Thread: Border issues fall by wayside

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_4467478

Border issues fall by wayside
Voters more worried about Iraq, poll says
By Lisa Friedman Washington Bureau

While House and Senate Republicans made illegal immigration their top priority before hitting the campaign trail this month, a new Pew Research Center poll finds that most Americans won't be focusing on immigration come Nov. 7.
Just 24 percent of voters name immigration as a key election issue, compared with 51 percent who cite Iraq and 37 percent who cite terrorism, according to the poll.
"It matters a great deal to a small minority of voters, but it is not a top-tier issue for a majority of voters," said Carroll Doherty, Pew's associate director.
With the scandal surrounding former Rep. Mark Foley dominating the national political discussion, it remains to be seen what impact immigration - or, for that matter, any other issue - will have on voters.
But the Pew poll released late last week suggests the Foley scandal has not significantly affected voters' views.
Democrats, according to the telephone survey of 1,804 adults, maintained a slight advantage over Republicans both before and after the former Florida Republican resigned in the wake of disclosed sexual e-mails between himself and teenage pages.
Concern about immigration was higher among Republicans, 32 percent of whom
identified it as a top voting issue compared with
12 percent of Democrats.
The poll also noted that those who favor a tough approach to immigration are "much more motivated than people on the other side of the issue," Doherty said.
"Fully 33 percent of those who back strong border protection and stiffer penalties say immigration is important to their vote. That compares with just 11 percent of those who support a comprehensive approach to immigration policy," the poll found.
The numbers haven't stopped candidates in battleground states - from Arizona to Pennsylvania to Virginia - from running on tough-on-immigration platforms.
Tamar Jacoby, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who advocates legalization for undocumented residents, said she doubts immigration will become the central voting issue even in those states.
"Elections don't turn on immigration. A lot of candidates think they might, but they haven't yet," Jacoby said.
John Keehey, spokesman for the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C., which favors tough policies on illegal immigrants and restrictions on legal immigration, said his own group has found that widespread concern about immigration will translate directly into votes on Election Day.
"It's pretty clear that the intensity of interest on this issue is in no way regionally contained," he said.
But he acknowledged immigration could get overwhelmed by the Foley scandal.
"It's drowning out really all policy discussions. You can't have anything as long as this Foley thing is going on."
Locally, border-control activists and others who consider themselves as deeply concerned about illegal immigration said they still count it as a top voting issue.
Kenneth Grissom of La Crescenta, who described himself as a registered Republican, said he is frustrated with his party's stance on immigration.
"Republicans are not taking charge. They're not taking advantage of their majority," he said.
GOP leaders last month failed to enact broad measures that sought to make it easier to deport illegal immigrants, and give legal immigrants fewer avenues for appeal when facing deportation.
Senate Republicans and Democrats also failed to pass legislation that would have beefed up border security while also creating a guest-worker program and granting citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants.
They did, however, approve a 700-mile fence between the United States and Mexico, which Grissom called "a good start."
Robin Hvidston of Upland, a national coordinator for the Minuteman civil border patrol group, said she counts the absence of a new guest-worker program or legalization measures as a victory for her side.
"It seems like what we've mainly been able to accomplish is keeping the status quo," she said.
Hvidston said she doesn't believe the Foley scandal will influence votes for those who care about immigration.
"To the person in the voting booth in an area affected by illegal immigration, the Foley scandal, as harmful as it is, may fall to the wayside," she said. "When you get in the booth to vote for your man, the local issues may be more important than the Foley scandal."
lisa.friedman@langnews.com

That is complete Bull crap!

"It matters a great deal to a small minority of voters, but it is not a top-tier issue for a majority of voters," said Carroll Doherty, Pew's associate director.

A fresh Civitas Poll here in NC shows illegal immigration tied for the issue of top concern in this state!

W

I agree W......... I feel it is the Politicians that are putting the issue on the back burner...........NOT THE VOTERS.
I've been watching ads on TV and all that the Politicians talk about is Iraq and Foley.

Ha !! Wishful thinking on their part !!

Concern about immigration was higher among Republicans, 32 percent of whom identified it as a top voting issue compared with 12 percent of Democrats.

I guess that could explain why we have more support from the Republican side of the house.

William wrote:

That is complete Bull crap!

Quote:
"It matters a great deal to a small minority of voters, but it is not a top-tier issue for a majority of voters," said Carroll Doherty, Pew's associate director.


A fresh Civitas Poll here in NC shows illegal immigration tied for the issue of top concern in this state!

W

I guess it all depends on which side of the issue the spokesperson supports:

John Keehey, spokesman for the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C., which favors tough policies on illegal immigrants and restrictions on legal immigration, said his own group has found that widespread concern about immigration will translate directly into votes on Election Day.