it was aired in nearly all-white New Hampshire, some 2,000 miles from Mexico.

Even so, it had a powerful impact, helping Mr. Brown survive a crowded primary and make the race with the incumbent senator, Jeanne Shaheen, competitive. It alsoprodded Ms. Shaheen to distance herself from President Obama’s planned executive orders on immigration.

“Scott did something that the national party was actually arguing against,” said Eric Fehrnstrom, a consultant for Mr. Brown in that race. “It worked for him.’’

Mr. Brown narrowly lost that contest, 51 percent to 49, but his campaign recognized something that the national party seemed for months to miss: The party’s base was deeply angry, and white working-class voters, like those in New Hampshire

[mandaladon]

“Americans go through security before they get on a plane, enter a government building or attend a ballgame,” Mr. Brown said. “But folks who come here illegally? They just walk across the border. That’s wrong.”...................Excellent message!

[mandaladon]

Mr. Trump has emerged as the champion of those voters who feel neglected, in large part by viscerally amplifying Mr. Brown’s message that the borders are not secure, America is not safe from terrorism, the economy is lagging and immigrants are poised to do harm to the United States. Mr. Brown, as it happens, endorsed Mr. Trump this week...................Would Brown be a VP choice?

[euram]

A lot of people won’t admit it, but massive uncontrolled Third World immigration bothers most people. That is why the open borders crowd is waging a war on Trump.

[GOPJ]

Just wait til Trump gets to Florida - people will crawl over broken glass to vote for him...

[Parley Baer]

It sure resounds with me. GO TRUMP GO