Posted on 07/26/2006 4:08:22 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Illegal immigration continues to be a hot button, and Gov. Schwarzenegger has kicked up some anger among conservative Republicans this week on that front. The latest ripple: his statements cautioning that Californians have shown a surprising "intensity of prejudice" and that they shouldn't be angry at people who have crossed the border to look for opportunity in America, but at the federal government for not doing its job in securing the borders.
--snip--
"I draw a very big distinction from someone who legally emigrates to American versus someone whose first act is disregarding our laws," said Fleischman. "It goes to the core American principle of individual responsibility. It seems like the governor is drawing a moral equivalent to legal and illegal immigration ... and that he's saying it's the same to break the law or not."
Fox News commentator Karen Hanretty said that she's also heard from conservatives concerned about the comments, which were given considerable talk radio airplay in the Northern part of the state.
The reason: immigration, she said, is an issue where Schwarzenegger has appeared to shift positions over the years. Just three years ago, he suggested he would support amnesty for illegal immigrants, but he has since praised the Minutemen, and later has appeared to distance himself from them.
"Illegal immigration and taxes are two top issues to Republicans," she says. But with the latest comments, Republicans are staring to say, 'What are the governor's core values (on immigration)? What does he believe in?'"
Hanretty said the campaign, and the candidate, should spell it out -- soon. "It's devastating if you're months away from an election and your base doesn't know what you believe in," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
You SHOULD be mad at someone trying to come to this country, if they are violating our laws to do so!
Jon Fleischman
FlashReport
http://www.flashreport.org/commentary0b.php?showMonth=20060726&postID=2006072611242144
How the Democrats are helping Schwarzenegger
http://www.flashreport.org/blog.php?postID=2006072618142012
Karen Hanretty
HEADLINE: Mood on illegal immigration surprises governor
LEDE: “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- a day after expressing the view that his past support of Proposition 187 was ‘the wrong decision’ -- said Tuesday he has been surprised at the anger and ‘intensity of prejudice’' he has sometimes encountered among voters on the issue of illegal immigration as he campaigns statewide.” (San Francisco Chronicle, July 26, 2006)
The most interesting information in Tuesday’s Field Poll, which shows Gov. Schwarzenegger with an eight point lead over Treasurer Phil Angelides in the race for governor, is not the snapshot in time of how the gubernatorial race is shaping up. No, the most interesting information is about the issues of most importance to voters and how those issues may affect the November election.
The issue of greatest importance to voters in the Field Poll is illegal immigration, followed (very) closely by education.
"While each of the eight issues is seen as having some degree of importance to large majorities of voters overall, two issues -- illegal immigration (at 44%) and education (at 43%) -- are rated as among the most important by the largest proportions of voters." (Field Poll, July 25, 2006)
The eight issues in deciding whom voters will support for Governor are:
Illegal immigration 44%
Education 43%
Health care 36%
Jobs/the economy 36%
Gas prices/energy 32%
Taxes 31%
Environment 26%
Crime/prisons 24%
Field then reveals the crosstabs to show "Proportion of voters who consider each issue to be among the MOST important issues in deciding whom to support for Governor..."
56% of voters supporting Schwarzenegger say illegal immigration is "among the most important" issues. Only 40% of those voters say taxes are most important.
I think it's safe to say that the 56% cross tab represents primarily GOP voters (85% of whom support the governor per the same Field poll) and that these voters could go south on him should they feel abandoned over illegal immigration.
Thank goodness the Democrats, inescapably beholden to their own constituencies, are busying themselves with proving that Schwarzenegger is too far right on the issue of illegal immigration, regardless of what he says. On this the Angelides campaign is saving Arnold from himself.
Don't ya all just love election years of late?
I don't want candidates who tell me what they think I want to hear. I want candidates to tell me what they believe. If I agree I'll vote for them.
I hate calling candidates offices because they're all so evasive, fishing for an angle.
Don't Fleishman and Hanretty know that this is an election year?
Who cares if conservatives are accused of prejudice and called racist xenophobes?
They just want Angelides to win!!!
I don't know what has gotten in to those two.
After Karen left the Gub's staff and started her own PR firm and does Fox News bits , and Jon finally announced he is leaving the OC Sheriff office's employ, they both seem to be coming into their own.
I guess the New Majority pay and comp packages aren't as lucrative as one would like. ;-)
Don't expect any, because his reelection demands obscurity. Both sides need to think he's on their side.
I don't know. The NM pays (at least partially) for Fleishman's website.
I wonder who are, or will be, their primary clients.
HAVE ARNULD CALL THE STATE SENATOR REPRESENTING THE CENTRAL COAST...AND TALK ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION!!!!!!!!!!
Now that the primaries are over, the Rats have to do what they can to keep Republican voters at home for the general election.
Let 'em do what they will,, With the amounts of monies being bandied about on the props, I think we may see a pretty good turn-out regardless of any shenanigans.
When a state is asked to effectively double its debt load in one election cycle, better to at least show up and vote on the props.
One wonders if most people know or care.
Arnold continues to be the luckiest immigrant in American history. He is running against a socialist who couldn't get arrested : )
He knows his opponent can't win.
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