They Refuse To “Get It”
The cadre of Clintonistas known as Democracy Corps says that Democrats need to show that they ‘get it’ about immigration. Here’s one way they stressed that point:
We believe this is a progressive approach to illegal immigration that Democrats should embrace without apology. It combines acknowledgment of the problem, pragmatic and tough ideas to stem the flow of illegal immigration with a path to citizenship laden with the kinds of requirements that anyone should meet if they are to attain the honor of being an American citizen. This survey confirms the power of this approach with the electorate.
It’s impossible to believe that Democrats will get tough in solving this crisis when the budget bill just passed strips out the funding of the double-walled border fence in favor of a single fence. The double-walled fence worked magnificently in San Diego. It will work well elsewhere.
Another reason why it’s impossible to picture Democrats getting tough on securing the border is Ted Kennedy’s insistence that NCLR have veto power over any immigration legislation. NCLR is a fringe group that believes in open borders.
Anyone that thinks that Democrats will get tough on securing our border is engaged in wishful thinking. They aren’t basing their thoughts on anything substantive.
Here’s what Democracy Corps suggests candidates and incumbents do to show they “get it” about illegal immigration:
- Recognition of the problem: ‘get it.’ Candidates ignore the issue at their peril. It is essential to convey an appreciation that illegal immigration is out of control and needs to be addressed immediately and seriously. If leaders do not show their own frustration with the problem, they will not be heard on this issue and many others.
- Attack Bush for losing control of the problem. A strong critique of the Bush administration’s failure to address this issue shows that we understand the problem and empathize with voters’ frustration with the lack of leadership on this issue.
- Enforcement at both the border and with employers. Voters believe that controls at the borders and enforcement in the workplace have disappeared, allowing the problem to get out of control. They are particularly angry with companies that are looking for cheap labor, partially explaining why this is happening.
- Opposition to non-essential benefits. The public’s leading concern about illegal immigration is that the immigrants get access to non-essential government benefits at a time when government spending is squeezed and taxes are a burden. There is strong opposition to Medicaid, taxpayer-subsidized health care, for illegal immigrants. But they are also strongly opposed to drivers’ licenses, an implicit recognition of legal status and claim on benefits.
- Support for emergency health care and education. Most Americans accept access to emergency health care for illegal immigrants and education through high school for the children of illegal immigrants who are U.S. citizens.
- Positive views of new immigrants. Negative attitudes toward immigrants combine with a lot of respect, many in a new survey describing them as ‘hard working,’ ‘family-oriented’ and ‘trying to be good citizens.’ That creates an opening for an inclusive approach, based on America’s strength as an immigrant nation. There is strong support, for example, for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. military being able to win nearly immediate citizenship.
- Toward a solution: responsibility and a path to citizenship. A large majority of voters support a path to citizenship if we are serious about having to qualify for citizenship: expelling anyone who has committed a crime, others pay a fine and taxes, learn English, and get in the back of the queue. But if voters hear only the part about a path to citizenship without the responsibilities, they do not support this, and punish incumbent Democrats. But if Democrats ‘get it’ and are very serious about getting the problem under control, including benefits, their leaders can get support for solving this problem in ways consistent with our values.
It seems rather ridiculous to blame President Bush for not taking this problem seriously without Democrats getting caught in the crossfire, too. After all, Ted Kennedy helped write the bill that was seen as providing a path to citizenship first and enforcement of the border never. All of the Democratic presidential candidates thought highly of the ‘Grand Bargain’.
Democrats can rail all they want about President Bush but their record is clear. Democrats see the pathway to citizenship as their newest Democratic voter registration drive. That’s why they haven’t taken enforcing the border seriously.
Furthermore, it’s impossible to think that they’re serious when they cut funding the building of the border fence in half.
I’d further suggest that more people would agree with a pathway to normalization rather than a pathway to citizenship. I’d bet that the numbers would be overwhelmingly in favor or normalization than on citizenship.
The fact that they’re even talking about this subject indicates that they’re worried about the impact the immigration issue will have on the House races. That’s why candidates like Dick Day likely will push immigration against first term incumbents like Tim Walz.
Here’s an entirely laughable part of their report:
With the problem out of control, voters believe immigrants are taking more from the country than they give. The public feels this way when asked only about “immigrants,” not even “illegal immigrants.” The view that immigrants take more than they contribute is most pronounced among some key demographic segments, including senior citizens and men with no more than a high school education. In congressional battleground districts, a clear majority (54 to 36 percent) believes immigrants take more from the country than they give.
That leads almost 40 percent of the voters to say that “immigration is among the country’s biggest problems” and reject the idea that immigration does not rank with our top problems, like Iraq, health care and energy independence.
That first paragraph is code for “Those hicks and bigots don’t understand this immigration thing.” Who’s to say that they don’t understand things just fine? Perhaps it’s the Carville types that don’t put a high priority on our sovereignty that are causing the problem.
The second paragraph is utterly laughable. In this paragraph, they argue that health care and energy independence are more important than solving the immigration crisis. Earlier in their report, they argue that Democrats have to prove to people that they “get it” with regards to immigration. They also say that immigration is an issue that generates lots of passion with Democrats, Republicans and independents alike.
That’s because citizens understand just how important this issue is. This highlights why Democrats still don’t get it. It’s doubtful that they ever will.
Technorati Tags: Democrats, Immigration, Sovereignty, Dick Day, Tim Walz, Polling, Election 2008
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog
December 20th, 2007 at 6:16 am
What doublespeak! A “path to citizenship” doesn’t stem the flow of illegals, it increases it! Any reward, including the carrot of citizenship, will do that.
December 20th, 2007 at 9:10 am
The boomer generation types that wrote this crap don’t know what “toughness” means. No one has ever been tough with them except an occasional football coach or drill sargeant, and they have never had to BE tough with anybody.