In the aftermath of a GOP presidential primary in which candidates spoke about “self-deportation” and building “electric fences,” it’s not surprising the Republican nominee lost the Hispanic vote in 2012. But it’s the margin of the defeat that is staggering: 44 points. This, after George W. Bush won 44 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2004.
The GOP has a problem with the fastest growing demographic group in America–and Florida Senator Marco Rubio knows it and is determined to do something about it.
As this interview with the Wall Street Journal’s Matthew Kaminski demonstrates, Senator Rubio has thought through the issue with care and thoroughness–from border security, to moving us toward merit and skill-based legal immigration, to increasing the number of visas for permanent and seasonal farm workers, to workplace enforcement, to what to do with the 12 million illegals currently in America (including making accommodations for people who came to America unlawfully with their parents).
Senator Rubio also understands that while immigration reform isn’t a magic bullet for the GOP, the immigration issues is “a gateway issue for Hispanics… No matter what your stance is on a number of other issues, if people somehow come to believe that you don’t like them or want them here, it’s difficult to get them to listen to anyone else.”
That’s right; and that is what the modern GOP had done, for reasons that strike me as substantively wrong and politically unwise. There are ways for Republicans to deal with illegal immigration without coming across as anti-Hispanic and anti-immigration.
Conservatives like Marco Rubio are perfectly situated to begin to correct that problem, and the sooner, the better.
I have some problems with Marco Rubio's views on illegal immigration. Still, demanding people to self deport sounds rather weird and extreme. There is also a legal principle complicating everything: a society that consistently ignores its own laws—may eventually lose the right to enforce them! Police officers and other public officials in many areas of the country (and perhaps especially in rural farm counties ) looked the other way while illegals were snuck into their districts to work cheaply. This was the normal practice for decades.
Peter, you're exactly right. Beat up on immigrants, they won't like you. Ridicule public safety workers, teachers and government workers, they'll vote against you. Dismiss the concerns of single women: lose their votes. Disparage people of faith: there goes their vote. Threaten law-abiding gun owners, they'll abandon you. It's all very simple: left or right. If you don't treat a group or someone like a "mench," they're not going to vote for you. In many ways, tone and attitude will trump actual policy.
Yeah, the rescue is importing millions more Democrat voters. Great idea. And how did Hispanics repay the Reagan amnesty, voting for Billyjeff Clinton.
The fact remains, illegal aliens have no legal right to be in this country, I don't get why enforcing the laws is so extreme. What’s wrong with securing the border? n nI keep hearing about how we need to give Amnesty to illegals. Why do we need to import poverty and give the Democrats more voters. That's what were really talking about here. n nSo why should we give 11 million people citizenship and put them in the front of the line over people that have been waiting in line, legally. I don’t see the point of giving illegal aliens citizenship is not going to do anything meaningful for this country. I know many Hispanics and they're not happy with all of the law breakers that try to get over the process. n
It's not that simple. Many of these people were unofficially made to feel welcome by government officials throughout the country. Business owners wanted cheap labor. These illegals then proceeded to give birth to children—who instantly became American citizens!
It's as easy as tightening the security on the Border. Not that hard of a concept.
Continued massive immigration is a loser for Republicans. They don't call the Republican Party the Stupid Party for nothing. Real border security and an immigration moratorium is what the country needs. Low-income working American citizens are being harmed by 47 years of excessive immigration; but nobody seems to care about them.
Oh, I get it: Set up a sidewalk display next to the Democrats' table, with the sign that says, "Vote for us, we are like the Democrats, only we will give you less free stuff, and make you work for your benefits. Not only that, but we will give your gang banger children longer prison sentences." n nSounds like a Wiener!! Vote Democrat Lite!
The people to keep your eyes on are the leftists that have the White House and the Senate right now. They're the ones that have strayed away from the "Consitution"…