How the Republican Party Just Screwed Itself

[NNN0LHI]

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/05/13/how-the-republican-party-just-screwed-itself/

Posted by digby at 10:00 am
May 13, 2010

By a two-to-one margin Hispanics are more strongly opposed than Americans overall to the recent immigration measure signed in to law in Arizona that would make it a state crime to reside there illegally.

Seven in 10, 70%, of Hispanic respondents said they are somewhat or strongly opposed to the law, compared with 34% of all respondents in the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll set for release later today.

Among Hispanics, 27% are somewhat or strongly supportive of Arizona’s law; that compares with 64%of respondents overall.

------------------------------------

The Republicans also have to be worrying just a little bit about the fact that this issue falls way down the list of the country’s biggest concerns. So, while 70% of my fellow freedom loving Americans may think it’s just ducky to racially profile and even treat legal immigrants (or people who just look like them) like second class citizens, most of them are unlikely to vote on that issue.

On the other hand, young Hispanic Americans are unlikely to ever forget it.

[mucifer]

1. Depends how many votes they can get from fear and hate. There are still far many more

non Hispanic voters than Hispanic voters and polls are showing Americans in general support the bill.

[NNN0LHI]

2. The question is how many people consider this issue at the top of their list of importance?

http://www.pollingreport.com/prioriti.htm

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). May 6-10, 2010. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.1.


"Let me list some issues that have been proposed for the federal government to address. Please tell me which one of these items you think should be the top priority for the federal government. " If more than one: "Well, if you had to choose just one, which do you think should be the top priority?"


Job creation and economic growth 35 .


The deficit and government spending 20 .


National security and terrorism 12 .


Health care 10 .


The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan 7 .


Immigration 7 .


Energy and the cost of gas 4 .


Other (vol.) 1 .


All equally (vol.) 3 .


None of these (vol.) 1

[mucifer]

3. Good point! Lets hope the voters can be sensible.

[NNN0LHI]

7. Most voters I know are pragmatic

I find a lot of voters who really want to get the "illegals" out of here.

But very few of them who are prepared to go out into the fields to replace them.

Don

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http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14911550

denver and the west

Colorado orchards try to hire locally, but workers aren't interested

By Nancy Lofholm
The Denver Post
Posted: 04/19/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
Updated: 04/19/2010 01:13:06 PM MDT

PALISADE — More than 300 local job-seekers have trooped into Talbott Farms' office this year to inquire about jobs in the orchards and vineyards.

Still, out in the fields, most of the workers doing the early thinning and spraying have come here on temporary guest-worker visas from Mexico.

It is not that Talbott and other growers don't want to hire fellow Americans hurting from extended unemployment. But many of those job-seekers aren't willing to tackle the tough, low- wage, long-hour farm labor.

"They miss a lot of work. They come when they want to come. They get bored," said Mario Moreno, a crew leader for Talbott.

[panzerfaust]

13. Exact: The illegals are here because they can get work. They get work, because people hire them.

Here in Texas, a couple of years ago if someone - rancher, contractor, cleaning service, homeowner, whatever - was looking for some cheap day-labor they didn't head down to the union hiring halls, they dropped by the parking lot of near'bout about any HomeDepot store ... do not think it would take long to find out where to go now.

The problem is not about "securing our borders" - that did not work, even in East Germany - the problem is that the Americans who hire the illegals do not suffer sufficient repercussions for doing so.

Similarly, the "Mexican Drug Smuggling" problem is not caused by Mexicans smuggling drugs - it is caused by Americans using illegal drugs.

Illegal Drugs: Another whole issue in itself...

In each case it is the symptom of the disease, rather than the disease itself, which is being defined as the problem. If you have a headache because of a leaking cerebral blood vessel, all the pain medicine or ancient medicinal herbs in the world are not going to save you.

[Scuba]

4. It would appear the wars are off the radar screen...

...we need a 60' Style Peace Movement!!!

[PCIntern]

5. As a Veteran of that Peace Movement,

there will be no large-scale movement without a Draft. Nixon's master stroke was ending the Draft...things just quieted down thereafter...

[Scuba]

10. Nailed it. I've posted exactly the same message several times.

Lots of folks don't seem to get that.

[socialist_n_TN]

11. Yep.

And that's why the antiwar efforts against the Bush ME incursions never amounted to much. The people doing the actual fighting were volunteers.

I remember that one of the MOST sensible arguments for NOT ending the draft back in the day was this very thing. Unpopular and even illegal wars would be easier to get away with by the powers that be if they were fought by an all volunteer force. Unfortunately, this argument has proven most prophetic. However, I STILL don't want a return to the draft unless it is an extreme emergency.

[underpants]

6. We both know that they are going to have a coordinated effort to block voting

they have been doing it actively since the Civil Rights movement days

AND they are really effective at it

They can clog up an entire voting precinct by just screaming "HE'S AN ILLEGAL!!" at one guy and dissuade everyone in line from voting.

Watch for that

[flyarm]

8. and the Dem's aren't? Never in my life did I ever think a Dem president would be pushing this MTF'er

Mr Magic Bullet himself..never did I ever think anyone would tell me as a dem to support this fucker!!

President Obama’s Campaign Arm Tries to Get Grass-Roots Democrats to Defeat Progressive Candidate Organizing for America, the former grass-roots campaign arm for President Obama’s 2008 campaign, is trying to rally supporters to phone bank and get out the vote in Pennsylvania for Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Penn., the former Republican locked in a tight primary race with a far more progressive Democrat, Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Penn.

Chris Bolling, the national volunteer coordinator for OFA, writes in an email that the “stakes of this election are high: ensuring that allies of the President are elected in the House and Senate to fight for change. So starting this weekend, through Tuesday's election, there will be phone banks for OFA volunteers in D.C. We'll call into Pennsylvania and encourage voters to support leaders who will fight for President Obama's vision for change.”

Specter, of course, supported the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and only became a Democrat when it became clear he would suffer an ignominious defeat in the GOP primary to former Rep. Pat Toomey, R-Penn. But the White House, needing Specter’s support for various parts of the president’s agenda, pledged to help him in his re-election.

But all that politics making strange bedfellows means that the president’s campaign arm is asking grass-roots progressives to vote for someone who until last year was a Republican to defeat Sestak, who is indubitably a more legitimate progressive.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/05/preside...

oooohhhhh but he has a D beside his name now....so it's okay.....

[RM33]

9. Republicans must hate Hispanics

First Republicans oppose Judge Sotomayor for the Supreme Court, then they pass laws that are against illegal.

Man, the Republicans just don't get it. Do they think they have a future as a white's only party?

[Motown_Johnny]

12. so the party supporting the view of 64% of respondents overall has screwed itself?

Good thing we are the ones supporting the views of the 34%. That helps us politically.



You do know that those responses from Hispanics are already in that overall number, don't you?



Yes, we need to get that F___ing law declared Unconstitutional, no doubt about it. That doesn't mean the (R)s won't gain votes because of it.