Issue stays in the dark

Both candidates shun border talk

Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 09/07/2008 10:55:06 PM PDT

It's one of the most complex and controversial issues facing the country.
But it was scarcely mentioned at the two largest political gatherings of the year.

Neither of the major presidential candidates touched on immigration reform during their parties' national conventions.

Political experts say there are good reasons for Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican nominee John McCain to sidestep the minefield of the immigration debate.

John J. Pitney, a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College, said the issue is tricky for both candidates.

"Both parties face cross-pressures," Pitney said. "On the one hand, both Obama and McCain favor immigration reform that would provide a path to citizenship. But within each party, there is significant opposition to anything like that. It's more vocal on the Republican side, but even among Democrats you have a fair number of blue-collar workers who are very concerned about immigration."

The word "immigration" was absent from McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., last week.

To capture the White House, analysts say, McCain needs a sizable share of traditionally Democratic Latino voters to move to his side. Polls have shown that many Latinos, especially recently naturalized citizens, favor proposals to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants.

But in trying to woo Latino voters, the Arizona senator risks the wrath of


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conservative Republicans who want the federal government to secure the border to keep illegal immigrants from entering the country.
"That's his dilemma," Pitney said. "The more he appeals to the Latino voters, the more he alienates Republicans who might stay home" on Election Day.

Obama also must be careful not to press too hard for Latino support because doing so could turn off working-class white voters in key battleground states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, analysts say.

In his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver two weeks ago, Obama avoided any talk of immigration reform.

The Illinois senator made a vague reference to the controversy surrounding immigration, but he did not repeat his earlier support for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

"Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers," Obama said.

That was the extent of his remarks on the issue.

Area Latino activists who went to Denver to rally in favor of comprehensive immigration reform were expecting more from Obama.

"I was somewhat disappointed that he didn't talk about it at all, especially when there was such a large Latino contingent at the convention and there was a large Hispanic caucus," said Jose Zapata Calderon, a professor of sociology and Chicano studies at Pitzer College in Claremont.

Calderon, who supports Obama, attended the convention and participated in a march that was meant to keep the immigration issue at the front of the Democratic Party agenda.

In the past, Obama has supported allowing illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses. He also was a co-sponsor of a bill in Congress known as the Dream Act, which would provide a way for qualified illegal immigrant students to become legal residents and eventually citizens.

And, like McCain, he backed legislation to allow the country's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants to earn legal status. McCain has since changed his position to require the border to be secured before a path to citizenship is created.

"Certainly (Obama is) being very safe on controversial issues such as immigration," Calderon said. "When he's talking about it, he's talking about it in small settings. Sooner or later, I think in the debates, those issues are going to be brought up. I'm hoping there is no backtracking on it."

Some opponents of illegal immigration don't see much difference between McCain and Obama on the issue.

"Both of them recognize that their positions are significantly out of step with most of the voters, especially those in the center that they are trying to win over," said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors strict limits on immigration. "That's why they don't want to talk about it."
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