He was right. The only thing a small but vocal nucleus cared about was kicking Hispanics out of the country. I think that alienated a lot of people (not only Hispanics, btw) and made the GOP look like a bitter bunch of nativists with no constructive answer to anything. All of the other issues got lost in an obsession with Hispanic - oh, sorry - "illegal" immigration.
People who really wanted to deal with the illegals problem would have put pressure on their city and state governments to stop giving out welfare freebies to everybody, permit police and other authorities to check IDs and submit reports to immigration authorities, etc. Almost all the laws that are a problem in terms of dealing with illegal immigration are local laws, passed by Dems who want to keep their welfare population thriving and voting Dem.
Making it a federal issue made it impossible to solve, made the GOP look bad, and distracted voters from the real issues.
The only mistake the gop house made was when sensennbrenner included felony for illegals that cross the border.
You can cut down on them without a felony. He should have used felony for people that hire them.
The media played up the felony non stop even after the house said they would take it out in conference.
Heather Wilson looks like she might have won even though she is good on immigration in a 30 percent hispanic district.
I agree the hispanic vote went way down and they were more motivated to come out. But I think a lot of that was the felony media misperception.
so you are actually telling us that if amnesty had passed - the Rs would have WON the past election?
no way.
Bush should have never brought this issue up, he drove a wedge through his own party by advocating it - forcing his own party to scramble to try and find a way to stop it.
unfortunately, the part of the conservative base that stayed home - did understand that the republican House was the only thing stopping this.
so now, they will get it.
We have this thing called federal immigration law and it's not being enforced.
Therein DOES lie the problem.
Yea, that stupid Constitution thingy. Those vapidly stupid Founders that wrote it. WTH were they thinking? Blackbird.
You mean like Arizona who just passed 4 anti-illegal propositions? Still, guarding the border and immigration policy is a federal problem.
Here in Arizona, LEGAL Mexican immigrants are welcomed with open arms, but the masses of illegals have almost broken this state under the weight of their health care, their failure to learn english and to assimilate, the cost of educating their children, and the upsurge of violent crime. I am sick to death of people not understanding there is a difference between LEGAL and ILLEGAL immigration.
Oh, good greif. Immigration IS a FEDERAL issue...you know, protect the borders....
The GOP made itself look bad, they didn't need any help. The dems pounded "culture of corruption" over and over. Their voters bought it, with good reason....Cunningham, Safavian, Ney, Delay, Haggard, foley, Abramoff and on and on.
They sound just like the perpetually in denial democrats.