Ramesh Ponnuru has a column in Time pondering
the Republicans' immigration dilemma, especially as it concerns the
Hispanic vote. Though a moderate immigration restrictionist
himself, he concludes, "Republicans have to offer Hispanics more
than a fence." It seems to me that the GOP itself is fenced in on
the issue. The Republicans who are the most welcoming of immigrants
also support immigration policies that undermine the cultural and
economic assimilation that would make them more likely to vote
Republican on a regular basis. The Republicans who support policies
that encourage assimilation too frequently sound like they are
merely hostile toward immigrants.
It isn't easy sound pro-immigrant while being pro-immigration
control in any serious sense, so perhaps it is unsurprising that
few Republicans have succeeded at doing so. Instead the GOP
immigration stalemate produces the worst of both possible worlds:
being perceived as hostile to immigrant groups without achieving
effective enforcement or assimilation. The GOP's McCain-Tancredo
good cop/bad cop routine essentially says, "Please come in, but we
really don't want you here."
topics:
Immigration
