CAN MCCAIN WIN OVER HISPANICS AS WELL AS GOP ANTI-IMMIGRANT FACTION?

John McCain is walking a tightrope these days trying to not simultaneously lose Hispanics and anti-immigration GOP base members, two constituencies that lifted President Bush to victory in both 2000 and 2004.

Comments

[George Chell]

McCain or not, economic impact will bring Americans to their knees as it did to the residents of Riverside, NJ...serves them right!

http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/17/smbusiness/illegal_immigration_dividing.fsb/index.htm?postversion=2008041811

[Greg Siskind]

Giuseppe - I think it may, to some extent, depend on the perception of the Hispanic vote and whether McCain is making inroads with them. McCain benefits from there being no legislative push this summer because he can tell Hispanics he's all for a comprehensive solution without actually having to "put his money where his mouth is" and truly alienate the anti-immigrant base in his party. Hispanics voted for the GOP at a record 44% in 2004, but recent polls have shown that Democrats have picked up almost half of those GOP voters. If it looks like that number is eroding, I would expect to see some kind of legislative push. If the numbers remain solidly in the Democratic column, I would guess that the Democratic leadership will defer doing anything until after the election.

[giuseppe]

Greg,
do you think that for political reason the Dems will push a new immigration debate in this summer?

[Another voice]

UNRELATED BUT GOOD NEWS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS:
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MALDEF, ACLU and Otero County Sheriff's Department Resolve Civil Rights Suit Sheriff’s Department Agrees to Revise Operational Procedures Concerning Immigrants April 9, 2008

LAS CRUCES, NM— The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico today announced a landmark settlement with the Otero County Sheriff’s Department that addresses what plaintiffs alleged were civil rights violations committed by county deputies during immigration sweeps last September in the southern New Mexico town of Chaparral. Civil rights advocates say the agreement will help restore community trust in local law enforcement and greatly improve the safety of all people living in the County.

The case settled after the Sheriff's Department agreed to revise Operational Procedures that are intended to ensure that the rights of all Latinos living in the County would be protected and that they would not become the targets of immigration-related investigations and detentions without justification. Otero County also agreed to pay the families who brought the case monetary damages and an amount to cover their attorney's fees and the costs of the suit.

ACLU Executive Director Peter Simonson said, “The sheriff’s department worked with us to draft a policy that draws clear boundaries around what are and what are not the responsibilities of local law enforcement officers when they encounter immigrants. It was drafted with one thing in mind: maximizing public safety. This is a smart policy that stands as an example to all other law enforcement agencies around the state.”

On behalf of five Latino families, MALDEF and the ACLU of New Mexico alleged in the lawsuit that sheriff’s deputies raided homes in Chaparral without search warrants, interrogated families without evidence of criminal activity, and targeted households on the basis of race and ethnicity.

The Sheriff's Department denied any wrongdoing, but agreed to revise policies in order to provide more effective law enforcement to its constituents and to focus its attention on persons suspected of committing crimes.

David Urias, MALDEF Staff Attorney and counsel in the case, said, “The agreement by the Sheriffs Department to revise their procedures means that Latinos in Otero County will be protected by local police from crimes, not randomly targeted for immigration enforcement.”

The Otero County Sheriff’s Department operational procedure regarding the legal complaint and other relevant documents can be found online.

[George Chell]

"If McCain ``panders for the Hispanic vote, politically, he'll kill himself and he'll kill us,'' said Arizona state Representative Russell Pearce, a Republican who is leading a effort to revoke business licenses of employers who knowingly employ illegal immigrants. ``There are more votes in my approach than his.''"

I dont think so...

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/04/12/20080412azpoll0412.html

[George Chell]

Perhaps racist Republicans such as Pearce and Arapaio will stay home. But, McCain will likely win with the help of Hispanics and racist Democrats in states such as PA and OH who cannot come around to vote for a black man.