Thread: The Border and the Ballot Box

March 2, 2008
Counting Heads
The Border and the Ballot Box

By DAVID LEONHARDT

ON June 7 of last year, a bill to overhaul the nation’s immigration system — a bill supported by President Bush and the Democratic leaders of Congress — died in the Senate. It died mostly because of grass-roots opposition, and its downfall appeared to serve as an announcement of the issue’s new political potency. For much of 2007, immigration seemed certain to play a dominant role in the 2008 presidential campaign.

After the bill failed, Senator John McCain, the early Republican front-runner whose championing of the bill had made him look soft on illegal immigration, faded in the polls. The new Republican front-runners, Rudolph W. Giuliani and Mitt Romney, were trading accusations over who had been nicer to illegal immigrants in the past. “It’s been wonderful,â€

Trying to sell us snake oil....we aren't buying. The MSM and voter fraud is the reason we have the current "front runners".
In an economic slowdown, does it make sense to add to our numbers?/

He forgets to mention the hundreds of illegal immirgration bills being introduced and passed in all 50 states.

Same old song and dance. Absolutely riddled with biased propaganda.

The article refuses to acknowledge the fact that past immigration waves were done in a legal manner, whereas the present immigration wave is largely done in an illegal manner.

The term nativist is used only with a negative connotation behind it. Nativsm could be viewed as a positive force, but is not. Nativist sentiments do also send a clear message that it is in one's best interest as a legal immigrant too become Amercanized as quickly as possible. Learn the language, learn the norms of the society in which you chose to become a part of, to become American!

Italians did not demand of our government to educate their kids in the tongue of their former land. Nor did the Germans, Polish or any other ethnic group. Whilst it is true that the native tongue was spoken in the home of immigrants of the past, it is also true that the immigrants demanded not only of their children, but also of themselves to learn the language of their new home, English.

Past immigrants also did not reserve citizenship in their former lands. Calderon just stated during his tour across America that "where there are Mexicans there is Mexico." Mexicans know they have dual citizenship. Where does one's alligence lie?

The article says nothing concerning the size of past immigration waves, which were legal, and how the wave of immigration did, or did not change the demographics of America. The Hispanic block has just surpassed the African American block to become the larger minority block. How many illegal immigrants are included in that block that has just surpassed the African-American block? The African-American block has been surpassed by allowing illegal immigration to replace them as the largest minority. ( Just for the record I do not support a hyphenated America. This divisive tactic is however present, and needs to be dealt with. JMHO. Then we could deal with legal or illegal immigration in a fair and honest manner. You are either an American, or you are a legal immigrant trying to become a American. Illegal would be just that, ILLEGAL!)

The article says nothing about the pandering of present day politicians towards a POTENTIAL voting block that at present is ILLEGAL! Sure the pandering during past waves of immigration occured, however they were pandering too legal Americans! More localized in scope also, not to the degree that we see now, nationally.

The article talks about a backlash in which John McCain gains a lead in our Republican Primaries. McCain hedged his bet with money and corporate interest, not individual voters, thereby remaining viable whilst other canidates felt compelled to leave the race due to a lack of funds, and the cross over voters that push McCain forward, coupled with a MSM that further enforced a McCain nomination. McCain marches to the beat of corporate interests, interests which cannot on their own vote. Big money has pushed McCain through the backdoor of the process leaving the American individual with little to do but support McCain. Hardly a backlash from individual American voters, closer to a Manchurian canidate. Politically brilliant, however no backlash is needed as the article attempts to state.

Lousy reporting IMHO.