Immigration Politics [Ramesh Ponnuru]


Jonathan Martin notes that Romney, Giuliani, and McCain all favor "some form of earned citizenship or guest worker status for illegal immigrants." Ryan Sager comments: "While the anti-immigration folks scream the loudest (see: Dobbs, Lou), immigration is an absolute non-issue in presidential elections, and even in most congressional elections. That's because immigration splits both parties, and even within each party, it's not actually a voting issue, despite all the sound and the fury. If there were a significant constituency prepared to vote just on immigration, Tom Tancredo would actually register in the polls. He doesn't." Pat Toomey said something similar in our radio appearance today.

Two quick comments: 1) My sense is that the pro-earned citizenship, pro-guest worker side of this debate has a much larger presence in the media debate over immigration than it has in the public at large. Even if it's true that the other side of the debate generates more talk than votes, it's much more true of the amnesty lobby. 2) Sounds as though Fred Thompson has an opening here.

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