Thread: GA - Immigration a losing issue for Democrats

Posted: July 1, 2012 - 12:02am
By Barry L. Paschal
The Columbia County News-Times

It’s probably a sign of the poverty of Georgia’s Democratic Party that, when President Obama was in Atlanta this past week, he had to eat at the Varsity and pay out of his own pocket.

They couldn’t even take the man out for a decent meal, for crying out loud.

Seriously, the state’s Democrats have been struggling with fundraising for quite some time, as has the national party, which this past week said it was reorganizing its upcoming Charlotte, N.C., convention – a move designed to cut costs.

But lack of money also is a sign of a poverty of ideas.

Exhibit A: After the disappointing verdict from the U.S. Supreme Court this past week striking down most of Arizona’s immigration law, Georgia’s House Democratic Caucus complained that the entire law wasn’t thrown out.

Do they really think Georgians even remotely agree with them?

Most of Georgia is conservative, as evidenced by the electorate’s general (if sometimes misguided) support for Republican candidates. Conservatives also are pretty consistent in opposing illegal immigration and supporting the rule of law.

It seems likely to me, then, that most Georgians would be disappointed that the Supreme Court didn’t allow Arizona full enforcement of immigration law within their own borders.

We’ll know for sure once Georgia’s similar immigration law goes through court challenges. Attorney General Sam Olens seems confident the law will survive.

Either way, the Georgia House Democratic Caucus pledges to continue opposing the state’s law. “This isn’t over in the courts by any stretch, and we’ll continue fighting in Georgia to repeal (House Bill) 87,” said state Rep. Pedro Marin.

Great idea – if Democrats want to keep losing.

Meanwhile, virtually every Republican office-holder and candidate sent out press releases within minutes of the more-disappointing Obamacare decision by the Supreme Court. All oppose the ruling and promise to repeal the law.

Repeal would require Republicans to retake the presidency and the Senate, and to hang on to the U.S. House. Thursday’s surprising ruling made that outcome a lot more likely.

That explains, then, why the virtual blizzard of Republican press releases was followed by silence at first from Democrats, who then started trickling out emails offering meek cheers for Obamacare.

Why so hesitant? My guess is that they’d braced for Obamacare to be struck down, and had prepared press releases to use it as a rallying cry in November. They weren’t ready to get their way, and had to rewrite all their announcements with the realization that the ruling means they’re doomed.

In the end, the heartburn they’ll get from the court is a lot worse than Obama undoubtedly got from that Varsity hotdog.

Barry L. Paschal is publisher of The Columbia County News-Times.

Immigration a losing issue for Democrats | Columbia County News-Times

I hope the remaining 49 states feel the same way. They should.