The power of public opinion (Illegal Immigration Elitist Barf Alert!)

Seattle Times ^ | July 5, 2007 | David S. Broder

[2ndDivisionVet]

Former Sen. Fred Thompson has begun his unannounced quest for the Republican presidential nomination by telling audiences in New Hampshire that Washington is badly out of touch with the country.

As a senior campaign adviser put it to The Washington Post's Michael Shear, Thompson believes that "the politicians have lost their connection with what people really want and what they really expect."

Few if any of the other 17 men and one woman vying for the presidency would be bold enough to challenge Thompson's claim. The belief that official Washington is deaf to the people's wishes is a staple of political rhetoric for both Republicans and Democrats.

Let a reporter who is not running for anything suggest that exactly the opposite may be true: A particularly virulent strain of populism has made official Washington altogether too responsive to public opinion.

From Aristotle to Edmund Burke, philosophers have written of the healthy tension that normally exists between the understanding and strategies of leaders and the sentiments and opinions of their people.

In today's Washington, a badly weakened president and a dangerously compliant congressional leadership are no match for the power of public opinion — magnified and sometimes exaggerated by modern communications and interest-group pressure.

The latest cave-ins involve immigration and trade policy, and both are seriously threatening to the national interest.

The collapse of the immigration-reform bill in the Senate at the end of June means that the broken border system, which allows a continuing flood of illegal immigrants to enter the United States with no hope of ever attaining the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, will continue for at least another two years. No one is talking of reviving the effort until after the 2008 election installs a new president and Congress.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Demand a border fence! Build it NOW!! Beef up the border patrol and close our borders!

U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121

White House comments: (202) 456-1111

Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep

Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Toll free to the US Senate:

1-800-882-2005. (Spanish number)
1-800-417-7666. (English number)

Courtesy of a pro-amnesty group, no less!!

Republican National Committee
310 First Street, SE Washington, D.C. 20003
phone: 202.863.8500 | fax: 202.863.8820 | e-mail: info@gop.com

Take a look at their hidden agenda: http://www.mexica-movement.org

[bilhosty]

right on!!

i do have to say that I much respect David Broder. He is about the only MSM media igure that I read and respect. I have always considered him to be fair. But, here he is also wrong.

[TexasCajun]

A particularly virulent strain of populism has made official Washington altogether too responsive to public opinion.

The author obviously prefers a Communist dictator like Castro or Chavez that could give a rat's behind about public opinion.

[oust the louse]

"The collapse of the immigration-reform bill in the Senate at the end of June means that the broken border system, which allows a continuing flood of illegal immigrants to enter the United States with no hope of ever attaining the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, will continue for at least another two years. No one is talking of reviving the effort until after the 2008 election installs a new president and Congress."

This is a huge problem and comforting I'm sure to those who wanted this shamnesty bill passed. More immigrants/cheap labor for the big business partners.

I went to a fast food place the other day here in S.C. (we're on vacation) and tried to order something for the kids. All Mexican workers and the gal at the window BARELY understood what I was trying to ask her and never even did answer my question. Needless to say,we got 2 cheeseburgers with no cheese....seriously...we asked for 2 single cheeseburgers plain and received 2 single cheeseburgers with no cheese!

[traderrob6]

So wrong it’s ridiculous.

[Earthdweller]

Washington has been neutered. Let talk radio know that you want enforcement now.

[Tulane]

No, David Broder does not favor a dictator. He is simply stating his opinion that public sentiment is wrong with respect to immigration policies. It’s ok. The sun will still come up tomorrow.

[Carbonado]

Let me see... Public opinion is only sacred and genuine when it conforms to the Leftist agenda.

Got it.

MSM = Filth

Got it.

[Weeedley]

What part of “...the consent of the governed...” does this elitist putz not understand?

[Tulane]

David Broder is anything but a leftist. His point regarding fast-track authority for the President in matters of trade negotiation is spot on.

I disagree with his take on immigration.

[Rockiette]

David Broder is a long-time proponent of Globalism so he would. naturally, support the Shamnesty Bill. President Bush, the Clintons and Broder all want the same thing, a one-world government that sells America down the river. Why else would Bubba have gotten away with all our technology sold to China?

[TexasCajun]

Oh, Broder thinks we are too stupid and uninformed to know what we're talking about or what we want, that elites like Ted Kennedy and himself know what's best for us. ...and big bad talk radio got us all stirred up.

I got it now.

[From One - Many]

The problem is D.C. is going to ignore US citizens.

[chesley]

This sentence, The collapse of the immigration-reform bill in the Senate at the end of June means that the broken border system, which allows a continuing flood of illegal immigrants to enter the United States with no hope of ever attaining the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, will continue for at least another two years, explains it all.

They don't mind the continuing flood of illegal immigrants, it's the fact they have no hope of citizenship that they can't stand.

All in America's interest, of course /sarc.

[Earthdweller]

Would someone please point me in the direction of the person who is running the country now? I sure would like to ask them why the talk has died down about addressing the increasing flow of illegals and enforcing those laws.

[Earthdweller]

Seems to me DC already listened. The right doesn’t want amnesty and the left doesn’t want enforcement. All that is left is that each state will have to pick it up from here.

[From One - Many]

This nation has already fought one war over ‘states rights’, here comes number two, if the elites have their way, and make no mistake the elites intent to have their way.

[Congressman Billybob]

David Broder has fallen in love with the sound of his own voice, every bit as much as Ted Kennedy has fallen for his own, self-love. Whether in elective office, or merely nearby and basking in the glow, such men are inherently dangerous because they have lost their judgment.

Broder no more represents dispassionate reason, than Kennedy offers sober, honest politics. Yet both of them still have an audience because they've always had an audience, since time immemorial. "Tis a tale told by an idiot / Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Did I miss anything?

Congressman Billybob

Latest article, "Death by Talk Radio: the Amnesty Bill"

[Earthdweller]

"Yet both of them still have an audience because they've always had an audience, since time immemorial."

The audience is in the echo chambers of Yale and Harvard. Their halls weave through every every aspect of our society like a web. Do we shut them down now for incompetence?