Well, here it is, in black and white
Read it and weep.
The reaction of the Red Meat Right to the immigration crisis is rapidly dissipating the progress Republicans have made among Hispanic Americans in recent years, probably dooming the party to opposition status for the foreseeable future- and likely ensuring that conservatism will be out of power for a generation or more.
And ironically, it's President Bush- who at a moment when he needs every friend he can get, has put his own popularity with his party's base on the line in opposing calls for unenforcable, draconian measures on immigration- who is being vilified in the Latino community as a result.
And conservatives will never have the chance they're throwing away again...
But neither will Latinos. The message for Republicans, after all, is that it doesn't pay for an individual Republican to go to bat for the Latino community- that he'll still be blamed for what the others in his party do.
The reaction of the Red Meat Right to the immigration crisis is rapidly dissipating the progress Republicans have made among Hispanic Americans in recent years, probably dooming the party to opposition status for the foreseeable future- and likely ensuring that conservatism will be out of power for a generation or more.
And ironically, it's President Bush- who at a moment when he needs every friend he can get, has put his own popularity with his party's base on the line in opposing calls for unenforcable, draconian measures on immigration- who is being vilified in the Latino community as a result.
And conservatives will never have the chance they're throwing away again...
But neither will Latinos. The message for Republicans, after all, is that it doesn't pay for an individual Republican to go to bat for the Latino community- that he'll still be blamed for what the others in his party do.
Comments
You mentioned in a previous comment that middle ground is getting harder to find. Part of the reason is the false dichotomy in which this issue is usually framed. The dichotomy goes like this: Either we will have an open border and citizenship for illegal aliens, or we will round them all up and send them home immediately. It doesn't have to be either of those extremes. One more moderate possibility is to close the border with all due speed, regularize aliens in the country by giving them temporary papers, for which they may apply for renewal, leave their citizenship as it is, and encourage them to go through the usual application process for citizenship. After a certain grace period, deport any non-citizen who doesn't have paperwork or who is found guilty of a crime. The key is effective control of the border. Not just a section of fence. Not just putting social and clerical workers from the National Guard on the border. Not just doing better than any other President in history. Control it. Now. It's the President's responsibility to do so.
So stop the hissy fits about red-meat Republicans and the flawless plan that is going awry because of them. Tell the President to do his job. Secure the border.
But the "hissy fits" will continue. As difficult as many on the Right seem to find this relatively simple concept, simply closing the border through enforcement measures, no matter how draconian, is utterly impossible.
Can't be done. The kind of simplistic rhetoric you're dealing out is exactly the problem.
That's where realistic conversation on this problem begins. The "hissy fits" will have to continue, because the immigration "hawks" have literally squandered the entire future of the conservative movement on a "solution" which not only alienates- probably permanently- a voting bloc it absolutely needs to remain a viable option to the liberals, but is utterly impossible of achievement.
Congratulations!