Immigration Reform Surprise: Hard-Liners Lost, Pragmatists Won
Bookstore

Estrellita se despide de su isla/Estrellita Says Good-bye to Her Island

Published by New American Media, 11/10/06
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/vi ... 13ceb762c5

New America Media , Opinion-Analysis, Frank Sharry, Nov 09, 2006

Editor's Note: Immigration restrictionists lost badly in the midterms, sending a message in favor of sober, pragmatic reforms that officials must heed, writes Frank Sharry, executive director of the Washington-based National Immigration Forum. IMMIGRATION MATTERS regularly features the views of the nation's leading immigrant rights advocates.

In the months leading up to Tuesday's election, the conventional wisdom in Washington, D.C., was that immigration would be a powerful wedge issue that would help the Republicans either limit their losses or even retain control of the House of Representatives.

The argument went something like this: "Immigration will prove to be the gay marriage issue of 2006. Blocking comprehensive immigration reform and approving a 700-mile fence will bring out the GOP base, draw support from conservative Democratic voters, and give Republican candidates some distance from an unpopular president on a controversial issue."

Congressman Brian Bilbray of California made just such a claim when he came to Washington, D.C., after winning a special election earlier this year to replace the disgraced and jailed Randy Cunningham. The mainstream press and the me-too political class bought it hook, line and sinker.

Not surprisingly, many candidates followed this logic, either out of opportunism or conviction. And how exactly did these candidates fare? Judge for yourself.