John Hickenlooper: 'My fellow Democratic candidates are falling for Trump's distractions. I'm not'

[brooklynite]

Miami Herald

The clashes over immigration in the presidential debates may make for good television, but they don’t make good policy. The way in which most of my competitors for the Democratic nomination have approached the issue of immigration is contrary to both common sense and the goal of achieving meaningful reform. This is an unfortunate pattern on a range of issues that, if continued, could hand the worst president in our nation’s history a second term in office.

A new term has been introduced into the popular lexicon. “Section 1325,” now one of the better known provisions of Title 8 of the U.S. Code, provides that unauthorized entry into the United States is a crime. Most of my fellow Democratic candidates for president have followed Julian Castro’s lead in saying that Section 1325 should be repealed. While their intentions for taking this position are admirable, their logic leaves much to be desired. This may be where the perspective of the only candidate in the race who has served as both a mayor and governor is different from that of a legislator.

Members of Congress deliver speeches and lend their names to legislation; governors have to deliver results and solve problems. It’s a fundamentally different approach. Senators and representatives measure their progress by “outputs” — bills filed or enacted, points scored in a debate. As governors, we define success differently, focusing on outcomes. And those outcomes almost always require a combination of policy, politics, relentless implementation and coalition building.

Let me discuss that last one, coalition building. Defining the important issue of immigration in terms of Section 1325 not only is largely a distraction, it also is counter-productive. It ignores the need to rally the majority of Americans who support a humane immigration policy around common-sense immigration reform.

[gordianot]

1. Then run for Senate John help narrow the field and stop waisting resources.

[bearsfootball516]

2. Then run for Senate, because you're currently polling at 0 percent.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

3. You're still in my bottom tier. That's being generous.