Quoting Robert Creamer on Arizona Immigration Law and Republican Politics
June 25, 2010 2 Comments
My choice of selective quotes this time is from an item in Huffington Post by Robert Creamer, progressive political strategist and activist. Though I do necessarily agree with all that is said, there is a link to my blog through the subject of giving in to radical policies by political parties out of expediency – in this case Republicans chosing to back radical knee jerk reactions to immigration issues, to get votes from ultra-conservatives in the South and the already hijacked Tea-Party Movement. As is my policy, please read the entire item via the above link to ensure full context (and not just my own points) and I give full acknowledgement to the author (Creamer).
The passage of the Arizona “papers, please” anti-immigration law has forced Republican politicians around the country into a political box canyon that does not offer an easy escape. For fear of offending the emergent Tea Party – and other anti-immigrant zealots in their own base — they are precipitating a massive realignment of Latino voters nationwide.
According to data released by Public Policy Polling (PPP), Texas Governor Rick Perry has lost his early lead over Democratic challenger Bill White and the race is now tied.
The punditry sometimes forgets that in politics intensity is often just as important as poll percentages. For many Hispanic voters, the Arizona immigration law is an insult. It is an attack on their very identity. And it is certainly a litmus test that tells a Hispanic voter whether or not a political candidate is on their side – the critical threshold test of voter decision making.
The same is simply not true for non-Hispanic voters. As a result, by allowing the Party to be defined by the anti-immigrant zealots – and refusing to lift a finger to pass comprehensive immigration reform in Congress – the Republicans are playing with political fire.
In fact, given the fact that Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the American electorate, the Republicans are playing with permanent marginality.
If a surge of anti-Republican Hispanic voters destroys the careers of enough politicians who thought that pandering to anti-immigrant fear was good politics, the whole political narrative about immigration reform will change.
Watch for big sections of the Republican establishment to fall all over themselves to make amends to the rising tide of Latino voters, soon after the elections. But in all likelihood it will be very difficult to get the anti-immigrant toothpaste back into the tube.
If it continues to pursue its current course, the Republican Party may find that it loses another ethnic minority the same way it lost African Americans two generations ago. African Americans recall, were a solid part of the Republican base from the Civil War through the early part of the 20th Century. Roosevelt’s New Deal began to change that. The civil rights revolution and the Republican “Southern Strategy” completed it. Now 92% to 95% of African Americans vote Democratic. The problem is that you can only get shut out of a couple of minorities and before you know it, you are no longer competitive with the majority of Americans.
About donny2811
Blootstellen 
Well where to begin…. First, I suppose would be to talk about the Huffington Post. I can not tell you how anti-American and pro-Socialist agenda they print and report on a daily basis. All under the guise of “progressive”. If you just follow the term progressive throughout history you will certainly see it’s connection to Communism and Socialism. It has gone under several names … including those already mentioned and the addition of liberal. A quick review of political sciences will show that all of these (which are actually the same) are completely contrary to what America was founded upon and envisioned to prevail as – aka The American Dream. Nevertheless, moving on to the other point on illegal immigration and it’s resulting political initiatives. There is absolutely no doubt that the left, leaning liberals are just in the comprehensive immigration reform area to bolster their voting base. As is known Democrats in this country are all about welfare statist ideals and making everything equal (ie Socialism) so the addition of 12-20M illegals to their rolls would secure their future in the political arena. I would also like to state that studies show a vast majority (sorry don’t have the numbers at my fingertips right now) of the illegals in this country are already taking part (nay exploiting) our welfare system and government hand-out programs. But let’s talk about the “box canyon” mentioned in the article. The Arizona law has been widely reported by left, centrist and right leaning media outlets as having overwhelming support from the American people. The latest numbers I have heard peg support for at around 70% in Arizona alone. Understanding that Arizona has a majority Hispanic population it is safe to assume that 70% included a majority of Hispanics stating the legislation is a good thing. However, the left propaganda machine is strong and far reaching (as is the Israeli propaganda system) and has led so many people to believe that is it just a racial profiling, papers please law. In reality — if these people were to actually read the bill — it is less intrusive than the current Federal laws; which are indeed proponents of racial profiling because the Fed law does not include the need to have a legal stop made prior to asking for proper identification. That being said, Mexico itself has far worse immigration laws and enforcement than anything in America and therefore their attempts to speak bad about the law or (as of a couple of days ago join in a court case against) can only be viewed as a feeble attempt to keep the flow of US dollars from the illegals in the US… as their economy which is already about to collapse would surly fail without the illegals remittances. That notwithstanding the Mexican government works quite hard to get it’s citizens in this country by providing government offices to provide fake, forged documents perpetuating the identity theft industry. Next, poll numbers are not really the issue either as is evident with those held by Jan Brewer (Arizona’s governor) since the passage of the legislation. Also, here in Florida there are numbers being gained on a daily basis by those stepping up in support of the Arizona law … so I disagree with that point. In closing, the Arizona law is exactly like the Federal law but less on the racial profiling part. The problem is the Federal government is so pandering to get the additional Hispanic voting base that they refuse to enforce the laws … just recently our Secretary of Labor did a PSA advising any illegals employed in the US to call her if they were not at least being paid the minimum wage … outrageous when you consider it is illegal to hire anyone that can not legally work in the US to begin with. The Arizona law is a good thing and a result of not action by the Federal government with several other states taking steps to enact similar legislation.
Actually I am quite aware of the left leaning Huffington Post. I am selective of whom I post, only based on the links to the theme of Blootstellen and if I support them. There are many that I simply avoid. You will see often Huffington Post items becaue as left as they are (and I am centre-right), they have a number of well spoken issue-based items in it, which unfortunately I have not seen so much from the conservative/right media. I blame that because at present I believe the right to be more radicalized than the left.
I agree with some of the sentiment you give and I never take interest in poll figures and statistics unless it is part of a well developed study, that usually never happens.
Do remember one thing in regards to these “Quotes” that I post, unless you see my saying I agree with all or a certain part, I post them because they are “on topic” for Blootstellen and there to raise interesting questions, and provoke discussion and comments. Thus in the case of your statement above, it has done so.
Thanks for the imput.
Donny