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Can the GOP Be Saved? Perhaps
Human Events ^ | September. 5, 2006 | PATRICK J. BUCHANAN

Posted on 09/05/2006 9:16:54 AM PDT by Reagan Man

Like the famous racehorse Silky Sullivan, Sen. Rick Santorum is known as a great closer. Yet, months ago, he had been virtually given up for dead by pundits in his race against Bob Casey, Jr., son of the popular, pro-life, former Democratic governor of Pennsylvania.

One poll early this year had Santorum down 23 points, an almost insurmountable deficit. A Strategic Value poll had Santorum down 16 points.

Now the senator who had been written off is finishing fast. An average of all polls monitored by the RealClearPolitics.com website finds him trailing by 6 points. The most recent Strategic Value poll confirms it. Casey is at 47; Santorum, 41 and rising.

What accounts for the surge? The Washington Times traces it to one issue: "Republican strategists say Santorum's tough stand on immigration has become a key factor." No. 3 in the Senate leadership, Santorum was the highest-ranking Republican to vote against the McCain-Kennedy amnesty bill that would open a path to U.S. citizenship for 10 million of the aliens who have either broken into our country, or are breaking the laws by being here, plus grant a full pardon from all civil and criminal penalties for the companies that employed them. McCain-Kennedy would further empower corporations to go abroad and hire what unions once called "scabs" to bring here to take jobs Americans cannot take at Third World wages.

"We did a certain amount of internal polling and when it got to immigration, it was very clear," says Santorum's media consultant John Braybender, who prepared two tough ads on immigration. "Rick's position versus Casey's was overwhelming. If Casey or anyone else thinks this is not an issue in Pennsylvania, they should start talking to voters."

Backing up Braybender is the same Strategic Value poll that found 79 percent of Pennsylvanians opposed to amnesty and 82 percent favoring a wall on the Mexican border. Pennsylvanians, like the rest of America, want the border secured and the illegals sent home.

But what will it take to wake up Karl Rove, lately sighted at the Los Angeles convention of the National Council of La Raza, where he won cheers for urging legalization of "undocumented" workers and boos for speaking of border security? (The literal translation of La Raza is "The Race.") Imagine the reaction to David Duke organizing a "National Council of The Race."

Two months from election day, Republicans, divided over Iraq, amnesty, spending, the loss of manufacturing and an economy that has left the working class treading water while the investor class is singing "Happy Days Are Here Again," are looking at the prospect of something somewhere between a defeat and a rout, or a massacre.

Yet if Republicans wish to hold Congress, despite what they may deserve, the Bushites could do no better than to borrow from the Santorum playbook. What can Bush and Congress do in 60 days?

One, publicly set aside the amnesty and guest worker provisions of the McCain-Kennedy bill. Bush cannot get them passed by the House in any event. Second, extract and enact the most urgent and popular provisions of both the Senate and House bills.

Bush should request $3 billion to $4 billion to start a security fence along all major crossing points for drug-dealers, coyotes and illegals. Then have Homeland Security begin systematic and public deportation of felons and gang members who are not U.S. citizens. Tattooed thugs being put on planes in cuffs will do the GOP and nation a world of good.

The FBI can provide the names. It has been tracking MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, the most vicious and violent gang in the hemisphere, with tens of thousands of members in the United States, for a year now.

Then call on Congress to reclaim its authority to denaturalize and deport any new citizen whose conduct -- applauding Al Qaeda or engaging in gang activity -- suggests they lied to become U.S. citizens. Bush could then tour the border again and, this time, shake hands with a few of the Minutemen patriots he earlier derided as "vigilantes." Unfortunately for the GOP, Rove & Co. believe that if Republicans take the hard line on illegal immigration that Pete Wilson took in 1994, the GOP will be as dead nationally as it has been lately in California. They forget: Wilson converted a 20-point deficit into a 10-point victory, captured both houses of the legislature and brought in four new GOP congressmen.

Arnold is the only other Republican to win statewide since then, and he ran against driver's licenses for illegals. No Republican who has taken the Rove-La Raza line has ever won the Golden State. Why is the GOP so mindlessly pursuing a transparently losing strategy? In pandering to La Raza, Rove may be playing for the long run. But as Lord Keynes said, in the long run we are all dead, which is where Republicans are headed if they don't get it right on this issue. Like Rick Santorum.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; amnesty; borderbot; bordersecurity; buchanan; bushamnesty; fortressamerica; goawaypat; illegal; illegalaliens; illegalimmigration; illegals; immigrantlist; immigration; invasionusa; newmajority; openborders; patbuchanan; pitchforkpat; rmsp; senaterinos
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To: Reagan Man

So why is Pat giving advice to the Republicans. If I remember correctly, he left the Republican some time ago. This is like Clinton tell the Republicans what they have to do to win.


41 posted on 09/05/2006 9:57:27 AM PDT by anoldafvet (The two most abundant things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.)
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To: tumblindice
Why don't you go do something useful, like help your friends pick our food and build our shelters?

As you bash and denegrate such people doing such good things from your useless DC cubicle.

42 posted on 09/05/2006 9:58:03 AM PDT by Dane ("Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" Ronald Reagan, 1987)
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To: Dane

Huh, well my coffe-break is over. Back on my head!
And good luck with that ....


43 posted on 09/05/2006 9:58:26 AM PDT by tumblindice (It's like clubbing seals......)
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To: Dane

Does your resume include a header that is Red, White and Green in color?


44 posted on 09/05/2006 9:58:32 AM PDT by politicalwit (Freedom doesn't mean a Free Pass.)
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To: politicalwit
Does your resume include a header that is Red, White and Green in color?

Is your header red with a white circle in the middle with a black swastika within the white circle.

45 posted on 09/05/2006 10:03:02 AM PDT by Dane ("Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" Ronald Reagan, 1987)
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To: Dane

We Jews frown upon that symbol....Now, answer the question.


46 posted on 09/05/2006 10:07:55 AM PDT by politicalwit (Freedom doesn't mean a Free Pass.)
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To: mugs99

Where is it you live?? Even here in California they've dropped from a high of $3.29 to $2.99 now in about 5 weeks. Do you live in Hawaii? Nationally gas prices are said to be down an avg. of 15 cents a gallon.


47 posted on 09/05/2006 10:17:24 AM PDT by MikeA (Not voting out of anger in November is a vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House)
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To: WoofDog123
After the Republicans "get creamed", I suppose that the Rats will solve the illegal immigration problem. However, maybe the new Congress,in Republican control and with a lot of input from voters, might do a better job.
48 posted on 09/05/2006 10:18:40 AM PDT by bybybill (`IF TH E RATS WIN, WE LOSE)
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To: DTogo

I agree. It's the "hate Pat syndrome" even when he is right on an issue.


49 posted on 09/05/2006 10:22:31 AM PDT by Cobra64 (All we get are lame ideas from Republicans and lame criticism from dems about those lame ideas.)
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To: bybybill

After the Republicans "get creamed", I suppose that the Rats will solve the illegal immigration problem. However, maybe the new Congress,in Republican control and with a lot of input from voters, might do a better job.

The GOP is always more conservative when it is the minority party.


50 posted on 09/05/2006 10:24:48 AM PDT by freedomfiter2
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To: Dane; Whosoever
[ Well any messenger(pat buchanan) who states that diesel fumes do not kill in a confined space should be disregarded, ]

Must not be a boater Dane.. Gasoline is explosive in a confined space, diesel is NOT.. many gasoline boats BLOW UP each year (because of that).. Diesel boats DO NOT..

You don't think maybe he(Pat)was referring to that do you?... A gas can is a vitual time bomb.. a container of diesel is stable..

51 posted on 09/05/2006 10:33:04 AM PDT by hosepipe (CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole.)
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To: Reagan Man

I think Pat is more obsessed with the GOP than Dick Morris is with Hillary. Talk about unsolicited advice.....


52 posted on 09/05/2006 10:39:52 AM PDT by Niteranger68 (I gigged your peace frog.)
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To: freedomfiter2

Minority parties, that lose elections,don`t get much done or have you forgot President Goldwater?


53 posted on 09/05/2006 10:39:58 AM PDT by bybybill (`IF TH E RATS WIN, WE LOSE)
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To: Dane

You don't need to acknowledge PB to know that a large part of the conservative base, and the party's, is quite emotional about this. I am a professional salesman, and I can tell you that people hate a)surprises and b) being told what to think. The Bush/Rove/Chamber/Pence school tries to win the argument by demonizing the opposition and telling people what they need to think in order to not be knuckle-dragging mouth breathing neanderthals. It'll never work.


54 posted on 09/05/2006 11:00:10 AM PDT by steve8714 (It's a Murray Head weekend!)
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To: bybybill

"After the Republicans "get creamed", I suppose that the Rats will solve the illegal immigration problem."

I doubt it. As far as I can tell the desire for broad amnesty is bipartisan.

I see no reason to think the GOP is going to change its approach on this. For them to ignore public sentiment this strong means they are very motivated. Follow the money (both parties, for that matter).


55 posted on 09/05/2006 11:02:33 AM PDT by WoofDog123
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To: Dane

("Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" Ronald Reagan, 1987)

You use that quote like there is some sort of parity between a wall built to keep people out, and one that is built to keep people in.

Hint prisons are different than gated communities.


56 posted on 09/05/2006 11:09:13 AM PDT by itsahoot (If the GOP does not do something about immigration, immigration will do something about the GOP)
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To: WoofDog123

So, your solution is.......................


57 posted on 09/05/2006 11:15:22 AM PDT by bybybill (`IF TH E RATS WIN, WE LOSE)
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To: mugs99
They haven't dropped where I live. I paid $3.36 this morning.

I drove from Fairmont, WV to Charleston, SC over the holiday weekend and found regular gas at $2.399 in South Carolina and Diesel at $2.699 in Virginia.

58 posted on 09/05/2006 11:17:50 AM PDT by Retired COB (Still mad about Campaign Finance Reform)
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To: Retired COB

You're lucky. I live on the left coast.


59 posted on 09/05/2006 11:27:30 AM PDT by mugs99 (Don't take life too seriously, you won't get out alive.)
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To: bybybill

"So, your solution is......................."

Why would you think there has to be one? Solutions look great on paper, but in the real world I see very little happening that would constitute a solution or even a resolution of this issue. Some type of amnesty is almost inevitable, and presumably a modified limited form of border control will be attached, though whether it gets funded is anyone's guess.

Unforunately, sometimes all the practical options suck. This is one of those cases.


60 posted on 09/05/2006 11:34:03 AM PDT by WoofDog123
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