Montebello High Scool, LA, March 27, 2006. That is the tall flagpole over the entire school.
Posted on 03/28/2006 7:30:01 PM PST by Buddy B
Republicans risk Hispanic support in border debate
28 March, 2006
By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
WASHINGTON - The debate on immigration poses deep political risks for a divided Republican Party that could see its recent gains among Hispanics wiped out if Congress approves a bill that gets tough with illegal workers.
The Republican split on immigration, on full display as senators took up the issue on Monday amid emotional street protests, could sabotage the party‘s long-range effort to court the country‘s fastest growing ethnic group, Hispanic activists and analysts said.
"If they go ahead and crack down, Republicans are dead in the Latino community for a generation," said Antonio Gonzalez, a Los Angeles-based community organizer who heads the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project.
Party strategists have vivid memories of California‘s 1994 passage of Proposition 187, which cut off public services for illegal immigrants. The measure, backed by then-Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, was thrown out by the courts but the resulting furor helped turn the state solidly Democratic.
"Pete Wilson set back the Republican Party in California," said Daniel Griswold, a trade and immigration expert at the conservative Cato Institute think tank.
The intense debate on immigration pits conservatives who favor a tough approach to the country‘s 12 million illegal immigrants against Republican business interests that rely on immigrant labor.
President George W. Bush President George W. Bush, mindful of the growing clout of Hispanic voters, has pushed hard for a guest worker program with high Hispanic appeal that would allow immigrants to stay in the country while applying for permanent residency.
The House of Representatives approved a bill last year that does not include Bush‘s guest worker program and tightened a variety of restrictions on illegal immigrants. A Senate committee included a guest worker provision in a measure sent to the full chamber on Monday.
The philosophical clash follows years of determined Republican courtship of Hispanics, the nation‘s largest minority with a population of more than 40 million. That population is projected to more than double by 2050.
Unlike blacks, the most reliable of Democratic voters, Hispanic votes have been up for grabs and have become crucial swing blocs in key states like Florida and in emerging battlegrounds like Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona in the Southwest.
Bush, a former Texas governor who speaks Spanish, increased his share of the Hispanic vote to more than 40 percent in 2004, up from 35 percent in 2000. Republican Bob Dole won just 21 percent of the Hispanic vote in the 1996 presidential race.
But that trend is endangered by the sight of Republicans leading the charge for tougher immigration policies, said Perry Vasquez, Colorado state chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly.
"I‘m fearful of the impact this will have," Vasquez said. "The Hispanic community is going to be deciding more elections going forward, and Republicans are missing a real opportunity to bring them in."
Marta Guevara, former Washington state chairwoman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, said the debate already was having an effect.
"It‘s already started to hurt Republicans," Guevara said. "I‘ve worked so hard for so many years for the Republican Party, but I‘m worried the party isn‘t concerned about the principles I‘ve been talking about."
The risk of alienating Hispanics is much greater than the risk of turning off conservatives, Griswold said. He noted Republicans who supported guest worker programs like Reps. Jeff Flake and Jim Kolbe in Arizona and Chris Cannon in Utah have survived primary challenges from anti-immigration opponents.
"The Republican base is not going to abandon the party over immigration, but Republicans are running a very real risk of alienating millions of Hispanic voters," he said.
Marisol Jimenez McGee, director of advocacy for El Pueblo, a Hispanic group in Raleigh, North Carolina, said the debate had been devastating for the Hispanic community. She said they would remember how members of Congress voted.
"Latinos vote on issues, they don‘t vote on parties. There will be lots of attention paid to where people stood on this issue. The memory of the community is long," she said.
This is pure unadulterated propaganda absent of anything other than opinion.
Of all the polling I've seen, let alone discussions I have had with Hispanics, that community is split in least in half over this issue.
LEGAL Hispanics whether from generation upon generation born in this country OR LEGAL VISAS and or application to citizenship are just as (if not more) against amnesty.
Those who are ILLEGAL, those that have been born to/married to/have business interests tied up in ILLEGAL Immigrants are in opposition.
Go Figure. [sarcasm]
It's a damn lie meant to pit one group (Hispanics) against another (for amnesty backers usually White Euro descendants) to attempt to make this an ethnic/racial argument and inflame the half against amnesty into changing their minds. Once united in opposition, it would fall others wouldn't be too far behind in backing down for fear they'd be labeled bigots.
As well, I'm not going to state the bottom would fall out from the GOP support over immigration, that would be wrong. But a sizeable minority would. A few percentage points enough to swing a close election. But, then, the GOP doesn't seem to care about other pillars of their traditional support system right now as well so it's looking like discontent from all over the base could register soon. On Judges, on spending, On immigration, etc.
They would rather cater and kowtow to a bunch of lawbreaking illegal aliens while impugning the character and honor of American Citizens as if we cannot hold a candle to the worthiness and virtue of the illegal alien invaders even though many of our ancestors, relatives and selves have fought proudly to defend and protect our country and Constitution and uphold and further the American traditions that have become our way of life.
I am not a single issue voter and I have supported President Bush through thick and thin, but these last few days have me looking over my options. Don't come looking to blame me when our leadership has fumbled away every advantage WE HANDED TO THEM.
Before this debate is over, Democrats who support the continued immigration of illegals and amnesty for the illegals in our presence may well face the retribution of thousands of democrat defections. If this debate continues for at least two weeks, we may see a split in the democrat party more than offseting any split among the republicans.
No, Rossi lost because the Courts and the Democratic Party stole the election by manufacturing ballots. Let's put the blame where it belongs. On the Theives themselves.
Had the win been bigger, they *probably* wouldn't have been able to do that but...it's Lib infested and I wouldn't put it past them to dig up 100,000 if that's what they needed.
BTW, some people didn't vote because they didn't think it would make a difference. As in, the vote wouldn't be close and the Dem would win. That's different then sitting an election out in protest. Actually, Rossi got far closer than Bush did to taking this state. Which means he got help from some conservative Dems as well.
I still refuse to acknowledge that woman is my Governor.
CATO isn't "conservative". CATO is libertarian.
Every time the supporters of illegal immigrants open their mouths stating that we need illegal aliens to do the jobs that americans are by implication unwilling or too lazy to do we grow support for the position of building a secure border and requiring illegals to repatriate prior to application for citizenship. Democrats will be particularly incensed by these oft repeated slanderous statements against americans workers.
I think you have a good point there....the issue is huge!
How about the risk to the native born legal citizen vote if they do nothing? Is that worth discussing.
Montebello High Scool, LA, March 27, 2006. That is the tall flagpole over the entire school.
but "hispanic" or AMERICANS of hispanic decent hate people lumping them with illegal nipple suckling immigrants... most are hard working and have EARNED their citizenship by service to this country like ALL other immigrants before: Italians, Germans, Irish, Jews etc...
This is just a ploy by dems and liberals to get another "minority" group balkanized into sucking at the government nipple. LULAC represents the hispanics like NAACP represents all blacks. they are just the race pimps that want to freeload on the democrats by providing votes. legal and illegal.
despicable parasites, the lot of them.
Think Alito and Bader-Ginsberg. Which would you want to be closer to the next SCOTUS nominee?
My apprentice today approach me and sez..."hey Hoss, I sure hope they will cut it out today, because they make me look bad; the stinking, stupid Mexicans are hanging themselves by the rope, with this nonsense march!
Luis is an American Citizen from Mexican heritage!
http://www.theamericanresistance.com/race_industry/laraza_contributors.html
In my experience with American hispanics, the GOP risks alienating them if They don't do more to secure the border.
Bears repeating. That matches my experience so far. Remember the numbers for Hispanics who voted for Prop 200 in Arizona.
If you want to have conservatives with you next election, you'd be better off trying to convince our leaders not to sell us out, than trying to convince us we should just suck up.
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