Thursday, November 13, 2008
Immigration Immigrant Vote Critical in Obama Victory and the GOP's future
Posted by PJ Tobia on Thu, Nov 13, 2008 at 5:55 AM
The Latino vote was enough to put Obama over the top in some critical states.
As the national GOP licks its wounds, one thing they may want to consider is a recalibration of their immigration stance. Exit polling data shows that young, U.S. born and newly naturalized Latinos voted overwhelmingly for Obama, despite strong conservative tendencies on social issues like abortion, gay marriage and the role of religion in public life. This may be because many legal immigrants feel that angry Republican rhetoric about the undocumented population hits a little too close to home.
Granted, there are many legal immigrants who feel that they waited their turn for citizenship and resent those who do not. But when conservatives—like the guy in the lead of this story—talk about Mexicans and other folks from developing nations in the worst possible way, it can’t make anybody from these countries want to pull the lever for a Republican.
The following figures from the Immigration Policy Center paint a stark picture:
--In North Carolina, Obama won by 14,000 votes. He received nearly 26,000 more votes from young and newly naturalized Latinos than McCain, almost double the margin of victory.
--In Indiana Obama won by about 26,000 votes. His share of young and newly naturalized Latinos? 24,000 more than John Mcain.
--In Virginia, these voters amounted to a fifth(!) of Obama’s margin of victory, with 35,000 more votes from Latinos than McCain, out of a total 156,000 vote margin of victory.
There are many Republicans—including the president—who have responsible, reasonable solutions to the failures of our immigration system (I’m looking at you Bob Corker.) But if the GOP base continues to spit inflammatory, xenophobic rhetoric about this growing population, they do so at their political peril.
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Obama must push Congree to pass a comprehensive immigration reform during his first year in office. No "buts", no "maybes". We can't keep ignoring millions of hard-working immigrants who are deprived of basic human rights. And if the GOP blocks the reform one more time, well, they already saw what's coming: they will NEVER win another election again! The voters have spoken, and they want a COMPREHENSIVE immigration reform with path to citizenship!
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Posted by
Cohen
on 11/27/2008 at 11:22 AM
