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Fear of the Year
Gays, pro-choicers and the liberal elite can relax. The Republicans have found their domestic target for ’08 and, from all indications in New Hampshire, it is now illegal immigrants who are threatening the very fabric of American society.
“It’s becoming a litmus test of how conservative you are,” according to a professor of political science quoted by the McClatchy newspapers. “Absolutely an important issue,” confirms the director of the University of New Hampshire’s Granite State Poll.
Following the Karl Rove playbook, GOP contenders are reaching a consensus on this election’s objects of fear and loathing for their Base. Rudy Giuliani, Mr. 9/11, has the franchise on external threats–terrorists and, coming up strong on the outside rail, Iran.
But fear-mongering the domestic dangers is up for grabs. Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson want to withhold federal money from cities and states that don’t report illegal aliens, toughen border security and speed up the process of deporting them. Duncan Hunter wants to double the fence to keep them out, and Tom Tancredo may soon up the ante with a proposal to nuke them.
Even Mike Huckabee has swerved from his Golden Rule approach to take swipes at the target. “We need to make it clear,” he told the Values Voters, “that we will say no to amnesty, and no to sanctuary cities, and no to the idea that there can be some complete ignoring of the fact that our laws have been broken.”
Only John McCain, who made the mistake of straight talk on the issue, is not benefiting from the wave of Lou Dobbsian outrage over the threat from people who mow America’s lawns and wash dishes in restaurants.
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of such strangers?
Cross-posted from my blog.
8 Responses to “Fear of the Year”
Unfortunately, even Straub (IIRC) writes better entries along these lines. This post fails to note all the negative impacts of massive illegal activity, pretending that concern about this issue is just “fear-mongering”. Compare the bit above about Huck to the backstory. Smell the chicken grease.
[...] Clark Fear of the Year » This Summary is from an article posted at The Moderate Voice » Domestic and international news [...]
Of course, if the Democratic Party was really serious about the environment, crowding, traffic, public education, improving healthcare, improving education, and improving the standard of living that blue collar Americans they would be more nativist that the Republican party.
However, if the Democratic Party was about expanding government jobs, increasing the demand for government services, and ensuring that middle class whites have zero political influence, they would support open borders and unlimited immigration.
When you look at a politicians stance of immigration, it reflects their views of many other issues.
That we have an illegal immigrant problem there is no doubt.
With this, like so many problems, Republicans just find someone to hate and someone to blame and someone to punish. Unfortunately, they don’t take the next step and actually look for ways to manage the problem, let alone solve it.
Nothing in what they say will make the illegal immigrants disappear. All they offer is a lot of posturing, with no realistic suggestions for how to handle the situation.
Build a fance? Let them look on the map and measure our borders, sea nd land.
Deport everyone? Let them raise the money to do it.
Detain everyone? Let them raise the money for the facilities and personnel.
If their wildest dreams were to come true, however,
then they’d have to start doing the jobs the illegals do, for the same wages the illegals get.
They love an economy with an undepaid undercass. They’d have to start filling the empry slots they will be creating..
I’m just waiting for one of them to start talking about having a war with Mecico.
So true.
What did Republicans do when they controlled the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives?
Nothing.
It’s just like the war. Rhetoric over everything.
Of course, the last thing they want to do is actually handle the situation. Theres no traction in demogauging a situation that no longer exists.
This highlights that when Republicans have no real accomplishments or positive vision to run on, they rely on scapegoating a population that can never hit back. In order to win power for the sake of power alone, they are happy to whip American citizens into a frenzy-without offering a workable solution to a frustrating,complex problem. Illegal immigration serves to distract the fickle public from their own corruption scandals and dismal record in Congress.
This highlights that when Republicans have no real accomplishments or positive vision to run on, they rely on scapegoating a population that can never hit back. In order to win power for the sake of power alone, they are happy to whip American citizens into a frenzy-without offering a workable solution to a frustrating,complex problem. Illegal immigration serves to distract the fickle public from their own corruption scandals and dismal record in Congress.