I'm not so sure.
This guy was pretty tough when he got things done:
"Hey all you illegals. Vamoose!"
Republican suicide.
I'd be very curious as to the results of a fair study. My guess is that the data wouldn't support what the "critics" claim or such a study would be done.
I'd be more than willing to give conditional or probational green cards to the best of the illegal alien crop as certain measurable goals were met, such as deportation of gang bangers, criminals, welfare teat suckers and reconquisadoras. Something similar but a little more humane than, say, the Mexican laws on activities permitted by illegal immigrants.
Eisenhower did the same in the fifties and the GOP just kept right on winning.
The only way it would be suicide is if you plan to keep the borders open while importing millions upon millions more while never enforcing the laws as the Wall St. Journal advocates, then yes in that case I guess the GOP had better start kissing up.
Republican suicide???
Continued mass immigration is Republican suicide. Its helped turn California blue. It is helping the Democrats turn other traditionally Republican Sun Belt states purple. It has made uphill battles in New York and Illinois even steeper. And it will eventually turn the GOP's rock solid Texas into a battleground state.
Trying to do something about it now, before its too late is the only sensible thing to do. Yes, the professional ethnic grievance groups will call it a 'hate campaign' and other such nonsense, and such demagoguery probably will cost the GOP many Hispanic votes. But guess what? Its a matter of degree. Most Hispanics in Texas (as in all other states not called Florida) already favor the Democrats, despite years of pandering and lax (worse than Clinton) enforcement of immigration laws from the Bush machine.
Republicans dominate Texas for one reason and one reason alone; they consistently win over 70% of the white vote. That they have done a little better with Hispanic in Texas versus California is nice, but not decisive in the realignment to the GOP. The problem for the GOP is that they have allowed pro-Democrat mass immigration for three decades and counting now. Whites maintain majority status in the Texas electorate, but they lost majority status in the overall population a few years ago. As the electorate demographics catch up with those of the overall population, it is pretty much inevitable that the state will become less red and more competitive. The one thing that can keep it competitive and prevent a Calif-style collapse is if the GOP maintains its lock on white Texans (something it can't do with the more liberal white population of California), as its pretty much futile to hope to even break even with latinos.
So really, the choices are as follows; (1) Do something to restrict the pro-Democrat influx of immigrants now, or (2) embrace unending mass immigration and try to out-pander the Democrats.
The first option will almost certainly increase the margin by which the Republicans lose the Hispanic vote, but it may result in gains from other voters, and it may save the long-term prospects for the party. There is no upside to the second option. If it works, then what kind of Republican party would it portend? How many other issues will the party have moved left on to prove how much they love diversity? Would the de facto surrender on racial preferences be made official? This would all likely prove to be moot anyway, as it would almost certainly fail in the first place. Why would immigrants settle for Democrats-lite when they can have the real thing?
The likely result of continuing large-scale immigration is a slow disintegration of the GOP. California, NY, and Illinois will slip even futher away. Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado will go from purple to blue. Florida will become harder to win. Texas will hang in the balance. Virginia will be lost, and other Southern states will become less red as the as the growing latino communities align with the overwhelmingly pro-Dem black communities.
And all along, we'll have Fred Barnes and Michael Barone types telling us that it was Republicans being mean and nativist and xenophobic and anti-whatever that made it so, instead of the actual mass immigration of people who were always going to favor the party of big govt and ethnic pandering (i.e. the Democrats), regardless of how nice Republicans were and how much they tried to echo the Democrats.
I'm not so sure.
This guy was pretty tough when he got things done:
"Hey all you illegals. Vamoose!"
Look up Dwight D. Eisenhauer's "Operation Wetback."
They committed suicide when the President and the Senate RINOs came up with the amnesty nonsense which 70% of the voters hated.
In case you didn't see it in the news, the Republicans lost big with this amnesty platform. If they continue on that track, the suicide will become a political genocide.
If they stay stuck on stupid with amnesty, they will follow the Whigs who were stupid on slavery.