The reality is that our position is a winning one politically. Most of the American people agree with it. If Palin cannot take a principled position on the issue for fear of being hurt by her stance, then she doesn't deserve to be President. Reps lose when they try to play identity politics.
Has anybody from the organization sat down and talked with her or lobbied her? Odds are good that Palin is the President in 2013.
I have spoken to some of her advisors two years ago at CPAC. Obviously, it didn't work. They said that they were taking her down to the border to see what was going on. Unfortunately, the border is not the real issue.
Immigration, Political Realignment, and the Demise of Republican Political Prospects
The Republicans’ Hispanic Delusion. Amnesty is not just wrong in principle, it’s bad politics.
Also, can amnesty pass if we have a Republican Congress and Senate?
Not if we have the same composition as the upcoming 112th Congress. It almost passed in 2006 (Hagel-Martinez) when the Rep controlled Senate passed it (The Reps voted 32-23 AGAINST it), but it died in the Rep controlled House thanks to James Sensenbrenner. Bush and Rove were pushing hard for amnesty, despite the objections of most of their party.
The House had passed an enforcement only bill (HR 4437) earlier but it died in the Senate thanks to Bush and McCain and the Dems.
As the Hispanic population grows from its current 16% to a projected 30% in 2050, the pressure will become greater to surrender. Since 1965, our current immigration policies have been changing the demographics of this country quite rapidily. 87% of the 1.2 million legal immigrants that enter the US annually are minorities, as defined by the USG. By 2023, half of the children 18 and under will be minorities and by 2042 half of the country will be minorities. Even without an amnesty, the Dems are well on their way to becoming the permanent majority party.
Bureau of the Census: An Older and More Diverse Nation by Midcentury
Good post. Palin is the one you need to reach because she stands a very good chance at being President. Personally, I trust that Palin is a patriot, a conservative and a fighter, so I think she will be on the right side of this issue when it matters. Reagan got suckered and she knows it. In Reagan’s day, if we had enforcement, and if we had stopped any more illegals from coming in, the 3 million amnesty wouldn’t have been country changing. The problem is if people think it’s the same situation today, they are wrong. There are many more illegals. I also think it’s a tough issue politically and I’m happy to let Palin win without insisting that she make it a big deal for her campaign and her image. But if she wants to correct Reagan’s mistake by a fence, enforcement and amnesty, I agree with you, that is the wrong position.