Posted on 07/27/2004 7:41:20 AM PDT by tomball
LOS ANGELES — For the presidential candidates the immigration (search) issue is a minefield — say too much and white voters will get angry, say too little and Hispanics will feel alienated.
Both sides are dodging one word considered political suicide: amnesty (search) — the gift of American citizenship for an estimated 10 million people living in the United States illegally. Because border busting isn't all that popular with most voters, both parties are being careful, offering normalization and legalization without offering outright citizenship.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
say too little and Hispanics will feel alienated.
I recent poll showed that hispanic Americans rate immigration well behind other issues like the economy, war in Iraq, education, all the regular stuff. This "alienated" (no pun intended) canard by beltway types like this author are as counterproductive as they are stupid.
Because border busting isn't all that popular with most voters
I would absolutely love to see what poll this idiocy was pulled out of. You ask somebody "Do you favor arresting people who have crossed the border illegally and deporting them?" and you tell me how high the score is, 70, 80, 90%?
I believe a politician with a decidedly anti-immigration platform, both legal and illegal, would get broad support. We have more immigrants in the country now than at any time in history, and the floodgates need to close for a while. Laws need to be enforced. Illegals need to be gone. Employers that hire illegals need to be punished.
Focus on this issue would put to rest the notion that the world hates America. If we are so hated, why are there more immigrants coming to America than to all other countries in the rest of the world combined?
Focus on the borders would help with national security issues. Not knowing who, what, and how many are coming across the borders is a recipe for disaster. Terrorism, public health concerns, document forgery, identity theft, fraud, costs to taxpayers, etc., are all related issues to not being able to control the borders.
Whats 'border busting' - 'busting' illegals as they cross, or illegals 'busting' across the border? If the former, I agree the article is ridiculous. ALL polls show border enforcement to be highly popular.
Where's the barf warning? This is totally bul-oney.
Ping
You are thinking entirely too hard about the meaning of this, its just pap from Stephen Moore-Cheap Labor pandering wing of the GOP that is behind this editorial posing as an article, its just trying to say both parties are the same to defuse the growing anger here in the southwest. Best of luck to them.
You beat me to it. Exactly right. Furthermore, not only do hispanics not care about immigration as the pro-open border advocates would have one believe, they also tend to vote democrat. So, this stance is actually losing Bush and other republicans votes.
We report, you decide, huh?
Since when does amnesty include the "gift" of American citizenship?
Reform is definitely called for. At FNC.
I was surprised to hear Rush say this on Friday, but he was talking about the current high levels of immigration in general.
In the past he assiduously avoided the topic altogether.
Spot on, so it begs the question, why would Rove commit political suicide?
This isn't about hispanic votes and never was, that is just a smokescreen in the same fashion that this article was, to confuse the GOP base. The only logical conclusion; this has always been about powerful business interests wanting dirt cheap labor.
One thing is for certain, because of their carelessness, if an Al Queda strike occurs again, and the terrorists came over the open border (as a Texas Congressman is saying US intel knows they are taking up positions in small south Texas towns "sleeping" with Mexican names) and it is shown that it is because of our undefended border, the GOP is done for, there will be nothing stopping them from being taken down and we will all be sucked down into a Dem abiss with them. "Boy Genius" Rove was too smart for his own good.
"say too much and white voters will get angry, say too little and Hispanics will feel alienated."
Baloney.
Hispanic-Americans who are legally in the U.S., and who are the only ones who SHOULD be voting, are more concerned with the same issues that concern all Americans than about allowing illegal invaders from WHEREVER, steal THEIR jobs and THEIR country.
The bulk of Hispanic-Americans who are citizens, got here the legal way. They are hardly likely to sympathize with line-jumpers. Furthermore, EVERY TIME we create another "amnesty" program for illegal invaders, we reward bad behavior by encouraging more of the same, and increase the percentage of voting citizens who arrived here illegally, and hence, have no real interest in stopping other illegal invaders.
Along with international terrorism and working hand in hand with it, illegal invaders are the greatest threat to America and its future. The inability and/or unwillingness of the government, in this or opposing political administrations to deal with it is nothing short of criminal dereliciton of duty and abandonment of one of the most important reasons for the existance of the federal government - to protect our borders.
I'm sick and tired of it. And until MORE Americans get sick and tired of it and demand that their elected officials stop this problem, they will continue to vacillate, double-speak and ignore it.
Excellent points and to add to your observation.....if the FTAA goes through it shouldn't too hard to see that an all out assault will be made on our Constitution and legal system....I'm sure all the FTAA cheerleaders already have all their propaganda and talking points ready to go. This is the real "whole enchilada" these Marxists from south of the border have been spewing for several years now and illegal immigration is just the slow process of conditioning Americans to accept the inevitable.......this is serious stuff sportsfans!
ping
If they do not represent the people that vote for them, then they are tyrants, not representatives.
The TV ratings are down for the Democrat convention. IMO, the ratings will also be down for the Republican convention. Illegal immigration affects 100% of Americans one way or the other. Yet, our lords decide that it is not an issue.
If folks knew of Bush's plans to also give illegals Social Security benefits, he'd be toast faster than you could say "matricula card".
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