The amnesty fantasy
Republican donors with a disproportionate influence in the party would be perfectly happy to jettison the cause of immigration enforcement. They are fine with a flood of low-skilled immigrants competing with low-skilled American workers. And why shouldn’t they be? These immigrants don’t suppress their wages; they care for their children and clean their pools.
Whenever it is pointed out that illegal immigration tends to harm low-skilled workers already here, the comeback is the scurrilous canard that there are “some jobs that no Americans will do.” But most hotel maids, construction workers, coal miners and workers in meatpacking — all tough, thankless jobs — are U.S.-born. If it is hard to entice legal workers into such positions, here is a radical concept: pay them more.
None of this is to deny that the GOP has a tonal problem on immigration or that Latino voters care deeply about the issue. But amnesty isn’t a quick fix for the party’s problems. Would that it were.
Blowback
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The amnesty stupidity
Schadenfreude on November 15, 2012 at 8:58 PM
Who cares, legalize everyone down to the latest guy still covered in dirt from a border tunnel.
This is what the voters wanted, time to deliver.
Bishop on November 15, 2012 at 8:58 PM
One of the big motivations for hiring illegal aliens is the minimum wage, though all the employer mandates and taxes contribute.
Count to 10 on November 15, 2012 at 8:59 PM
1) The GOP caves on immigration, giving Obama a political victory among Latinos and further souring the white vote, whose absence from this cycle was their single most fatal development.
2) ????
3) The GOP wins the Presidency and solidifies a legislative majority.
HitNRun on November 15, 2012 at 9:05 PM
Good on Lowry. I’m very impressed.
rightwingyahooo on November 15, 2012 at 9:05 PM
I don’t remember seeing ads about amnesty, or having it brought up in the debate. How was this issue decided in the last election??
txmomof6 on November 15, 2012 at 9:06 PM
Hey Dems, want “living wages” for your voters? Then support strict border enforcement, workplace enforcement, and deportations. Why?
Supply and demand. Lower the supply of cheap laborers when demand is constant and wages will necessarily rise. Econ 101.
Dems and companies dependent on cheap labor perpetuate and even grow poverty.
Charlemagne on November 15, 2012 at 9:08 PM
The Dems goal since the immigration act of 1965 has been to reduce the white vote to a minority and ensuring a permanent Dem majority. It’s working.
Charlemagne on November 15, 2012 at 9:09 PM
Good on Rich Lowry for wising up.
Punchenko on November 15, 2012 at 9:26 PM
Rich is right. Like I said the other day, Hispanics freely admit they come here for the benefits.
When conservative blacks started to join us, we knew (and they knew) that they themselves would have to work from inside black communities. We can give them huge amounts of support, but they have to do the heavy lifting. I hate it, but it’s the way it is. And as with conservatives blacks, conservative Hispanics will have to do the same thing. Slow process, but maybe the only way. Republicans are about the message, not the color of ones skin.
Connie on November 15, 2012 at 9:54 PM
So tell us all Rich.
What are the names of some of these big Republican donors who are happy to jettison immigration laws because every time I look it seems to be a Republican politician.
NeoKong on November 15, 2012 at 10:24 PM
Well said Richy!
Wigglesworth on November 15, 2012 at 10:46 PM
If the Republican party even thinks about amnesty they are idiots.The Republican party kept the House thanks to redistricting. They should be able to keep it for a decade. Pass amnesty and you put the House in play. Pass amnesty and Obama has a Democratic Senate AND House for his last 2 years. Forget about it. Let Latinos go 100% Democratic,that alone won’t flip the House. Screwing your base will.
Rocks on November 15, 2012 at 11:26 PM
There’s an elephant in the room no one wants to talk about…that’s a republican goal too.
xblade on November 16, 2012 at 1:20 AM