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Obama's Immigration Reform Was a Ploy for Votes He Probably Won't Get

by Christine Luhnow on June 23, 2012 at 8:11 AM
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At first I thought the recent announcement by President Barack Obama that the U.S. would try to open up a path to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants landed with a thud. Actually, it was more like a feather. Because on the scale of weighty issues on immigration reform, this is fairly soft stuff. Why? Because it practically has bi-partisan support. I would say the issue has been out there so long that it is like a feather that lands and just as the Hispanic population embraces it, it floats off and eludes them once again. 

 

 

 

I think it is really important that voters realize both parties are working on opening up opportunities for children who were brought here by their illegal immigrant parents.  And that the Democrats don't have a lock on recognizing the need for some kind of reform. After all, it was Ronald Reagan who touted an amnesty program to ease problems along the US/Mexico border. And Florida's Republican Sen. Marco Rubio who proposed his own version of the Dream Act back in April. Rubio wants to create a system where these kids could earn work papers by taking college classes or through military service.

The timing of Obama's announcement seems designed to court Hispanics in key states in these 2012 elections - Colorado, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico. But Obama should take note that Hispanics are the fastest growing segment in the social conservative bucket of the Republican Party.  Some have estimated that within the next 30 years, minorities will be the majority in this country and neither party will be able to take them for granted.To assume this latest political checkmate leads directly to votes for Obama may be naive. First, it has turned off some in the Latino community who wonder why more wasn't done earlier in his first term as President. And second, as we've said, not all Hispanics vote Democrat.

This post is part of a weekly conversation with our Moms Matter 2012 political bloggers. To see the original question and see what all the bloggers had to say, read What Do You Think of President Obama's Immigration Decision? 

Photo via ModerateMoms

 

Filed Under: 2012 election, barack obama, mitt romney, economy
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  • Bill
    -- Nonmember comment from

    Bill

    June 23, 2012 at 9:25 AM
    I realize that this whole immigration situation is a problem but does granting people citizenship that are here illegally solve the problem? Doesn't it really just encourage more people to come here illegally? Where do you finally draw the line? Are there not repercussions to having a free-for-all on illegal immigration? I just don't agree with making illegal immigrants instant citizens. That is just a poorly thought out temporary fix until the next wave comes along
  • JohnMc
    -- Nonmember comment from

    JohnMc

    June 23, 2012 at 10:14 AM
    Ms. Luhnow ought to do a little more research. Reagan was forced into the 1986 deal as part of compromise to get tax reform. So I don't think the work tout is appropriate.
  • Darry...
    -- Nonmember comment from

    Darryl Boyd

    June 23, 2012 at 10:35 AM
    This is a similar scenario to what played out in Wisconsin. Progressives now rail and wonder how 38% of Wisconsin union members could seemingly vote against their own interests by voting to keep Walker. I wonder how they could miss that in a closed shop environment lots of people they assumed were on their side were only counted as allies by virtue of membership in a union they had no choice in joining. Progressive seem to believe this can be overcome with the bribe of the easy money of Obama’s Progressive utopia welfare State (it's worked with blacks for decades) but the assumption that Hispanics are going to go for this given the clear evidence of the damage done to black culture is suspect. In any event the money is just not there any longer and Hispanics will soon see that hitching their dreams to a morally and spiritually bankrupt and dying Progressive State is a road to poverty and serfdom.
  • syn
    -- Nonmember comment from

    syn

    June 23, 2012 at 11:20 AM
    From the perspective of a childless 50 year old former social liberal feminist who has seen the light in the errors of my self-indulgent, me-first ways, I must observe that your children cannot afford to pay the cost of a perpetually socially liberal American lifestyle. Not only will your children be paying the hefty price of funding social security and medicaid for 70 million retiring baby boomers, they'll be paying for women like myself who in leading a socially liberal lifestyle did not have children. If I were a mother today I'd be very angered by the outcome which social liberalism has produced for my children. Social liberalism is an expensive luxury itme and very soon the Pied Pipers of the Me-First generation will demand payment for all the feelgoodtimes produced. Witnessing the road to hades, the mantra 'it is for the children' takes on a whole new meaning of the word Serfdom. Dear Mothers, good luck to your children
  • JAFE
    --

    JAFE

    June 23, 2012 at 11:37 AM

    Obama doesn't care any more about the "illegals" than he does about same sex marriage. He never said these people would get "instant" citizenship. They're just going to be able to work, drive and so forth. They still have to go about becoming a citizen the same way as before. He also didn't say he'd do anything for same sex marriage. He just said he agreed with it. BIG DEAL. Didn't he think and feel this at the beginning of his term? Or is this just a clever snake oil salesman trick? Blowing his horn and making the snake come out of the basket. Be careful of what you "think" you hear from this man.


  • Steve S.
    -- Nonmember comment from

    Steve S.

    June 23, 2012 at 11:42 AM
    A goodly number of Hispanics throughout the Southwest are long and well established families, many of whose ancestors predated the statehood of their geography. A lot of these are disdainful of these new-comers.
  • Gaily...
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    Gaily.Daily

    June 23, 2012 at 12:09 PM

    I prefer to post on a thread that has facts not slanted political fodder for the less informed.  Good try though!bad


  • elkh1
    -- Nonmember comment from

    elkh1

    June 23, 2012 at 12:18 PM
    His ploy is as successful as gay marriage (lost 20% NC black votes) and Fluke's condoms (lost the Catholic Church). He'll lose unemployed whites, blacks, and legal Hispanics. Not all Hispanics vote Democrat, not all Hispanics are illegals.
  • right...
    --

    rightside

    June 23, 2012 at 12:21 PM

    Obama's feather-in-the-wind is just an attempt to undermine Marco Rubio's book release.  I'm sure many of the Obamabots will continue to wish they could hump his leg because he's so fabulous.  Those of us who are paying attention see this for exactly what it is - another attempt by Obama to avoid the most pressing issue of 2012, and the reason he's going to be a one-term presidential impersonator - the economy. 


  • NateW...
    -- Nonmember comment from

    NateWhilk

    June 23, 2012 at 12:47 PM
    "..it has turned off some in the Latino community who wonder why more wasn't done earlier in his first term as President." 1) Why it wasn't done earlier? Obviously, because he really doesn't care about it except for the last-minute votes he thinks it'll get him. As Stan Freberg used a Pilgrim/Indian setting to parody a similar situation: "Let him share our Quaker Oats/ 'Cause he's useful when he votes." 2) "first term"? Gee, no presumptuous political bias here.
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