How About the Conservatives Learning Something from McCain?
The illegal immigration issue is key. Firebrands are heated and looking for the candidates to get tough, but the reality is that there is nothing conservative about a focus on the illegal employees as opposed to going after the illegal
employers. One might argue that pressure on employers represents a more feasible and practical approach.
The fact is that until critical mass, this problem was not much of a problem for politicians on either side of the border and that the same sort of grass-roots pressure that was required to force the issue also fosters a certain amount of racist expression. There is no benefit to the GOP if this taint is put on it. Not only is the Latino bloc in play, but there are plenty of other voters who are put off by the scapegoat rhetoric. (Pete Wilson’s ‘brown tide’ comment comes to mind.)
The left has pressure from labor which forces movement on their side as well, but it appears that they have avoided the sort of language that will leave a racist flavor lingering in voters minds.
This problem needs to be addressed, but suggestions such as deporting so-called “anchor babies” are absurd in the extreme and the firebrands need to be quenched. At least Rush and the folks who are born to run things ought to understand how this one issue will help McCain and the Democrats.
