Thread: Hillary is DEFINITELY Better Than Obama Regarding Illegals

Immigration and race

By Steve Bailey
February 8, 2008

Boston Herald

It was comedian Chris Rock, a favorite of mine, who way back in November best framed the argument of why African-Americans should vote for Barack Obama for president. Appearing with Obama on the stage of the Apollo Theater in Harlem, Rock told the audience they would be "embarrassed" if Obama won and they voted for Hillary Clinton. "You'd say, I had that white lady! What was I thinking?"
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African-Americans have not missed that point as the vote totals in one southern state after another showed on Super Tuesday. But on at least one issue - the impossibly thorny topic of illegal immigration and black employment - it was that white lady who has been willing to tell difficult truths.

In the final debate before Tuesday's voting, Obama was asked about the negative economic consequences of immigration on the employment rate and wages in the African-American community. Said Obama: "I think to suggest somehow that the problem that we're seeing in inner-city unemployment, for example, is attributable to immigrants, I think, is a case of scapegoating that I do not believe in, I do not subscribe to."

"I believe," Clinton responded, "that in many parts of our country, because of employers who exploit undocumented workers and drive down wages, there are job losses. And I think we should be honest about that."

Talking about race is very hard. Talking about immigration is not much easier. Talking about race and immigration together can be absolutely explosive. But like anything else, if we can't recognize a problem, we can't fix a problem.

On balance, immigration is not only good, but critical, for this country and this economy. But like most things in life, it creates winners and losers. And the preponderance of evidence indicates that the flood of illegal immigrants has hurt those on the bottom of the economic ladder most, blacks in particular and probably even American-born Hispanics.

George Borjas, an economist at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, is one of the leading scholars in the field. His research, drawn from 40 years of census data, has found "a strong correlation between immigration and black wages, black employment, and black incarceration rates." In an interview yesterday, Borjas was careful to say that the majority of the huge job losses in the black community would have occurred even if a single immigrant had never crossed the border. But he attributed somewhere between 30 and 40 percent of the job losses among low-skilled blacks to immigration.

"It seems to me Hillary had a more sensible response," Borjas told me.

Northeastern University economist Andrew Sum has come to much the same conclusion. In the years 2000 to 2005, Sum found, 85 of every 100 net new workers in the country was a new immigrant. Among just men - native-born Americans and immigrants here more than five years - the net employment growth was "less than zero," Sum reported. Less than zero is a very small number.

While the job gains have overwhelmingly gone to new immigrants, Sum found that African-Americans and American-born Hispanics were big losers. The employment rates among black men ages 16 to 19 dropped 20 percent over five years and 24 percent among Hispanic male teenagers. In almost every category, the young and undereducated, whites included, lost ground.

"It is extremely difficult to argue that the bulk of the 2.7 million jobs obtained by new, young immigrants in 2005 were not acceptable to native-born young workers who held similar types of jobs in large numbers in 2000," Sum and his colleagues wrote in a study two years ago. "The critics of job displacement are ignoring the ugly realities of American labor market operations over the past five years."

Obama and Clinton are both fine candidates. Race and immigration are among the most difficult issues they will face though hardly the only difficult issues. To be successful, the next president will have to face them squarely and honestly. The guy in the White House right now is a case study in the high cost of doing otherwise.

Steve Bailey is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at bailey@globe.com or at 617-929-2902.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles ... _and_race/

Hillary just abstained from voting the last two years, but not Obama. He actually did the job his constituents elected him to do and that is represent them. For the sake of running for president, Hillary just didn't vote so she could say did or didn't support something...

Dixie

Obama comes from the same mold as Luis Guitterez in regard to illegals.

He is about as far left leaning as one can go!!

Hillary is at least smart enough to realize that if she wants any hopes of a reelection----not to do too much for the illegals during her first term. Obama would jump on working for illegals as soon as he would be put in office.

Illegals can obtain the jobs that take physical skills--much more easily than verbal, written, mental skills. After all, how many illegals have beem hired as radio program hosts? 911 dispatchers? college professors?

So it is not surprising that a liberal elite-----Obama's supporters tend to be white men with above average incomes---finds their vicarious repentance in furthering the campaign of the man who believes that all white men live that very same way.

My wife is a huge Harry Potter fan, she is doing a marathon
of the movies today and we got to talking about relating
the political people to Potter people

Hillary was Voltamort

nuff said

Originally Posted by usanevada

My wife is a huge Harry Potter fan, she is doing a marathon
of the movies today and we got to talking about relating
the political people to Potter people

Hillary was Voltamort

nuff said

We currently have a choice of 3 evils. Hillary is the "least" evil of the 3 evils.

Shillary promised the HISPANIC community that she would begin working to get them citizenship HER FIRST WEEK IN OFFICE.

And when she says her health care plan will not cover ILLEGAL ALIENS, it's because THERE WILL BE NO ILLEGAL ALIENS!!!!

SHILLARY LIES LIKE A RUG!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by CitizenJustice

Shillary promised the HISPANIC community that she would begin working to get them citizenship HER FIRST WEEK IN OFFICE.

And when she says her health care plan will not cover ILLEGAL ALIENS, it's because THERE WILL BE NO ILLEGAL ALIENS!!!!

SHILLARY LIES LIKE A RUG!!!!!!!!!!

They are ALL lying and pandering---and they are ALL dangerous to our country.

However, Hillary is smart enough not to do anything too drastic during her first term---if she has any hopes of being reelected. If she would try to push amnesty----there is a good chance that all of the Republicans will block it----as they will be kissing conservative butt in order to win back voters. However, if McCain would attempt to push amnesty----there is a good chance that some of the Republicans will side with him.

Obama will try to do EVERYTHING and ANYTHING for illegals as soon as he takes office!!!

Dolly

Yes they are , all of them

They are so afraid of losing the hispanic vote

But nationally the hispanic , legal hispanic vote is only about 9%

They have isolated the other 91% of Amerians , 85% who
feel every illegal should be deported

I believe," Clinton responded, "that in many parts of our country, because of employers who exploit undocumented workers and drive down wages, there are job losses. And I think we should be honest about that."

I do remember her saying that.....I won't hold my breath.