Republicans really have a problem when discussing illegal immigration. They range from the Bush/Rove amnesty for all position to the Tancredo Hispanophobe position. The reason for this is because the Progressive wing of the GOP views illegals as cheap labor and the Nativist wing ignorantly view Hispanics as non Western. This myopic view is caused by the fact Progressives have eliminated 150 years from world history by covering up the achievements and existence of the Spanish Empire. An example of this is the fact that many Americans view the Battle of Lepanto as a European victory, when it was an Imperial Spanish victory. As such, many Americans don’t understand that Hispanics are a part of Western Civilization just as others groups that immigrated to the United States or that they are related culturally and ethnically to Italians. Rather than be treated as just another Catholic immigrant group the Left, through La Raza, has turned them into a victim group. This in return has caused some Conservatives to hate Hispanics and not want them in America. No one discusses the illegal Russians in NY, illegal Irish in Boston or illegal Polish in Chicago. In short, what should be strictly a legal and fairness issue, has been turned into a cultural/racial issue. This is the trap Progressives have laid out and too many Republicans have fallen for it.
Last Tuesday night was a historic night for Hispanic Republicans with the victories of Rubio, Martinez, Sandoval and many others. These candidates didn’t run on Compassionate Conservative style amnesty nor on ignorant Nativism, they ran on legality and fairness. Coming from their ethnic backgrounds, they know the majority of legal Hispanics resent the fact the illegals are being rewarded for breaking the law. The legals had to jump through hoops to get here since US Immigration policies post 9/11 favors immigrants from Islamic nations. These candidates won their elections and the Left was unable to use the illegal immigration issue as a club against them. Contrast this with Angle in Nevada and Buck in Colorado who who turned this issue into some cultural invasion with xenophobic arguments. They lost in part because Hispanics voted against them since those two campaigns were portraying all Hispanics as illegal criminals. This is a mistake made by too many Republicans and something they need to correct going into 2012.
When it comes to Hispanic voters, last week’s elections were a tale of two results for Republicans. On one level, the GOP can take pride in the fact that 31% of all Hispanic members of Congress are now in their party. But on another level, the overwhelming Democratic advantage among Hispanics helped cost the GOP key Senate seats in Nevada, Colorado and California.
[…]
But Hispanic voters also powered the come-from-behind victories of two Democratic Senators. Hispanics accounted for 14% of the electorate in Nevada, up from 12% in the last midterm election of 2006. The two-to-one advantage they gave Majority Leader Harry Reid allowed him to win by a surprising 50% to 45% margin. In Colorado, Hispanic voters made up 13% of the vote, up from only 9% four years ago. Their big margin in favor of Democratic Senator Michael Bennet helped him pull off a come-from-behind victory.
[…]
Going forward, Republicans know that hardline immigration positions seen as insensitive to Hispanics can cost them votes among a growing share of the electorate. On the other hand, candidates can talk tough on immigration and still do well with Hispanic voters if they can convincingly promote a message of economic opportunity.
Read the rest: Rubio Republicans
Marco Rubio is the template of how Republicans can argue the illegal issue and still appeal to Hispanics. Make it one of legality and fairness to those who immigrated correctly. In short, turn the illegal issue on its head and use it to turn the legal Hispanics against the illegal Hispanics. Also, acknowledge that it is not just illegal Hispanics that are the issue, there are also people from other parts of the world who overstay their visas. This is a winning issue and one that can resonate with Americans of Spanish origins if argued correctly. It’s not fair that people who have to wait 10-15 years in order to get an immigration visa since they are from a non Islamic country to reward those who just cross the border or over stay their visas. Turn this issue into a liability for Progressives and use it as a club against them.
