Last night, I followed a long personal habit of not watching the president speak. One brought up on Reagan simply cannot digest the devolution into Bush II.
However, I have read about it and it sounds as though the president has not come out with any wonderfully direct solution to the problem of illegal immigration. I'm a little surprised because his pink lemonade speech comes at a time when politicians all over the country are getting religion over immigration. Why? Because it is a simple issue and regular Americans don't like illegal immigration in large numbers. Somehow, the controversy has reached its tipping point and public attention is more focused on immigration that any other matter.
Where this leaves us is in Ross Perot territory. Perot really got himself in the game in '92 by being the one person speaking seriously about the national debt. Illegal immigration has become a much bigger issue than the national debt was in the late '80's and early 90's. If the right politician were to make illegal immigration the centerpiece of a campaign, I think he/she would have a tremendous chance of winning all the cookies in 2008.
Am I wrong?
4 comments:
It's my view (observation, more like) that although illegal immigration polls well as an issue, it has never reached that center of gravity where it can really propel a candidate for national office.
If the right politician were to make illegal immigration the centerpiece of a campaign, I think he/she would have a tremendous chance of winning all the cookies in 2008.
Agreed! America is starting to realize the gravity of the situation.
I have to disagree that illegal immigration is a simple issue. If it were, a simple solution would have presented itself. There isn't one. The president's first plan, if it could be called such, was actually a pretty good one. This whole militarizing the borders thing just isn't going to fly. There's a reason why emergency rooms got emails from Medicare and Medicaid about federal funds for reimbursing the cost of treatment of injured illegals on the same day as his speech.
James, I don't mean it's an easy issue to solve. What I'm trying to say is that it appears simple to the average person.
A. It is against the law to enter the country without going through a certain process.
B. Millions of people are entering without paying any attention to the process.
C. The result is lost tax dollars, burden on social services, and a gov't that doesn't know anything about lots and lots of people living in the interior.
D. The blue collar class is feeling the squeeze on their paycheck because they are competing with much cheaper labor right here.
E. Simple answer: Stop 'em. Whatever it takes.
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