Thread: John McCain: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico Could Be 'Up For

John McCain: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico Could Be 'Up For Grabs' In 2012

huffingtonpost.com
Elise Foley
First Posted: 12/ 4/11 10:39 AM ET
Updated: 12/ 4/11 11:01 AM ET



WASHINGTON -- Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Sunday that Republicans should tread carefully on the issue of immigration so they do not alienate Latino voters, adding that the party may be able to win in key southwestern states if they can appeal to Latinos.

"I think that the Republican party needs to discuss that issue in as humane a way as possible," he said on CNN's "State of the Union."

McCain acknowledged that the issue of immigration is important to many Latino candidates, which has been borne out by recent polling on the issue. Latino voters largely support some type of path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, according to a November poll from Univision and Latino Decisions.

In the same poll, a majority of voters said they believe Republicans who say the border must be secured before any type of immigration reform can proceed -- as nearly all of the GOP field has said -- are likely trying to delay this reform.

Still, McCain said Republicans may be able to win over Latinos by talking about the need for more border enforcement. McCain repeatedly said during his 2008 presidential campaign that he would secure the border; one of his commercials featured a clip in which he said the government should "complete the danged fence."

If Republicans continue to push border security and "humane" treatment of the undocumented, they could win in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas, he said.

"I view the Hispanic vote as up for grabs," he said. "I still believe that most Hispanics agree that we need to secure the border, if for the drugs."

He said he still opposes "amnesty," or paths to citizenship for the undocumented immigrants currently in the country.

"The fact is we do not want to encourage another flood of illegal immigrants by believing that if we can get across our border, they will therefore be home free," he said. "It's a careful balance of addressing this issue, which I think a majority of Hispanics would appreciate."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/0 ... 27931.html

"which I think a majority of Hispanics would appreciate."
Go back too bed...John. Theres only two groups..AMERICANS..
Then theres..ILLEGAL ALIENS...
Oh..How could I forget.. theres three..SLEAZY OBL RINO TRAITORS LIKE YOU..John..

Why do we need to "tread lightly" for simply believing in the rule of law and desire to stop ILLEGAL INVADERS Juan McCain?? If hispanics do not believe in the rule of law and stopping illegal invaders, then perhaps they should question their reasons for being in this country! I’m sick and tired of being told we must abandon our sovereignty and rule of law by some treasonous politician because it might “alienateâ€

I have never in my 21.5 year Military Carear seen such a Rotti Poo Sissy Boy when it comes to Illegal Aliens / Drug Cartels than this Simpleton

actually Simpleton is too mild a term for this traiterous fool and Hero my ass ... not many in the military calls this man a hero, its only in his own mind with dillusions of granduer

he needs to drag his goat smelling backside into the dust bins of history and save America from his embarressingly weak job performance

McCain: Hispanic vote 'up for grabs'

By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John McCain said Sunday that the potentially powerful Hispanic vote in the upcoming presidential election remains "up for grabs" because neither President Barack Obama nor Republicans have convinced these voters that they are on their side.

The one-time GOP presidential hopeful, whose own 2008 candidacy was shaped in part by immigration, said that large Hispanic populations in his home state of Arizona and elsewhere are listening carefully to what Republican candidates have to say on immigration and could become a "major factor" in 2012.

"I think that the Republican party has to discuss this issue in as humane way as possible," he said. He later added, "the enthusiasm on the part of Hispanics for President Obama is dramatically less than it was in 2008, because he has not fulfilled his campaign promises either. So I view the Hispanic vote up for grabs."

McCain comment, on CNN's "State of the Union," is a warning to the GOP primary candidates who have mostly embraced a hardline on immigration, lest they be accused of supporting any kind of "amnesty" for the some 12 million illegal immigrants estimated to be living in the U.S. Newt Gingrich was most recently attacked by his opponents for saying he would grant legal status to those with longstanding family and community ties; he has since endorsed a South Carolina law that allows police to demand a person's immigration status.

McCain said he believes the Hispanic vote could sway Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. The key, he said, was for Republicans to address immigration in a humane and pragmatic way that every voter could appreciate. More specifically, McCain said, GOP presidential candidates should find a way to address the status of illegal immigrants already in the country while finding a way to secure the border to deter others from crossing the border.

"It's a careful balance of addressing this issue, which I think the majority of Hispanics would appreciate. . . . We have to have empathy. We have to have concern. We have to have a plan," he said.

In 2008, McCain watched his own standing in the election suffer when he backed a plan to give some illegal immigrants an eventual path to citizenship.

Gingrich has challenged his GOP opponents to come up with their own plans for dealing with the millions inside the U.S. illegally.

"What is it that you're going to do? Are you really going to go in and advocate ripping people out of their families?" he said.

In 2008, Mitt Romney had supported the idea of allowing some illegal immigrants to sign up for permanent residency or citizenship. More recently, he has said it would be a "mistake" for the GOP to allow anyone to "jump ahead of the line" and characterized Gingrich's approach as a "doorway" to amnesty.

In the interview Sunday, McCain declined to comment on the position of individual candidates. "I respect the views of the voters," he said.

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