Immigration and the GOP (How to make Republicans a minority party once again)

wsj opinion journal ^ | 6 27 07 | wsj editors

[flixxx]

REVIEW & OUTLOOK

Immigration and the GOP How to make Republicans a minority party once again.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007 12:01 a.m. EDT

Immigration reform stayed alive in the Senate yesterday, albeit not without continuing rancor among Republicans. Restrictionists seem to believe the issue will harm the GOP if it succeeds, but we think the political reality is closer to the opposite: The greater danger for Republicans is if it fails.

We've written often about the merits of immigration reform, and we have our own problems with parts of the Senate bill. But it's worth spending some time on the larger politics of the issue, especially for Republicans. They're caught between a passionate minority of their party--who oppose any reform that allows illegals a path to citizenship--and the larger electorate, which is more moderate and wants to solve the problem. Like Democrats on national security, this is a classic case in which pandering to the base will harm the GOP overall.

[Sig Sauer P220]

Is it time for conservative Republicans to join the Constitutional Party?

[Greg F]

Is it time for conservative Republicans to join the Constitutional Party?

My personal view is that the primaries are the most important elections for conservatives. So if changing registration keeps you from voting in the Republican primary, at this point, I'd say no. If it's open primary where you can make a primary vote regardless then you can choose another party without reducing your ability to affect the process.

[what's up]

WSJ editorial board has bought the implausible, if not impossible, theory that incoming illegals will vote GOP in droves

Uh...they didn't say that. I have some problems with the immigration bill, but it doesn't help to twist what the WSJ is saying.

They're saying that the Hispanic block is much more changeable than the blacks. A large number of them are committed Dems, true.

But there's another large block who switch as evidenced by the last election. This changeable bloc is the one the WSJ doesn't want to turn against the GOP for the next 10 years.

Not giving any opinion. Just showing where you didn't understand what they said.

[SE Mom]

You’re right- they didn’t SAY that- explicitly.

[Paul Ross]

I think this is a very poorly reasoned and typically unsupported elitist opinion about what will happen if there is no immigration legislation passed this year.

There. Fixed your comment.

[MCH]

If the immigration bill passes, the GOP is toast for generations.

My first action will be to leave the party and register as an independent. I've already been leaning that way, and this will be the last straw. I'm ashamed to be associated with it anymore. Aside from a shrinking conservative minority, the Republican party no longer appears to represent my views. So I'd just as soon no longer get their solicitations, and as for voting in primaries - we get candidates like Jorge Bush whether we like it or not, so what's the point.

[Paul Ross]

Indeed. The continuing historical revisionism presented by the Open Border Lobby. The WSJ continues it with their shibboleth on the last election results, here:

If running against illegal immigration were a winner, Arizona's J.D. Hayworth would still be in Congress.

Hayworth's opponent basically claimed "me-too" on the Amnesty and border issues...albeit it was a lie...a lot of voters didn't recognize it. His opponent successfully pointed to Hayworth's own late "coming to the party" turnaround on the issue. The protective camouflage of deception that swirls around campaigns immediately prior to elections has kept Rats in office...or stolen them offices for as long as there have been 'Rats running.

So for the WSJ to make Hayworths election result the test, its a faulty one. Not to mention that other elections which did in fact turn squarely on opposed views...strongly favored the border and law enforcement views that the WSJ disparagingly terms "restrictionist."

[cripplecreek]

True. I’d suggest that many of those “Hispanics” though simply think of themselves as Americans and nothing else; people with that outlook tend to agree with Hunter on this issue.

That's true in this area of Michigan. Many hispanic families have been here since coming to work in the war industries of WWII.

[tophat9000]

The flaw in the logic is that American of Hispanic descent, that reject being marginalized in to a "Hyphenated" American groups are not pro illegal, and already vote GOP ...

Most all minority groups are very social conservative as are most immigrate groups... but Democrats get them by keeping them thinking "marginalized"...(the plantation mentally)...

When some one reject thinking of their self as a minority group in America and just seen them self as America, then they abandon the Democrats plantation...

Being a social conservative is not enough to make that break if you sill see the need to be a protected minority of the state

Being a "conservative" in the US is not just about being a social conservative, it seeing you self as not depending on the state ...in rejecting seeing the state as your benefactor, your mommy, your daddy, and your ruler

[MSF BU]

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=949

I hope the link works. The folks we need to motivate are the ones that you are the social conservatives and progrovernment conservates. The 'enterprisers'--I assume you and I--- are all ready turning out.

[MSF BU]

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=949

I hope the link works. The folks we need to motivate are the ones that you are the social conservatives and progrovernment conservates. The 'enterprisers'--I assume you and I--- are all ready turning out.

[MSF BU]

It’s worth repeating...

[2ndDivisionVet]

Just say NO to Illegal Alien Amnesty!! Keep calling!! It’s NOT OVER!!

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!!