How A Texas Border Republican Can Oppose Immigration Reform And Still Be Reelected

Huffington Post ^ | 02/21/2014 | Eugene Mulero

[ObamahatesPACoal]

When several dozen protesters lined up outside the Corpus Christi office of Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold last year, holding a petition with about 10,000 signatures in favor of immigration reform, they hoped to win the Republican's support before the 2014 midterm elections.

(SNIP)

According to U.S. Census figures, the 2012 remapping of Texas increased the voting-age population for whites in the district by more than 100,000 voters, while reducing the number of Hispanics who could vote there by about that same number. Recent figures show the district currently has 243,991 white voters compared to 233,071 Hispanic voters.

In 2010, Farenthold defeated longtime Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas) by just 775 votes, following a recount. He easily won reelection in 2012, in part because the district no longer included the Latino voting bloc in the border town of Brownsville and added heavily Republican communities around Corpus Christi.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

There's 345,000 Hispanics in his district and they can only get 10,000 people to sign an amnesty petition. It doesn't seem like immigration reform is a high priority.

This is why Blake Farenthold can probably say what ever he wants. His work permit idea is stupid and I wish he could be beaten in November, but he won't. The illegals are crossing the border for the permisos not the citizenship. Reagan created roughly 1.5 million citizens and 1.5 million got work permits; all 3 million got amnesty and a break from the law. The ones who got work permits didn't say:"Don't come over, you only get work permits."

They are running white Democrat against Blake. That's how influential the hispanics in his district are.

I dont know the exact number but Farenthold is probably getting 80% of the white vote and 30 - 50% of the hispanic vote.

[skeeter]

Its just like the democrats acting as though females are concerned only with access to contraceptives. The issue is only potent where there is no one offering the alternative point of view.

All the GOP has to do is argue that borders are important - that citizenship means something. Which they refuse to do.

[Flintlock]

Turn Dhimmocrat.

That’ll do it.

[familyop]

That city’s population was nearly 60% Hispanic 40 years ago.

[GraceG]

A lot of American of Mexican ancestry don’t like illegal immigration either. And stereotyping them as wanting amnesty is a racist act by democrats and rinos.

[BobL]

Hispanics generally support Amnesty, as many of them have relatives here illegally.

But they DO NOT support Open Borders, as we’re seeing today, PARTICULARLY if they’re coming from Central America, again, as we’re seeing today - as they know, much better than us, just who these people are.

So, for a Republican in his situation, following the Tea Party positions on Amnesty and Open Borders is basically a push - won’t help, but also won’t hurt.

Hopefully Fahrenheit understands that and doesn’t try to undercut his party on Amnesty.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

He has said he wants to discourage illegal immigration. But he doesn’t understand that the work permit is the magnet.

He just posted on facebook that he had a meeting with Jackson Lee, Garcia and Loefgren.

I don’t know if there is any others who are as pro-amnesty than those 3. He probably likes feeling classy (Garcia) and smart around them.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

The district isn’t based on one city.

[RC one]

We’ll throw out the welcome mat as soon as the welfare system is ended. How’s that for a compromise?

[1035rep]

In the 1994 California election the pollsters showed Pete Wilson more than 20% behind his democrat challenger. They blamed this on Wilson’s support for Prop 187.

In the days leading up to the election, Wilson said that he would require all state and local government employees to report suspected undocumented immigrants to the Attorney General’s Office if Proposition 187 passed. State Attorney General Dan Lungren, also running for re-election, agreed to enforce emergency regulations to implement the law immediately after the election.

The proposition was approved 59% to 41%. Wilson won reelection with 55% of the vote. Lungren also won reelection. Last poll on saw on this was in 2012 and still the majority in California want the borders closed.

This is liberal California which also voted to ban homosexual marriage in 2008 by more than 52%.

These Democrats keep pushing this BS that America wants this crap. Saying this is what the majority wants won’t make it so. Close the borders and start deporting.

[Zhang Fei]

Hispanics generally support Amnesty, as many of them have relatives here illegally.

It's completely parochial. If the illegal aliens currently here were Asian or European, Hispanics would oppose amnesty.

[BobL]

“It’s completely parochial. If the illegal aliens currently here were Asian or European, Hispanics would oppose amnesty.”

Probably true...but the numbers give Hispanics much more voice.

[octex]

Blake is the step-grandson of a staunch Democrat: Frances “Sissy” Farenthold, who ran for Gov. of Texas back around late 1970s or early ‘80s. I voted for her opponent, whoever that was, and canceled my wife’s vote for her. ...The politics of that family have been somewhat strange over many years. I think their roots are in Corpus Christi.