Received this in an email this morning:

America First 2008 Updates

Tom Tancredo made the most serious mistake of his bid for the Republican nomination in not appearing at the Spanish Television debates in Florida.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316268,00.html

Fox News Reported it as "This time, the only candidate who refused to attend was Tom Tancredo, a long-shot candidate who has made a tough immigration stance the centerpiece of his campaign."

Tancredo's press release says this.

"It is the law that to become a naturalized citizen of this country you must have knowledge and understanding of English, including a basic ability to read, write, and speak the language," Tancredo said. "So what may I ask are our presidential candidates doing participating in a Spanish speaking debate? Pandering comes to mind."

According to the Immigration and Nationality Act an immigrant must show the "ability to read, write, and speak English" in order to become a naturalized citizen of the United States. Additionally, they must show "a favorable disposition towards the United States."

Tancredo concluded, "America has been a melting pot of people from all over the world but it can not survive as a nation if our immigrants do not assimilate. A common language is essential to that goal. Bilingualism is a great asset for any individual but it has perilous consequences for a nation. As such, a Spanish debate has no place in a presidential campaign."

This is all true, but wars are such that you do not always get to pick the time, date and place of battle.

Tom Tancredo had the opportunity in this debate.

To be the clear focus of the debate. Clearly, Tancredo has taken the lead position on this issue for years. He has been pushed aside in other debates as the moderators asked questions on every issue except immigration. He had the chance to be the focus of the debate and make the other Republican candidates follow his lead. He had a chance to push them further.

To be the tough leader. Tancredo had the chance to the tough guy. Take the fight to the opposition, in their ring, under their conditions, and speak whatever he wanted directly to that opposition. "Yes, will deport illegal aliens." Tell Vincente Fox that he is meddling in U.S. politics, that La Raza is by definition a racist organization, and that sooner or later all illegals are going home.

The opportunity to address Hispanics worldwide. He could have made the points in his press release to the Hispanic audience, on tv, live, in person. That a nation will destroy itself if it becomes, bi-cultural and bi-lingual.

The opportunity to address Atzlan, mass migration and the Hispanic invasion. He could have taken the debate, the issues to describe and outline the dangers to the United States. He could have stated that La Raza, MEChA and other Hispanic organizations are subversive organizations dedicated to turning the United States into MexAmerica.

The opportunity to stress that the United States takes its laws seriously. Hispanics are coming to the United States to live a better life. But they are undermining the U.S. law, which makes that possible. Hispanic countries are marked by tyranny, corruption and bribery, because the law is unenforced.

The opportunity to stress that Puerto Ricans are American Citizens. He could have said Puerto Ricans should start acting to defend the United States, not cozy up to La Raza.

The opportunity stress that this invasion is led by Mexico. He could state that forty consulates in the United States act like they are legal entities. That they should be closed.

The opportunity to stress that if this invasion continues unchecked, legal and illegal immigrants will not be living in the United States, they will be right back where they started from, living in MexAmerica, which is going to look a lot like Tijuana.

The opportunity to be the clear leader on the immigration issue. He had the opportunity to say that we do not need more laws, that we will enforce the current laws. That employers will go to jail and mayors who create sanctuary cities and ID cards will land there as well.

You cannot play defense or be pasive in a presidential race and assume the moral high ground. Tancredo adopted Jimmy Carter's rose garden strategy of doing nothing about the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.

Abraham Lincoln in the beginning to the Civil War could not find generals who wanted to fight. Gen. Meade, Gen. Hooker and others were useless. Finally, he found Gen. Grant and proceeded to win the war. Grant was capable of ruthless and complex thinking on the battlefield. In the attack on Vicksburg, he brought his troops south by gunship past the City on its western (Mississippi) side. From the southern position, below the city, he marched his troops up the Eastern side and attacked.

Because Grant was inherently an aggressive commander, he sought the opportunities to attack and win. He recognized his disadvantages and turned them to advantages. He did not have the terrain, the place of battle to the time to become a disadvantage.

The Tancredo memo is moralistic, idealistic and simple-minded. It may be morally right, but his non-appearance did not help the immigration control cause. Tom Tancredo is a very decent man, moral man. But perhaps, he needs a Ulysses S. Grant as a ruthless commander by his side.

Tom Tancredo lost a huge opportunity.

Paul Streitz
amfirst@optonline.net
I too feel this was a missed opportunity for Tom Tancredo. He could have really had an impact at the debate. Furthermore, I think he would have drawn far more attention to his campaign had he attended because in view of the main subject matter, illegal immigration, the press would have really been focused on him. He'll get no better opportunity to speak on the topic than he would have at the debate (85% of the questions were on the topic of immigration).