Posted on 09/09/2015 4:24:15 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
One of the irritating things about the way the other GOP frontrunners have dealt with Trump is that they have interpreted Trump’s surge as being all about immigration and have all tried to essentially out-Trump the Donald on this issue. No one’s pandering on this issue has been more transparent or weak-kneed than Scott Walker, who I suppose hoped that he could co-opt at least part of Trump’s surge by positioning himself firmly on the side of an issue that he doesn’t even really seem to understand.
As a result of this and other missteps, Walker suddenly finds himself fading into the back of the pack of the second-tier candidates. Others have reacted less dramatically than Walker but still have tacked to the “right” on immigration, including Rubio. It hasn’t helped. In fact, as far as anyone an tell, it has hurt.
I am at a loss as to why, along among all the other candidates not named Trump, Ben Carson is the only one in the field who is comfortable enough in his own skin to say what he means about immigration regardless of the perceived political cost.
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson knocked rival Donald Trump’s immigration plan on Tuesday, saying that deporting the country’s undocumented immigrants “sounds really cool” but would be far too costly and complicated.
“It sounds really cool, you know, ‘Let’s just round them all up and send them back,'” Carson said. “People who say that have no idea what that would entail in terms of our legal system, the costs – forget about it. Plus, where you gonna send them? It’s just a double whammy.”
Carson has been gaining on Trump, the GOP frontrunner, in recent polls. An NBC/Marist poll released Sunday found Carson has jumped to second place in Iowa among Republican voters, seven points behind the real estate mogul.
Trump’s immigration plan calls for deporting the estimated 11 million undocumented workers currently in the U.S., a proposal that opponents say would cost billions and would be nearly impossible to execute. Carson said that he instead favors a plan that would allow undocumented workers the chance to become guest workers.
Here is the dirty secret in Republican politics: Carson’s position is the majority position, even among Republican voters. Polls have consistently shown that well over half of Republican voters favor a path to legal status for illegal immigrants who are currently in the country, especially if conditions are met. As the nomination of George W. Bush (who explicitly ran on a path to citizenship) in 2000 and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) in 2008 (who authored more than one path to citizenship bill while a Senator) illustrated, having a moderate position on immigration is not a death sentence among actual Republican voters.
It is, however, likely to get you criticized by people who hold large megaphones in the conservative movement – the Laura Ingrahams and the Ann Coulters of the world, and especially by big time power brokers in Iowa like Jan Mickelson, who tend to be uniformly monolithic on immigration. And since the Republican primary in recent years has increasingly become a race to grab the right flank on everything, it seems that everyone in the race has concluded that they must toe the Trump line or else face immolation at the hands of the voters, and there’s no evidence that that is actually so. And the few who have tried have failed at it miserably.
I have no idea if Ben Carson is actively making a play for the moderate vote on immigration. I suspect, rather, that he is simply saying what he thinks and letting the chips fall where they may. And that’s really the most refreshing position of all, when it comes to this particular debate.
Carson is for amnesty. That’s why the media is pushing for him.
I fail to see that taking a position for amnesty and against deportation, which a vast majority of voters support, is cause for congratulation. I think when this becomes well known, the impact is going to be felt in his poll numbers.
Thanks for a revealing article.
Trump’s surge isn’t about “immigration,” as these idiots at red state claim. It’s because he’s the only one speaking about an out and out invasion.
Ain’t that the truth
“fail to see that taking a position for amnesty and against deportation, which a vast majority of voters support”
This and some of his gun statements have turned my off to him. I am in the Trump/Cruz camp.
Carson will fit right in on the Hugh Hewitt show.
Wolf, the writer of this article is Erick Erickson’s designated hit man
on Trump.
Interesting, Carson was not invited to that Redstate gathering back a
month ago, but is now Redstate’s darling.
Carson is a very nice guy with some great conservative values along with some liberal values, like gun control. He will NEVER be president for a myriad of reasons. The polling data is very questionable to me. I barely see mention of him anywhere and all of a sudden he’s #2 in the polls?
> “‘Let’s just round them all up and send them back,’” Carson said. “People who say that have no idea what that would entail in terms of our legal system, the costs – forget about it. Plus, where you gonna send them? It’s just a double whammy.””
Sniff sniff ... smells like ... like ... GOPe.
I thought the same thing. The media is faking the media polls to try to knock Trump out. Carson is probably really under 10% and Trump over 40%.
Carson is for amnesty for illegals and gun control so that’s why the media is pushing for Carson.
It’s too hard! Can’t be done!! Costs too much!!! Dr. Ben, this is the USA! Where’s your can do spirit?
Yeh Redstate who never even invited Carson to the forum. Erick Erickson is a POS GOPe and his website is the same. I wouldn’t read it or have anything to do with that fat weasel. I guess now that they have perceived Carson is like minded they all of a sudden are behind him.
You said it. These jokers resent anyone who threatens their mediocre influence. Trump, with his game face on, makes them wither.
We have been infiltrated.
How embarrassing for Red State. They fail to invite Carson and dis-invite Trump. What boobs to miss the last train leaving the station. LOL!
I believe you’re right. Dr. Kind is on his way to more of the same. No wonder the media propels the tie lie between our two front runners. The media is depending on all things staying the same.
People will notice eventually, and Trump may get around to saying so.
Ben Carson:
“Is it moral for us, for example, to take advantage of cheap labor from illegal immigrants while denying them citizenship? I’m sure you can tell from the way I phrased the question that I believe we have taken the moral low road on this issue. Some segments of our economy would virtually collapse without these undocumented workers—we all know that—yet we continue to harass and deport many individuals who are simply seeking a better life for themselves and their families.”
In other words, it looks like nothing would change on illegal immigration under a Carson Presidency.
For some reason, it is being kept quiet about the Ellen White cult, Seventh Day Adventism, that Carson is a member of. Some would say, in the same league as Jehovah Witnesses and Mormonism.
it looks like nothing would change on illegal immigration under a Carson Presidency. “ —————————————
Exactly. I don’t even argue Carson’s point about low road morals of the CoC taking advantage of cheap labor, while denying them citizenship, I argue the fact that they are here in the first place, and illegally, out of line, in the place of others who are in line legally. Period.
This is the very same argument the Catholic Church is pushing and it makes me hopping mad.
Yes, it is odd. The media will push him until he shows a threat to Trump, if that’s actually ever possible, then they will unload on Carson and his religious affiliation.
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