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Monday, June 30, 2008
O.C. anti-illegal immigration activists reject McCain, Obama
YOU VOTE: Dissatisfied with both candidates, illegal immigration foes seek third party and Congressional candidates to carry their torch. What do you think?

ERIN CARLYLE
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Santa Ana The T-shirt said it all. Costa Mesa resident John Powelson, a lifelong Republican, displayed his political sentiments across his chest at an anti-illegal immigration meeting last week: "Is John McCain the Manchurian candidate?"

The slogan, Powelson explained, refers to the title of the 1962 film starring Frank Sinatra, in which Soviet agents capture an American soldier, take him to Manchuria, China, and brainwash him to become a communist agent.

Powelson, 57, wonders if McCain's policies on guns and immigration, which he sees as far too liberal, are the result of a real-life Manchurian incident. "It could very well be that he was brainwashed," he said, referring to McCain's six years as a prisoner-of-war in Vietnam.

Powelson is part of a vocal Orange County contingent of anti-illegal immigration voters who are disgruntled with both McCain and Barak Obama's stances on immigration. Last year, McCain sponsored a failed comprehensive immigration reform bill that would have led to increased border patrol and amnesty for those already here illegally. Obama's position is similar.

For local residents and those across the country who see illegal immigration as a critical campaign issue, neither major party candidate fits the bill.

As a result, some disenchanted anti-illegal immigration voters will be boycotting the presidential election. Others will choose Libertarian Bob Barr, or Republican Ron Paul, even though he has dropped out of the election.

Still others may vote for Chuck Baldwin, the American Independent Party candidate.

But Louis DiSipio, chair of Chicano and Latino studies at UC Irvine, says the issue isn't as important to voters as activists say.

"If you look at public opinion polls, immigration is rarely at the top of list," DeSipio said. "For a core of the Republican party – maybe 10 to 15 percent – it's a core issue. Economic issues, national security, personal and public safety issues are usually much higher."

presidential immigration
Which issue do you think is most important in this Presidential campaign?
Immigration
48%
The economy
44%
The war in Iraq
9%

Total Votes: 208

Last Wednesday, Baldwin, a Baptist minister from Pensacola, Fla., preached restrictionist policies to a receptive crowd at a California Coalition for Immigration Reform (CCIR) meeting in Garden Grove. In 1994, the Huntington Beach-based coalition sponsored Prop. 187, a ballot initiative that would have denied illegal immigrants health care, social services and public education. The initiative passed but was overturned by a federal court.

As of May 14, Barak Obama had raised $295.5 million; McCain $124.6 million, according to the Federal Elections Commission. Baldwin had raised $40,304 by that date, none of it from Californians.

Even after Baldwin's fiery speech last week, local anti-illegal immigration voters doubt that any of the third-party candidates will make it to the White House.

"We know they're not going to win unless a miracle happens," said Chelene Nightingale, who runs Save Our State, an anti-illegal immigration group based in Orange County. "It's probably going to be Obama."

"Most of the people in our movement – they've given up" on the presidential election, Nightingale said.

Instead, they are focusing on smaller races.

"We are looking at our assemblies, our Congressman, the Senate," Nightingale said. "Quite frankly, that's where the voting happens anyway. There isn't much that a president can do."

In Orange County, anti-illegal immigration voters are looking to Santa Ana School Board Member Rosemarie Avila to defeat incumbent Loretta Sanchez in the 47th Congressional District. They expect incumbent Dana Rohrabacher, who is being challenged by Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook, to hold on to his 46th Congressional District seat.

As of May 14, Rohrabacher had raised $240,400; Cook $64,278, Federal Election Commission records show. No donations to Avila had been filed by that date; Sanchez had raised $802,665.

In Los Angeles, the anti-illegal immigration cohort is supporting Republican challenger Ted Hayes, who is seeking to unseat veteran 35th District Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

The focus on local and state races is a national trend, according to William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration, a political action committee. State legislators can create laws to enforce federal immigration policies, and Congressional candidates are seen as necessary to fight the kind of comprehensive immigration reform McCain and Obama would like.

Recently, dozens of states and municipalities have taken immigration enforcement into their own hands. In the first three months of 2008, legislatures in 44 states considered a total of 1,106 immigration bills, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Last year, 1,562 immigration-related bills were introduced in 50 states. Three times as many state laws were enacted in 2007 as in 2006: 240 compared to 84.

Anti-illegal immigration groups like Gheen's have lobbied for state legislative packages that would empower local police to enforce federal immigration law; cutoff social services, college access, and driver's licenses for workers here illegally; and require businesses to verify immigration status of their employees. Components of these policies have been adopted in Arizona, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and Georgia.

Gheen sees this as evidence that voters want to see immigration law enforced.

"We're hoping to see a political meltdown in November," Gheen said. "Unless you know strongly (…) that your incumbent is not like McCain or Obama on immigration, throw 'em out!"

Roy Beck, president of Numbers USA, a conservative political organization that rates politicians on anti-illegal immigration policies, cites the recent ouster of conservative Congressman Chris Cannon, (R-Utah), who lost to a rookie who was tougher on immigration.

"Cannon's loss was an outburst of Republican frustration with the minority of Republican office-holders who stand in the Bush-McCain amnesty camp."

After the CCIR meeting, Zeke Habedra, of Whittier, emphatically said he's had enough. "All my friends are losing their jobs to illegals," Habedra said.

Contact the writer: ecarlyle@ocregister.com or 949-378-1318
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