Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

JOHN KERRY'S SISTER SOULJAH MOMENT?
Michellemalkin.com ^ | 2 June 2004 | Michelle Malkin

Posted on 07/02/2004 2:49:03 PM PDT by Servant of the 9

I have long assumed that John Kerry is as much of an open-borders advocate as George W. Bush, if not more so. But yesterday, Kerry struck a different note. He told the Spanish-language television outlet Telemundo that he opposes granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. "I think that driver's licenses are part of the legality of being here," he said.

More:

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry talked up pro-Hispanic immigration reforms when he was in Phoenix earlier this week at annual meetings of the National Council of La Raza. But the Massachusetts senator also told Spanish language media outlet Telemundo that he opposes giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Kerry told Telemundo that obtaining driver's licenses is something that is for legal residents of the U.S.

President George W. Bush feels that the driver's licenses for undocumented workers is an issue that should be left up to individual states, according to his campaign.


This is the Sister Souljah moment of the 2004 presidential campaign. In fact, it's even better than a Sister Souljah moment. When Bill Clinton distanced himself from Sister Souljah, he was merely taking the same (presumed) position as his opponent, then-president George H.W. Bush. (Bush hadn't commented on Sister Souljah, but everyone knew he was no more a fan than Clinton.) In this case, Kerry simultaneously proves his willingness to stand up to an important far-left ethnic constituency, as Clinton did, and highlights an important Bush vulnerability. (Bush's brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, strongly supports giving drivers' licenses to illegal aliens--the same position that helped get Gray Davis ousted from the California governorship last fall.)

Kerry's shrewd positioning (did I just use "Kerry" and "shrewd" in the same sentence?!?) reminded me of a clever column, "How Dean Could Win," written by Scott McConnell in The American Conservative last year. McConnell's advice was directed to then-frontrunner Howard Dean during the primary campaign, but it is even more apt when applied to Kerry today. McConnell's knowledge of geography leaves something to be desired, but his political advice is dead on:

The immigration issue is the weak link in George Bush’s hold over his bedrock white-male constituency.... Addressing immigration would certainly help any Democrat in New Mexico and Arizona...and in Tennessee, a border-state (sic) with a growing illegal-alien problem. Would it alienate left-wing supporters? Perhaps some—especially that segment of the radical Left that sees immigration as a tool to eradicate “white hegemony” or whatever their term of art for traditional America is. Dean doesn’t need their support.

In addition to helping him in New Mexico and Arizona, Kerry's stance will pay big dividends in California and, thanks to Jeb Bush's Hispandering, in Florida.

Unsolicited advice to Kerry: (1) Don't back down when the La Raza types protest. The more they complain, the stronger you'll look. (2) Don't be scared off by those who argue that Hispanics will decide the election. As Steve Sailer has shown, Hispanics aren't the key to your victory. Only 5.4 percent of the 2000 electorate was Hispanic, and a majority of those voters were concentrated in three not-particularly-competitive states: California, Texas, and New York. Outside of those three states, Hispanics account for far less than 5 percent of the electorate. (An autographed book and photograph to the reader who can figure out the exact percentage--the prize goes to the first reader with well-documented assumptions.) (3) Find out which staffer came up with the idea of opposing drivers' licenses for illegal aliens, and give him or her a raise!

Update: I'm sure someone will take issue with my characterization of California as "not particularly competitive." Every four years Republicans say their presidential candidate can win California, and every four years they are proven wrong. Bush got only 42 percent of the vote in California in 2000. Even the Terminator can't make up that much ground.

Update II: Ok, I've had my coffee and just want to make clear that I know John F(lip-Flop) Kerry wouldn't hold to this position if elected and would undoubtedly support an amnesty plan even larger than Bush's proposal. That's not the point. The point is that his campaign is aware of Bush's vulnerability on the issue and is trying to exploit it and has taken a significant symbolic stand to the right of the president. We'll be seeing more of this in days to come.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: driverslicense; hispanics; kerry; malkin; michelle; sistahsouljah

1 posted on 07/02/2004 2:49:03 PM PDT by Servant of the 9
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Servant of the 9

This scares me.


2 posted on 07/02/2004 3:02:13 PM PDT by MonroeDNA (Hillary was in charge of the FBI files, which went into a data base: WHoDB. Genious hackers, expose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MonroeDNA

A) I don't think the driver's licenses thing is going to get him many votees by itself.

B) Can he really stick to this position once the whining starts?


3 posted on 07/02/2004 3:04:31 PM PDT by ScottFromSpokane (Re-elect President Bush: http://spokanegop.org/bush.html)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ScottFromSpokane
I don't think the driver's licenses thing is going to get him many votees by itself.

Correct. This is not a life or death issue.

4 posted on 07/02/2004 3:07:39 PM PDT by Recovering_Democrat (I'm so glad to no longer be associated with the Party of Dependence on Government!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MonroeDNA

Don't worry, he'll say the direct opposite next week.

The week after that he'll be reconciling his two positions.


5 posted on 07/02/2004 3:09:29 PM PDT by proxy_user
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: proxy_user

Ok, I've had my coffee and just want to make clear that I know John F(lip-Flop) Kerry wouldn't hold to this position if elected and would undoubtedly support an amnesty plan even larger than Bush's proposal.

Earth to Michelle-HE DOES!!!


6 posted on 07/02/2004 3:11:32 PM PDT by kaktuskid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Servant of the 9

Well, after he opens the borders up, there won't be any call for drivers' licenses for illegals. They'll just all be legal by that point.


7 posted on 07/02/2004 3:22:37 PM PDT by KellyAdmirer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Servant of the 9

I agree with Michelle Malkin. I would support a candidate who gave lip service to the need to protect American sovereignty over a candidate who openly gives illegal aliens a welcome mat. When you see Republicans like Chris Cannon give illegal aliens subsidized school tuition, who needs Republicans in Congress?? If Democrats would really go right of the GOP on the borders issue, they would probably become competitive in national elections. The Democrats haven't yet latched onto the importance of the issue and they may not get it this year. But after a couple of more election defeats, they may ditch their Loony Left wing and start moving right. And then things should really start to get interesting.


8 posted on 07/02/2004 3:26:52 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Servant of the 9; MonroeDNA
He also stated that he isn't against states making their own decisions about the licenses, akin to his statements on gay marriage.

Usual talking out of both sides of his mouth, and it seems that some on Fr are susceptable to such double talk.

9 posted on 07/02/2004 3:34:26 PM PDT by Dane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
But after a couple of more election defeats, they may ditch their Loony Left wing and start moving right. And then things should really start to get interesting

I highly doubt your wild off the cuff speculation.

10 posted on 07/02/2004 3:36:22 PM PDT by Dane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Servant of the 9
Much a do about nothing. Kerry has no deeply held beliefs on the matter. It's all about Kerry positioning himself to the center.

What Kerry would actually do as president has little to do with his lengthy Christmas wish lists of things he would do as president. That he claims and lies that GWBush has failed on
11 posted on 07/02/2004 3:39:09 PM PDT by dennisw (http://www.prophetofdoom.net/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dane

Protecting American sovereignty could be a winning issue. Whichever party discovers it... I have no hope for the Democrats today cause they're controlled by their anti-American Left and they don't acknowledge America ain't Canada. If and when they get tired of losing, who knows.


12 posted on 07/02/2004 3:42:09 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
Protecting American sovereignty could be a winning issue. Whichever party discovers it...

And it ain't going to be the "I love the French and UN" democrats. That is one thing for sure.

13 posted on 07/02/2004 3:46:26 PM PDT by Dane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

I may well have my wires crossed here, but I recall reading elsewhere, perhaps yesterday, that Kerry has already said much the opposite in yet another speech to yet another audience. Even if not, I very much doubt that this little hat-trick is going to convince anyone who has been watching that John Forbes Kerry is anything other than exactly what he looks, sounds and smells to be.

When W does something boneheaded we all blame Karl Rove anyway, when will Bush get it through his head that piecemeal pandering does NOT work for Republicans. He would do so much better with hispanics (who are as diverse a group as it gets) by bypassing the usual suspects and appealing to the same values and aspirations as most americans. Everything I have read that deals with the subject in detail states that hispanics (for the most part) are social conservatives and believers in free market capitalism. Unlike our african-american brothers and sisters they tend not to be the beneficiaries of decades of pavlovian mental conditioning to pull the "D" lever for massa' no matter what.

Those groups that loudly claim to speak for them do not share their values. For instance, I have it on good authority that both La Raza and MALDEF were conjured into existence in 1969 with Ford Foundation money and have been sustained with it ever since. Like so many other lefty minority organs; they may have the Main Stream Media at their beck-and-call but when it comes time to put warm bodies in the street they turn out to be paper tigers. Does anyone remember Martha Burk and the Battle of Augusta? With the entire old-line feminist establishment behind her and the NYT in her hip pocket she could barely gather a handful of demonstrators (not counting the "Iron My Shirt" guy). I as well recall Ward Connerly's editorial in The Wall Street Journal last year of attending the annual NAACP gathering and reporting that the attendees were almost exclusively middle-aged government employees.

Some say that hispanics are knee-jerkedly in favor of unrestricted immigration, but others say hispanic citizens and legal residents know damn well who's keeping their wages down and why the public health system in the Southwest is collapsing and who is filling up the jails and penitentiaries. I confess I haven't read "Mexifornia" yet but common sense would tell most people that a two-tier society cannot stand


14 posted on 07/02/2004 6:33:24 PM PDT by sinanju
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson