Comments on Immigration Alienate Some Hispanics (and concern some Republicans)

[alp227]

Source: NYT

Today, Republican candidates are competing over who can talk the toughest about illegal immigration — who will erect the most impenetrable border defense; who will turn off “magnets” like college tuition benefits.

But after such pointed proposals heated up yet another Republican debate, on Tuesday night, some party officials see a yellow light signaling danger in battleground states with large Hispanic populations in November 2012. Will Hispanic voters remember and punish the eventual Republican nominee?

“The discussion of creating electrified fences from sea to sea is neither prudent nor helpful,” said Ryan Call, chairman of the Republican Party of Colorado, where Hispanics cast 13 percent of votes in 2008 and helped President Obama flip the state to blue. “They’re throwing red meat around in an attempt to mollify a particular aspect of the Republican base.”

Besides Colorado, Mr. Obama cemented his victory in part by carrying three other swing states with large Hispanic voting populations: Florida, Nevada and New Mexico.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/20/us/politics/immigration-talk-turns-off-some-hispanics.html

[pampango]

1. "an attempt to mollify a particular aspect of the Republican base" - Would that be the aspect that

wears pointy hats and wants "their" country back from Hispanics (among many others)? ;)

[No Elephants]

2. Or Pat "I'm not a xenophobe" Buchanan

[Tansy_Gold]

3. I think it's interesting that the GOP candidates court their base

regardless how far out in the right field bleachers they may be. The Dems, on the other hand, tend to ignore their base an doften court the same addled morons who have been sitting in the sun and drinking beer (or kool-aid) too long.



TG