Bias can also been seen in the incorrect title to this thread. Tancredo is not "anti-immigration", nor are the policies he proposes. He is anti-illegal immigration, and anti-mass legal immigration. That is an obvious distinction, and it is intentionally ignored by the media.
---"While the Colorado congressman's message might win votes as a hot-button issue in 2008 and 2012, Mr. McIntyre said, demographic trends suggested the position might prove electoral poison in 2016 and beyond as the American electorate becomes increasingly Hispanic, and if the Tancredo platform paints national Republicans as "anti-immigrant." ---
Well, duh! For decades now the GOP has sat by and watched as mass immigration has altered the nation's demography in favor of the Democrats, and not lifted a finger to stop it despite having public opinion on the side of ending mass immigration. That public opinion still exists today, but the GOP still refuses to embrace it. Eventually, as McIntyre says, that public opinion will likely evaporate, though it should be noted that large percentages of Hispanics favor tighter restrictions on immigration. As to McIntyre's second point about the danger of appearing 'anti-immigrant'; well, any position short of amnesty for illegals and continuing mass legal immigration will be painted that way by the Left (radical ethinic interests groups, Democrats, media), and sadly, by entities on the right like the WSJournal editorial page, Jack Kemp, Grover Norquist, CATO, etc. Any thing short of accepting open borders will be demonized as 'mean.'
If the GOP insists on playing by the Left's rules, and accepts competition on their ground, then it is doomed to lose. The invidious idea that opposing mass immigration is akin to hostility towards immigrants, or even immigration, must be fought head on.
"If the GOP insists on playing by the Left's rules, and accepts competition on their ground, then it is doomed to lose. The invidious idea that opposing mass immigration is akin to hostility towards immigrants, or even immigration, must be fought head on."
Ta Da. Can't really nail it down any harder than that.
By the 2008 election, the immigration problem will be on its way to being solved.
Bomb throwers can`t lead and don`t win elections. Go ask Pat and Ross.