…keep on associating the party with anti-immigrant nativism. Thankfully, the president has always supported reasonable immigration reform, and so has California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of the biggest Republican winners in the debacle of 2006.
Take a look at these points in this Michael Medved column:
Regardless of the merits of the arguments on this issue, as a political strategy it flopped completely. Two of the most outspoken hardliners on the issue of illegals, Congressman J.D. Hayworth and one-issue radical Randy Graf, both got slaughtered by overwhelming margins in formerly Republican districts in Arizona—the state worst afflicted by the flood of unauthorized entrants. Arizona’s Democratic governor, who did demand more federal help for border security, drew denunciations from anti-immigration forces as a “squish†on the issue but won re-election with 63% of the vote. Arizona did pass several initiatives by overwhelming margins to take commonsense steps to deal with the flood of new arrivals– establishing English as the official language, banning law suits by illegals, denying state aid for illegals in higher education, and so forth – but these were rational, practical steps that all conservatives (and many moderates and liberals) could easily support.
On the other side of the issue, no prominent supporter of comprehensive immigration reform or earned legalization suffered the predicted dire consequences at the polls. The notion that immigration constituted a hot button concern that would mobilize millions for hard line Republicans, and punish their opponents at the poll, produced not a single example in all the House and Senate and governorship races. The most visible pro-immigrant Republican in the country, Arnold Schwarzenegger, also proved to be the most visible GOP success on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, the exit polling showed the devastating impact of the Republican association with immigrant-bashing. Of all the major groups in the population (with more than thirty identified by pollsters), none shifted as significantly, as disastrously from GOP support in 2004 to Democratic support in 2006 than Hispanics. Republicans lost 8% of their overall white-Anglo support, and maintained the same meager level of Afro-American support, but gave up a staggering 30% of the Hispanic support they labored so hard to win in 2004. Lop-sided Latino margins for Democrats proved decisive in numerous House and Senate races. Hispanics will comprise rapidly increasing segments of the American electorate. Any party that risks driving these people away en masse—alienating 30% of its prior supporters in just two years! – runs a very real risk of extinction.
I think political commentators are making a big mistake by not concentrating on this issue. The anti-immigrant fever that has ran through the Republican House in the last year is embarrassing for our country, against our historical tradition of being welcoming to immigrants and, in my opinion, uncharitable. And, now we find out it is also bad politics (it’s never a good idea to alienate the fastest-growing potential voting bloc).
Globally minded Republicans have, in my opinion, stood for progress, entrepeneurialism and respect for risk-takers. We welcome people who will bring new energy, a desire to work and patriotism. Immigrants have always done that for the United States.
I hope and pray we will reject this anti-immigrant fever by 2008. Otherwise, is “hello, President Hillary.”