Immigration stance doomed GOP

Orlando Sentinel ^ | November 10, 2006 | Andres Oppenheimer

[Dane]

ATLANTA -- Hispanics said adios to President Bush's Republican Party in Tuesday's elections, voting in much greater numbers than expected for Democratic candidates in an apparent rejection of the ruling party's efforts to blame much of the nation's problems on undocumented migrants.

Contrary to experts' predictions that Hispanics would not turn out massively on Tuesday, exit polls show that Hispanics accounted for 8 percent of the total vote. That is about equal to the Hispanic vote's record turnout in the 2004 presidential election, and much more than its turnout in previous midterm elections.

Click here to find out more! What's more, 73 percent of Hispanics voted for the Democratic Party on Tuesday, while only 26 percent voted for Republican candidates, a CNN exit poll shows. In the 2004 presidential elections, 55 percent of Hispanics voted Democrat and about 42 percent voted Republican.

Many experts had predicted that Hispanics would not turn out in big numbers, in part because most of the hottest races took place in states with no major Hispanic presence. Also, experts said that it would take until the 2008 elections for the largely Hispanic "today we march, tomorrow we vote" protests of earlier this year to translate into the naturalization and registration of large numbers of foreign-born Latino voters.

But the anti-immigration hysteria spearheaded by Republicans in the House -- and by cable-television fear mongers such as Pat Buchanan and Lou Dobbs -- irked many U.S.-born Hispanics who normally don't care much about immigration.

[raybbr]

Actually, it appears as though even Bush new the GOP would lose--hence the immediate replacement of Rumsfeld and naming of his successor.

Not according to him in his press conference.

And so he and I both agreed in our meeting yesterday that it was appropriate that I accept his resignation. And so, the decision was made - actually, I thought we were going to do fine yesterday. Shows what I know. But I thought we were going to be fine in the election.

The part in red will be his legacy soundbite.

[rwfromkansas]

Um, it takes generations to assimilate as it is. It does not happen overnight.

Our problem is we have so MANY Hispanics here very QUICKLY.

But, in 50 years, we will be fine.

[Gaffer]

That's what's gonna happen...right up to the point where all the illegals become voters; then, the liberal elitists of San Francisco, New York, and Boston will find out their hispanic "constituency" doesn't really care for having the elitists represent them....Why have a blue blood elitist liberal (an Anglo) represent you when one of your own compadres will do.....

[rottndog]

Shows what I know.

I like Bush, but he makes me cringe sometimes.

I know Bush says he didn't see it coming, but I don't believe that. Even Gingrich is angry at him and is firing away:

But Gingrich saved his strongest words for President Bush's performance at the Wednesday press conference announcing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's resignation. Bush told reporters that he had planned to replace Rumsfeld since before the election, despite praising the unpopular defense secretary a week ago and saying he would remain for the duration of his presidency.

"If the president had decided to replace Secretary Rumsfeld he should have told us two weeks ago," Gingrich said. "I think that we would today control the Senate and probably have 10 to15 more House seats. And I found it very disturbing yesterday in the press conference, the explanation that the President gave.

[leilani]

You mean "anti-illegal mexican" hysteria, don't you?

No, I meant anti-mexican hysteria, as is proved almost every day on FR threads on the subject where posters routinely cast aspersions on all hispanics regardless of their legal status on a regular basis. Of course, I & a lot of others have reason to believe that a lot of those posters are remnants of the invasion from stormfront.com we had here a few years back. But far too often the rest of us have just let those comments slide, to the detriment of GOP candidates, I might add.We've got to work harder to condemn those posts here.

There is absolutely no question in my mind that Dobbs was systematically exploiting all those ugly ethnic prejudices out there to advance his divide & conquer pro-dem agenda.

[raybbr]

No, I meant anti-mexican hysteria, as is proved almost every day on FR threads on the subject where posters routinely cast aspersions on all hispanics regardless of their legal status on a regular basis.

Are you talking about Dobbs or FReepers? You condemn everyone against illegals as racist.

This is for you. I dare you to read the whole essay.

The Path to National Suicide by Lawrence Auster (1990)

An essay on multi-culturalism and immigration.

Click the Pic!!!!

How can we account for this remarkable silence? The answer, as I will try to show, is that when the Immigration Reform Act of 1965 was being considered in Congress, the demographic impact of the bill was misunderstood and downplayed by its sponsors. As a result, the subject of population change was never seriously examined. The lawmakers’ stated intention was that the Act should not radically transform America’s ethnic character; indeed, it was taken for granted by liberals such as Robert Kennedy that it was in the nation’s interest to avoid such a change. But the dramatic ethnic transformation that has actually occurred as a result of the 1965 Act has insensibly led to acceptance of that transformation in the form of a new, multicultural vision of American society. Dominating the media and the schools, ritualistically echoed by every politician, enforced in every public institution, this orthodoxy now forbids public criticism of the new path the country has taken. “We are a nation of immigrants,” we tell ourselves— and the subject is closed. The consequences of this code of silence are bizarre. One can listen to statesmen and philosophers agonize over the multitudinous causes of our decline, and not hear a single word about the massive immigration from the Third World and the resulting social divisions. Opponents of population growth, whose crusade began in the 1960s out of a concern about the growth rate among resident Americans and its effects on the environment and the quality of life, now studiously ignore the question of immigration, which accounts for fully half of our population growth.

This curious inhibition stems, of course, from a paralyzing fear of the charge of “racism.” The very manner in which the issue is framed—as a matter of equal rights and the blessings of diversity on one side, versus “racism” on the other—tends to cut off all rational discourse on the subject. One can only wonder what would happen if the proponents of open immigration allowed the issue to be discussed, not as a moralistic dichotomy, but in terms of its real consequences. Instead of saying: “We believe in the equal and unlimited right of all people to immigrate to the U.S. and enrich our land with their diversity,” what if they said: “We believe in an immigration policy which must result in a staggering increase in our population, a revolution in our culture and way of life, and the gradual submergence of our current population by Hispanic and Caribbean and Asian peoples.” Such frankness would open up an honest debate between those who favor a radical change in America’s ethnic and cultural identity and those who think this nation should preserve its way of life and its predominant, European-American character. That is the actual choice—as distinct from the theoretical choice between “equality” and “racism”—that our nation faces. But the tyranny of silence has prevented the American people from freely making that choice.

[WalterSkinner]

Immigration stance doomed GOP

..yes, but not for the reason you state...

[tumblindice]

I can see why you admire Dane, leilani. Dane's one of, no--she is the biggest `race-baiter' on FR.
She could give lessons to Al Sharpton....

(You're a racist. That means I win, right?)

[MACVSOG68]

This enormous increase in legal immigration has been effectively concealed from the public

Which is why it was so important for the House to agree to a conference. Now, it is simply going to happen with no Republican controlled House to reduce the effects.

[rottndog]

Doesn't the conference committee have an equal number of Republicans and Democrats?

If so and amnesty can still be bottled up.

[darth]

I wonder if the illegal alien issue will drive the black vote back to the Republicans? I see the damage to black working class people every day. Employers hire illegals instead of black applicants. The same goes for union members. If this issue is properly addressed it could be a big winner for Republicans.

[MACVSOG68]

You didn't answer my question. Why did the senate pass and Bush sign the house's version of bill if the polls you quote are true?

I don't know. Stupidity? In any case, the last second effort to impact the polls with the silly unfunded fence bill did them no good. That would suggest that the polls I cited were in fact reflective of the mood of the Nation.

And yes the the new law has problems and isn't perfect, but even Tancredo was on the radio yesterday swearing that the fence WILL be built, that the funding is there, and that it is highly unlikely the new congress can undo it. I think for now I will take his word for it

I suspect a lot of wishful thinking. Oh, there might be a fence bill that ultimately does get funded, but it's what will emerge from the Democrat congress that better make you shudder.

Actually, it appears as though even Bush new the GOP would lose--hence the immediate replacement of Rumsfeld and naming of his successor. Either way, to insist that a tough stance on ILLEGAL immigration cost the GOP the election, with all the other factors involved including historical electoral swings is simply ludicrous.

By no means was the Republican failure on immigration reform the only thing that drove the moderates into the Democrat camp. How about failure to manage a conservative budget, or the silly efforts to amend the Constitution for meaningless issues, the numerous Republican scandals, and the apparent lack of progress in Iraq. In essence, the Republicans could not look to any meaningful successes, and now the Democrats will get all the credit for a comprehensive immigration bill. Any chance we had of gaining significantly with the Hispanic voting block is dead. They cannot be ignored, and now the Democrats can claim them, just as they have with the Black voters.

The efforts at places like FR to drive away anyone not solidly a religious right conservative are coming home to roost.

[AmishDude]

This election is yet another example of how meaningless immigration is as an election issue. Republicans should be on the right side of it, but they shouldn't think that it will change any minds. People claim to care about it, but when push comes to shove, it doesn't effect voting.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

Lou Dobbs has to be conflicted. He pushed the party that is now gonna give him the immigration package that he railed against.

Nope, he'll turn on a dime and give back at least six cents' change. He's a f***ing tool.

[MACVSOG68]

Doesn't the conference committee have an equal number of Republicans and Democrats?

If so and amnesty can still be bottled up.

Two points. First, I believe that the makeup of the conference is up to the Speaker (Pelosi). Second, the new bill that comes out of the Democrat House will be nothing like the earlier one, so it will be easy to merge the two.

[Eva]

No, the immigration stance did not doom the GOP, the unions doomed the GOP. No matter what the GOP did, the unions would not support them. Socialism won this election, plain and simple. The GOP was stupid enough to move to the middle on economic issues and blur the differences between the parties, then the Democrats smeared the GOP on moral issues and finished them off.

[taxed2death]

"I wonder if the illegal alien issue will drive the black vote back to the Republicans? I see the damage to black working class people every day. Employers hire illegals instead of black applicants. The same goes for union members. If this issue is properly addressed it could be a big winner for Republicans."

I doubt it.

70% of hispanics vote for Dums

70%+ Jews vote for Dums....
go figure

[taxed2death]

"The same goes for union members."

Not.

Pubs can't offshore their jobs fast enough.

[taxed2death]

This election is yet another example of how meaningless immigration is as an election issue.


Proof?

[Kimberly GG]

"BTW, anyone notice that Louie Dobbs is cooing over nancy pelosi."

BTW, have you noticed Bush wasting no time cooing over Pelosi and Calderone?