Which is why he won't win.
The Tancredo-ite immigration position has yet to demonstrate that it can win an election - any election, anywhere.
Obeying the law is one thing, in the public mind.
Cleaning your own pool and changing your own diapers - that's another thing altogether.
No conservative government is going to come to power with the Tancredo line. If it can't win in the West (and it can't), it can't win anywhere.
And before you call me names - prove me wrong and win an election.
So how did Tancredo manage to get elected and reelected for a total of 5 terms. Do you even have an idea as to what Tancredo's position is? Have you ever heard of the immigration caucus in Congress headed by Bilbray? Steve King is a stalwart on immigration along with Chaffetz of Utah. Bennett lost in Utah in the primary to Lee who is strong on immigration.
Tancredo deserves full credit for bringing immigration to the fore. Take a look at the public's support for AZ or the Dems and Rinos who are now backtracking on immigration issues. McCain had the chutzpah to say he never supported amnesty in his latest campaign. Congress just passed another border security bill similar to what they did in 2006 with the Secure Fence Act dusring the runup to the midterms. The are a large number of bills at the state level cracking down on illegal immigration. Poll after poll shows the public on the side of Tancredo when it comes to immigration issues.
And before you call me names - prove me wrong and win an election.
NumbersUSA 2008 End-of-Congress Grade-A Senators for Sensible Immigration
NumbersUSA 2008 End-of-Congress Top Ten in the House
Toughness on immigration did not cost candidates their election
Probably so. There is a weird paradox with this issue, at least in Arizona. Every prop that comes down the pike relate to illegal immigration passes, usually with ease.
However, when JD Hayworth ran and lost his seat to Harry Mitchell he ran hard on stopping the Mexican invasion. He lost. I think there was some redistricting that did not help him but nevertheless he lost.
It may just be that this issue isn't or hasn't been important enough to enough people to win elections.
Tancredo and Hayworth were both at their prime political moments in the throws of the boom years of the real estate bubble. The message wasn't resonating so much, people were still drunk on their HELOC money and living the good life. (usually entailing a Mexican landscape, pool guy, nanny, cleaning lady, etc)
One thing is certain, there is going to be a very small political window to reclaim the country. If we fail to do it during that window, the demographics will never be there to do it again.
I think that is starting to change...people are reaching a breaking point.
The problem isn’t Tancredo’s strong illegal immigration position so much as the way he approaches it, and the fact that he talks about nothing else.