BUT IS IT?
By FITSNEWS || An establishment “Republican” activist in South Carolina – and former staffer to uber-liberal U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham – believes the GOP’s ticket to victory in 2016 is immigration reform.
And he wants all of the “First in the South” presidential primary contenders beating a path to the Palmetto State to know it …
“(The) GOP can recover the Hispanic vote in 2016 through immigration reform,” consultant Shell Suber wrote in an email to several Palmetto politicos obtained by FITS.
Suber’s email included the results of a poll conducted by The Partnership for a New American Economy – a group that’s advocating on behalf of immigration reform.
Of interest? Suber’s missive was sent out less than twenty-four hours after S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson announced South Carolina’s participation in a lawsuit against U.S. President Barack Obama over his administration’s recently announced executive actions on immigration.
Like Haley and Wilson, we oppose Obama’s actions … not necessarily because of their substance, but because of the way he is attempting to get at the issue. Seriously … you can’t create and fund new programs or change statutory law just because you’re upset Congress hasn’t done what you want.
Even Saturday Night Live gets that …
This website has never pandered to the far right on the immigration issue. And we’ve never believed in mass deportations. Our views – addressed extensively in this column – err toward pathways to status, not citizenship. Which means we’re pretty much “centrists” on the issue.
Having said that, before any action is taking to deal with the status of the 13 million or so undocumented immigrants (a.k.a. “illegal aliens”) currently residing in America – the spigot must first be turned off.
“The security of America’s borders is a core function of government – one that’s been neglected as Washington’s welfare and warfare states (and crony capitalism, eco-radicalism and regulatory terrorism) have spiraled out of control,” we wrote recently. “Why not stop subsidizing millions of things government shouldn’t be doing and start spending tax dollars on one of the handful of things it should be doing?”
Anyway …
None of that matters to these political animals. They’re looking exclusively for issues that “move numbers,” and they believe immigration is one of them.
But are they correct?
“Fifty-six percent of Hispanic voters in swing states would be less likely to vote for a Presidential candidate who opposes a path to citizenship or legal status, compared to just 16 percent who would be more likely to vote for such a candidate,” the pollsters noted.
That’s their primary selling point … well, that and the cavernous hole in which the GOP currently finds itself with Hispanic voters.
The poll found Democrats enjoying a 52-28 percent advantage over “Republicans” on a generic 2016 presidential ballot – and found presumed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton enjoying wide margins of support among Hispanic voters over her potential GOP rivals. Specifically, her margin of victory ranged from 33 percent (over Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio) to over 40 percent (over Ted Cruz and Rick Perry).
But is pandering on immigration the way to eat into those margins?
Of interest, the poll also found that Hispanics chose “jobs and the economy” as the most important issue on their radar – trumping immigration by more than a two-to-one margin (37 percent to 14 percent).
That tells us Hispanics (and blacks, and whites) are ready to embrace a free market agenda … and aren’t as monolithic on the immigration issue as some suggest.
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18 comments
Shell is just a paid political hack. He doesn’t give a damn about immigration reform but his wallet and Chip’s big head do.
You are right about the paid part. Probably the hack part, too. But I really do care about immigration. Our current system really IS broke (does anyone really disagree with that?) and so far Congress has done nothing. That’s not an answer our state, nation, or economy can live with.
There needs to be an immigrant exchange program.Americans should be given the Citizenship test;unexpectedly,like a pop quiz,and if they fail,they’re deported and an immigrant is allowed in.This will eventually result in a land of immigrants.Same as it ever was.
Uh … So that’s what those FEMA camps are for. Holding tanks for the disenfranchised.
“I’m shocked … Shocked …” “… round up the usual suspects.”
“Of interest, the poll also found that Hispanics chose “jobs and the economy” as the most important issue on their radar – trumping immigration by more than a two-to-one margin (37 percent to 14 percent).
That tells us Hispanics (and blacks, and whites) are ready to embrace a free market agenda…”
A poll by the PewResearch Hispanic Trends Project found that Hispanics favor raising the Federal minimum wage from $7.25/hr. to $10.10/hr. by more than six-to-one (84% Favor/13% Oppose). Government mandating wages doesn’t sound very free market.
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2014/10/16/latino-voters-and-the-2014-midterm-elections/ph-2014-10-latino-voters-2014-midterm-election-00-05/
“IMMIGRATION KEY TO 2016 “REPUBLICAN” REVIVAL”
Road Apples. “It’s the economy, stupid!”
I didn’t see your comment before I made mine. “It’s the economy, stupid!” JOBS, INCOMES!
See, this is yet another example of some otherwise valid points getting lost in an article because you say something as patently ridiculous as “uber-liberal U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham” in the first freaking sentence. No one thinks he’s some arch-conservative or anything, but to say he’s uber-liberal is just silliness from the political fringe.
I’ve gotten so use to it. I didn’t notice.
Here is why Congress WILL pass immigration
reform with a pathway to citizenship.
If the election ends up being Jeb Bush versus Hillary Clinton, and we look at
Blue States, Hillary starts off with 264 electoral votes. Day one, out of the
box. That’s just six electoral votes short of victory. Jeb starts out with 182.
That means he needs to come up with 90 electoral votes, spread out over these
key states – NM, FL, CO, VA, IA, OH and NC.
That’s seven states and he has to sweep them all. Every one of them. He can’t
loss a single one. Hillary needs to carry just one that has more than 5 electoral
votes (that’s NM). Let’s see if common sense tells us how many hispanic voters
are in those states. FL – no brainer. Colorado – already enough to turn the
state, and growing. NC has a large Latino population in both Charlotte and
Raliegh. VA – well – drive out to Herndon. And the present polling suggests
that if Hillary supports the Executive Order – she’ll have 85% support amoung
Latino voters. Even if Bush can double the remaining 15% to 30%, he ends up
short. So you see, it’s decision time for the GOP. Do you want to be
competitive in 2016 or not. If you don’t – keep up this fight. If you do, pass
reform. The gun is now finally at your head. You can select to pull it back and
put it down, or pull the trigger. Choice is Boehners and McConnell’s. What
shall they select?…
And let’s be clear – the crazies in the GOP are the ones who put the gun up against their head.
Here is why Congress WILL pass immigration
reform with a pathway to citizenship.
If the election ends up being Jeb Bush versus Hillary Clinton, and we look at
Blue States, Hillary starts off with 264 electoral votes. Day one, out of the
box. That’s just six electoral votes short of victory. Jeb starts out with 182.
That means he needs to come up with 90 electoral votes, spread out over these
key states – NM, FL, CO, VA, IA, OH and NC.
That’s seven states and he has to sweep them all. Every one of them. He can’t
loss a single one. Hillary needs to carry just one that has more than 5 electoral
votes (that’s NM). Let’s see if common sense tells us how many hispanic voters
are in those states. FL – no brainer. Colorado – already enough to turn the
state, and growing. NC has a large Latino population in both Charlotte and
Raliegh. VA – well – drive out to Herndon. And the present polling suggests
that if Hillary supports the Executive Order – she’ll have 85% support amoung
Latino voters. Even if Bush can double the remaining 15% to 30%, he ends up
short. So you see, it’s decision time for the GOP. Do you want to be
competitive in 2016 or not. If you don’t – keep up this fight. If you do, pass
reform. The gun is now finally at your head. You can select to pull it back and
put it down, or pull the trigger. Choice is Boehners and McConnell’s. What
shall they select?
Here is why many in Congress could possibly end up shot by millions of angry voters >>>> Voters this past November sent a very strong message that they are totally opposed to any form of amnesty. This is the sole reason the democrats have lost control of the US Senate. Its been alllllllll over the internet, beginning in the months before the elections – and still all over the internet, even today in recent blogs, media.
Because you can believe everything you read on the Internet. Well, gotta go, have a date with a French model.
Psychiatrist have chimed in, saying politicians like Graham (who are pro illegal) are cuckoo.
It’s the economy, stupid.
The republicans will continue to do nothing. Can anyone name one thing the republicans have done on the national level besides shutdown the government, hold pointless hearings and making toothless threats?
Whatever the true issue really is that holds the key to winning the WH, I’m about 95% sure the Republicans will crap the bed on it. Most likely they will concentrate on some other issue to successfully alienate a vast segment of the population, leaving us with Chankles as the next President.