One way of thinking about why President Obama has met with such intense resistance from congressional Republicans is that the president and his allies overinterpreted their mandate. By the time 2008 rolled around, there was a broad public consensus in favor of getting U.S. forces out of Iraq as quickly as possible, and on that issue, at least, conservatives found themselves on the defensive. Many once-vocal hawks suddenly fell silent. Yet there wasn’t an equally broad public consensus in favoring of creating a new health entitlement program—a legislative effort that (barely) succeeded—or introducing a new cap-and-trade system—an effort that failed. Conservatives felt that they could oppose these efforts without risking defeat, and they were right.
On immigration, similarly, President Obama is ignoring the basic fact that, while Zuckerberg and friends spend vast sums making the case for the Senate bill, an overwhelming majority of Americans either want to keep immigration levels exactly where they are or decrease them.
The House Republicans for whom the president has so much contempt aren’t always the most appealing bunch, and there is no question that they get many things badly wrong, as the more loose-lipped among them will happily tell you. There is a reason Congress’ approval rating is even lower than Barack Obama’s. On immigration, however, their refusal to play ball is ensuring that the wishes of ordinary Americans are being taken seriously. They are, on this issue at least, doing their job.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member