If the Democrats ever start listening to these guys, the GOP could be in trouble
I finally broke down and subscribed to The New Republic this week, which makes it the only website I've ever paid to access (and it does't even have pictures of naked women). They call themselves Democrats, but they're definitely on the far right side of that camp. I usually find myself reading their columns and thinking, man--if the Dems ever really listened to these guys, the Republicans would be in trouble.
There are some traps TNR still can't avoid, though, and one of them is the issue of illegal immigration. One of their contributors has an article up today about the Minutemen that is pretty evenhanded on the whole, but it still betrays the fatal flaw in the way the left approaches this issue(sorry, it's a pay article or I'd link to it). That flaw is conflating legal immigration with illegal immigration and assuming that attitudes toward one inform attitudes toward the other.
The Dems continue to get caught flat-footed on this because they insist on treating opposition to illegal immigration as opposition to legal immigration, which allows them to fall back on charges of xenophobia, racism, etc. On the other hand, the GOP hasn't done a good job of distinguishing their position either. There is a real opportunity for either side if they can wake up to this and get out ahead of it. The first side that really makes the case that you can be 100% pro-immigration but still favor something draconian like an Israeli-Palestinian-style wall on the southern border is going to be the winner. And the biggest cheerleaders are going to be legal immigrants.
Legal immigrants back strict enforcement of immigration law for the same reason doctors and lawyers nail people to the wall for practicing without a license. We need to hear more from them on this.
There are some traps TNR still can't avoid, though, and one of them is the issue of illegal immigration. One of their contributors has an article up today about the Minutemen that is pretty evenhanded on the whole, but it still betrays the fatal flaw in the way the left approaches this issue(sorry, it's a pay article or I'd link to it). That flaw is conflating legal immigration with illegal immigration and assuming that attitudes toward one inform attitudes toward the other.
The Dems continue to get caught flat-footed on this because they insist on treating opposition to illegal immigration as opposition to legal immigration, which allows them to fall back on charges of xenophobia, racism, etc. On the other hand, the GOP hasn't done a good job of distinguishing their position either. There is a real opportunity for either side if they can wake up to this and get out ahead of it. The first side that really makes the case that you can be 100% pro-immigration but still favor something draconian like an Israeli-Palestinian-style wall on the southern border is going to be the winner. And the biggest cheerleaders are going to be legal immigrants.
Legal immigrants back strict enforcement of immigration law for the same reason doctors and lawyers nail people to the wall for practicing without a license. We need to hear more from them on this.
posted by rattlerd | 5:17 PM
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