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GOP cools on a hot-button issue [amnesty] [Romney on illegals] [barf]
The Boston Globe ^ | 2009-04-09 | Joan Vennochi

Posted on 04/08/2009 9:21:19 PM PDT by rabscuttle385

THOSE OLD Republican hot buttons are growing cold. For proof, check out a recent interview with Mitt Romney, a former presidential candidate and ex-governor of Massachusetts.

According to TheHill.com, a congressional newspaper that publishes when Congress is in session, "Romney believes that one way to attract more minorities to the GOP is to pass immigration reform before the next election, saying the issue becomes demagogued by both parties on the campaign trail." The article also quotes Romney as saying, "We have a natural affinity with Hispanic-American voters, Asian-American voters."

This could be extreme political repositioning, even for Romney.

. . . . .

How Romney gets beyond the flip-flop-flips of his multiple-choice positions on immigration and other issues is a mystery only he can solve.

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: 2012; 2012gopprimary; aliens; amnesty; chameleonromney; illegals; immigration; mcromney; msm; propagandawingofdnc; rino; rinoalert; rinoparty; rinoromney; romney; romneybots; romneytruthfile; shamnesty; slickwillard; twofaceromney
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To: fieldmarshaldj

I call it enforcing the law and protecting the border. We don’t need “comprehensive immigration reform” (which is just a guise to pass all the other stuff they want to shove into a “comprehensive” bill.)

We’ve got laws for legal immigration. We’ve got laws for temporary work visas. etc. etc. etc. We’ve got a law to build a fence; do we need a new law or do we just need to follow through and build the darn thing? (rhetorical)


41 posted on 04/08/2009 9:56:02 PM PDT by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: Trod Upon

I think Bush’s numbers among Hispanics were an outlier for a few reasons.

1)He was Gov of TX and so he had an inflated # among hispanics in TX, and TX has a lot oh hispanics so that pumps his natl numbers

2)His brother was gov in FL and that helped him with hispanics there and FL also has a lot of hispanics

3)The Elian Gonzales thing hurt Gore big amongst hispanics and I think it carried over to Kerry. If Clinton doesn’t send Elian back, Gore wins in 2000.

4)The 2000/2004 elections were before the immigration reform was considered and the GOP and conservatives did come across as not exactly friendly toward hispanics.

5)Bush did have a post 9/11 glow and benefitted from terrorism and nat’l security being the major issue. By 2008 it was all but forgotten because of the economy.

6)The economy was still in good shape and hispanics didn’t blame the GOP for the economic downturn.

If you look historically, the GOP is lucky to get around 1/3 of the hispanic vote. Even in 1984 when Reagan was his apex, he got 34% of hispanics. Bush got 35% in 2000. McCain got 31% last year. It’s pretty much all in the same ballpark, and even if McCain had matched Bush from 2000 he would have gotten an extra .4 overall and still lost.

The idea that going forward the GOP is going to top 35% or so among the hispanic vote is imho a long road to hoe.

Look at how they said Obama and the dems were making big inroads with evangelicals and even with white voters. He didn’t really. He got 43% of the white vote compared to 41% for Kerry in 04, 42% for Gore in 2000, and the same 43% that Clinton got in 96. Among evangelicals, he pretty much got the same #s that Gore and Kerry got.

The GOP isn’t going to win by magically swinging the hispanic vote. That train has left the station. Bush and Rove had a strategic plan to establish a beachhead through the immigration bill but the conservative opposition ended that and it’s no longer feasible.

The real issue is how to swing that 5 pts or so among the white vote that is needed. It was 58-41 in 2004 and slipped to 55-43 in 2008. If we can get it back up to around 60 we should be ok. But the white % of the overall vote is shrinking year by year and it’s going to be tougher and tougher. 2012 and if not 2016 will be the last election ever in which the white vote will make up more than 70% of the total. By comparison, it made up 88% when Reagan won in 1980.


42 posted on 04/08/2009 9:56:02 PM PDT by jeltz25
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To: calcowgirl

Yeah, heaven forbid we get another one of those bills with a provision for $10 million to study the effects of aardvark flatulence.


43 posted on 04/08/2009 9:58:07 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps !"~~)
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To: calcowgirl
>>>>I call it enforcing the law and protecting the border.

Got that right. Secure the borders, punish employers who hire illegals and halt all government handouts to illegals. Then watch the mass migration home.

44 posted on 04/08/2009 10:00:55 PM PDT by Reagan Man ("In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.")
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To: fieldmarshaldj
Whatg's the difference between Slick Willard and Juan McCain these days?

I just don't see any.

45 posted on 04/08/2009 10:02:42 PM PDT by Allegra ( Never argue with an idiot. They bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.)
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To: rabscuttle385

“Joan Vennochi”

I WOULD NOT TRUST ANYTHING THIS LIBERAL WOMAN SAYS ABOUT ANY REPUBLICAN.

Doin what she can to make Republicans less popular is all.


46 posted on 04/08/2009 10:02:56 PM PDT by WOSG (Why is Obama trying to bankrupt America with $16 trillion in spending over the next 4 years?)
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To: mbraynard

“You are the Republican Party. See you at the precinct meeting.”

Nice tagline.


47 posted on 04/08/2009 10:04:36 PM PDT by WOSG (Why is Obama trying to bankrupt America with $16 trillion in spending over the next 4 years?)
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To: Allegra

One is still holding office. One too many.


48 posted on 04/08/2009 10:07:14 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps !"~~)
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To: WOSG

She’s not talking about a Republican. She’s talking about Slick Willard.


49 posted on 04/08/2009 10:07:59 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps !"~~)
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To: rabscuttle385

Mitt Romney is an unelectable politician always in search of a constituency and an address.


50 posted on 04/08/2009 10:09:16 PM PDT by ansel12 (Romney (guns)"instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people")
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To: exist
Romney thought it was his from Iowa on, and was proven wrong. The Mormon issue didn't help, nor did his last-minute conversion to traditional conservatism. The only thing he's been right about is that GM should have gone into structured bankruptcy last November.

If he really wanted the nomination in 2012 he would become the new voice of the Republican party, uniting people behind conservative principles. He's not doing it. Jindal is trying, Sanford is trying...Mitt is on the ledge. His time has come...and gone.

51 posted on 04/08/2009 10:09:50 PM PDT by MHT
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To: Reagan Man
Secure the borders, punish employers who hire illegals and halt all government handouts to illegals. Then watch the mass migration home.

Yep!

And all of that can be done without passing one darn law, let alone "comprehensive reform."

52 posted on 04/08/2009 10:15:31 PM PDT by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: Zhang Fei

Sorry this is the line in the sand for me. Nothing else will matter if we don’t stop this invasion and reduce the ranks of those already here illegally.


53 posted on 04/08/2009 10:17:02 PM PDT by Kozak (USA 7/4/1776 to 1/20/2009 Requiescat In Pace)
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To: americanophile
You make some good points. All this article says is that Romney is fcr coming up with a plan for dealing with illegals before the Dems put us on the defensive and bring in amnesty with us just being reactive and turning Latinos against Republicans.

I would like to suggest a position. If I knew how to write to Romney I would suggest it to him.

I would develop an army of Latino mercenaries (enlisting illegal aliens here) to go and help Mexico overcome their drug cartel problem. If they participated in this army, their amnesty would be that they would not be prosecuted for illegal entry into this country and they would be first in line for job training and jobs at industries set up in Mexico by American companies. We could transfer some of the things made in China to these American companies in Mexico.

That way, we get the illegals out of the country. We get them established with good jobs in their own country. We free up jobs here. And we lessen our dependence on China.

54 posted on 04/08/2009 10:27:07 PM PDT by broncobilly
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To: mbraynard; rabscuttle385; fieldmarshaldj; calcowgirl; WOSG
Everyone here on free republic also supports immigration reform. Romney had an immigration reform plan last election that could have been written by free republic.

No, this is what FR thought about Romney and his plans:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2130489/posts?page=87#87

55 posted on 04/08/2009 10:30:28 PM PDT by donna (Sheriff Dept watch: http://www.firecoalition.com/article/index.asp?type=announce&id=111)
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To: Zhang Fei

I’ll tell you something FRiend.
Those like you can tell me that I have an option to vote for the guy that will send me to hell on a supersonic jet, or vote for the guy that will send me to hell on a slow boat.
Well, FRiend I AM NOT VOTING FOR ANYONE WHO WILL TAKE ME TO HELL!
Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
You are 180 degrees wrong. It is 1 per centers like YOU that get us crap choices like McCain and Romney. The bottom of the barrel.
Pols can treat this like the republic it is, or get lost.


56 posted on 04/08/2009 10:30:28 PM PDT by cybervyk
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To: donna

*BUMP*


57 posted on 04/08/2009 10:32:41 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps !"~~)
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To: rabscuttle385

What a load of crap. Romney or any other greasy politician of either Partycanstart pimping amnesty for illegal aliens if they want to. As far as I am concerned Mitt Romney has just removed himself from any further consideration for POTUS.

These politicians are going to mess around and cause a real, old fashioned revolution in America. Republican or Democrat, they are all showing that their priority is to bring in as many people as possible to vote for them. Every one of the scum bags should be given a ride out of D.C. on a rail.


58 posted on 04/08/2009 10:33:05 PM PDT by SkipW
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To: donna

BUMP!!!


59 posted on 04/08/2009 10:35:56 PM PDT by rabscuttle385 ("If this be treason, then make the most of it!" —Patrick Henry)
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To: Soul Seeker

The guy is pro-abortion, loves corporate welfare, wants to socialize medicine and give amnesty to illegals - yet point any of that out and the Romneybots will ask “What don’t you like about Mormons?”


60 posted on 04/08/2009 10:37:00 PM PDT by eclecticEel ("Envy is always referred to by its political alias, 'social justice.' " - T. Sowell)
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