Thread: Election politics stall immigration reform

Election politics stall immigration reform

By Chuck Raasch

WASHINGTON — The reason immigration reform remains elusive this year, despite President Obama's fresh exhortations, is because long- and short-term political calculations are dominating in a nation whose demographics are changing much faster than its leaders.

In reality, a stronger resolution scenario exists for 2011. Obama will begin confronting his own re-election. Republicans will still have long-term worries that if they are seen as hostile to any middle-road solution, they could lose, long term, the fastest-growing demographic group in America.

Despite Obama's calls for a renewed, bipartisan effort in a Thursday speech at American University, partisans on his side know they can attract Hispanic voters in elections this November if they can portray the Republicans as obstructing reforms and immune to humanitarian appeals for a path for citizenship for millions in this country illegally.

Obama beat Republican John McCain among Latinos by more than a 2-1 margin in the 2008 election— a key to Obama's victory. Brookings Institution demographer William Frey says that over the coming decade, the number of whites in the workforce will decline by 5 million while the number of minorities will grow by 15 million, with 90% of that growth coming from Hispanics.

This year, votes of Hispanics are especially important in close congressional or gubernatorial campaigns in Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, is in a tough re-election fight.

Conversely, Republicans know that their staunchest supporters do not want a solution that would allow a path to citizenship for people who broke the law to come to this country, especially without the federal government demonstrating it can secure the border first.

Past GOP leaders on immigration, such as McCain, are being attacked within their own party as being too soft on the problem. McCain has taken a harder line as he faces a tough primary against former representative J.D. Hayworth, who has made illegal immigration a centerpiece of his campaign.

Republicans also are reading polls that show that solid majorities of Americans support an Arizona law signed by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer that has sparked a showdown with the Obama administration on border enforcement and treatment of illegal immigrants in this country.

Although he did not say so in his Thursday speech, Obama may have his Justice Department sue Arizona, which could further inflame the issue in the fall campaigns.

"I believe we can put politics aside and finally have an immigration system that is accountable," the president said.

But that "finally" might have to wait until 2011, if Republicans make predicted gains in the House and Senate or even take control of one or both of those bodies.

Obama promised immigration reform in his 2008 campaign, and he will be on the defensive if he does not deliver by his 2012 re-election test.

Immigration reform activists are already disappointed and angry that he has not pushed something through. And the president has given mixed messages. Despite his call for passage Thursday, he told reporters on Air Force One in April that passing immigration reform is "a matter of political will" and that "there may not be an appetite immediately to dive into another controversial issue."

That reality prompted Karl Rove, adviser to former President George W. Bush, to tell Fox News that Obama's latest speech was "cynical, hypocritical, political."

But long-term, Republicans cannot exist as a national party if the fastest-growing demographic group views them as unwelcoming and overly punitive, and the ranks of 11 million illegal immigrants continue to swell.

Ironically, Republicans are running Hispanic candidates in several key races around the country this year, including Senate candidate Marco Rubio in Florida and gubernatorial candidate Brian Sandoval in Nevada.

(Chuck Raasch writes from Washington for Gannett. Contact him at craasch(AT)gannett.com, follow him at http://twitter.com/craasch or join in the conversation at http://www.facebook.com/raaschcolumn)
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Why do politicians think they will get the "Hispanic" vote if they talk fast and loose about amnesty or immigration reform?

Hispanic families, more than one generation whose parents were part of the last amnesty don't want the illegals in this country anymore than American citizens do. They are raising families, contributing to their communities just as we are. They are taxpayers just like we are, and don't appreciate seeing their tax dollars going to support illegals.

They understand as we do that our open borders have resulted in a 3rd World invasion. Some of these border-crossers do not even read their own language, how on earth are they going to learn English (just one of the unrealistic ideas Mr. Obama keeps repeating). These are the people who first invaded Mexico and if caught are punished, and not just by being sent back to their country of origin.

Don't tell me that Hispanic citizens are chomping at the bit to have these invaders given amnesty. I don't believe either party can count on their vote at this point in time, any more than they can count on mine or yours.

Once these illegals are amnesties and forced to pay taxes, they won't be happy knowing they're among the 50% of the country giving a free ride to the other 50%. Dem spending habits will do them in.

But long-term, Republicans cannot exist as a national party if the fastest-growing demographic group views them as unwelcoming and overly punitive, and the ranks of 11 million illegal immigrants continue to swell.



Ironically, Republicans are running Hispanic candidates in several key races around the country this year, including Senate candidate Marco Rubio in Florida and gubernatorial candidate Brian Sandoval in Nevada.


Huh?

let em try something stupid and lets see how the american people stand up and vote some or most of em out in november.

BOTH PARTIES ARE PLAYING THE GAME.

And we would not have the large Hispanic population if it wasn't for all the other amnesties. Oh they may be citizens now ,but they were just as much in the wrong,THEN, as they are today. Those are my feelings on that situation.

"Election politics stall immigration reform"

Wrong, the American people stalled amnesty when they made so many calls to the US Senate that the phone system got short-circuited. The only reform most want is very simple, free and can start immediatly its called actual "Enforcement."