Jun 20 2007
Texas Is With Bush On Immigration
It seems one of the states with one of the largest immigration problems backs Bush when it comes to immigration reform:
Despite their ideological differences, most Texans believe the country’s immigration system is in disarray and favor the proposed overhaul being debated in Washington, according to results of a new poll released Tuesday.
A consortium of trade and business associations, Texas Employers for Immigration Reform, ordered up the survey, believed to be the first statewide gauge of opinion on the Senate immigration bill.
…
As with earlier national polls, nearly six in 10 respondents in the Texas poll support the proposal. Some of its provisions varying support based somewhat on respondents’ political party affiliation, but a majority of respondents who identified themselves as Republicans, Democrats and Independents said the bill provides the right tools to fix the immigration problem.
Now isn’t that interesting. The people most immersed in the problem of illegal immigration support the bill by 2-1 (again – seems that is the water mark). So what political party would go against the popular wishes of the people most impacted by the problem (and who will yell loud and long if the problem is left to fester)? The GOP is that kind of party it seems. Or at least the amnesty hypochondriac wing of it. I mean the far right is insulting, day in and day out, the native son of Texas over an issue they agree with him on! Does anyone in the GOP think Texas will be a cake walk for the GOP after four years of bashing the Texas-born President? Want to know something else? Texas is not the only state to see things this way.
A poll in San Diego County, CA shows a similar level of support for the “shamnesty” elements of the bill (you know, angry words like that only work if people do not feel they are being personally targeted by the words – they were meant for someone else – otherwise they backfire).
The survey, conducted by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin and Associates, a polling firm in Santa Monica, found that 61 percent of the voters approved of granting legal status to undocumented immigrants who pay fines and taxes, prove good moral character and learn English. Seventy percent favored a guest worker plan; 75 percent favored granting legal status to law-abiding youths brought here illegally as children. Forty-four percent approved of a wall along the entire border.
This tracks with other recent California polls showing the GOP is digging a hole with voters:
When asked their views on a number of proposals being debated among Congressional leaders and the White House, large majorities support creating programs to legalize the status of illegal immigrants who have resided here for a number of years (83%), and establishing temporary worker programs to allow immigrants to work here in the future (67%).
Large majorities also back policies aimed at reducing the flow of immigrants into the country, such as increasing the number of federal agents patrolling the border (71%) and stiffening penalties on those who hire illegal immigrants (63%).
What party would go against the citizens of the two largest electorial states on a very high profile, emotional issue and even pretend they could survive a Presidential election? Well what about a party that goes against the citizens of the TOP THREE electorial states? Anyone want to guess what Floridians feel about this subject?
Their views reflect the results of recent polls conducted nationwide and statewide. A poll of 801 likely Florida voters conducted for The Miami Herald and other Florida media outlets two weeks ago showed that 60 percent of those surveyed endorsed legalization for undocumented immigrants.
It is telling that the three largest states are border states with very large and growing immigrant populations. These states suffer the most strain from the underground illegal immigrants. And yet all three of these states support the ‘amnesty’ portion of the bill (amnesty doesn’t apply to the wall, the border or the temporary worker program – it refers only to the 12 million illegals here now). And all those hypochondriac hot heads who call those supporting the bill ‘socialists’ and ‘traitors’ are insulting 60 percent or more of the voters in these key states. Anyone who cannot see what these hotheads have done to the GOP’s 08 prospects is simply blind to human nature. Red hot anger, especially repeated after warnings to cool down, does not result in support.
It results in being marginalized and ignored – forever. That is how people react to the kind of rhetoric spilling out from the far right now. Here is one comment I just got on this site which is aimed at the people of CA, TX and FL who support the bill:
Once the amnesty is granted by Jorges signature, everything else can be totally disregarded and they still will have gotten everything they wanted. Because after that, there is no enforcing anything else. The proponents of this bill are not stupid, they know it is a big lie, but the fact is that they believe there should be no separations between countries and differences in citizenship. They spent to much time in their life listening to ‘Imagine’ and smoking pot and they really believe it can happen if we just all go along. These people are the worst kind of assholes on the face of the planet. They are the cowards, the appeasers, that ones that always think there is another way out of conflict instead of fighting and don’t realize that sometimes you just don’t have a choice. They think that us dumb racists rubes aren’t smart enough to see through the fact that they are giving away American citizenship rights to anybody who can drag their ass over the border. They are the kind of people who consitently kiss the ass of evil to avoid punching it in the nose. THEY ARE COWARDS OF THE WORST ORDER! They don’t have the guts to stand for anything because they have not been taught what a precious gift being an American is. This is where all of the vitriol and emotion comes into this argument. How dare you arrrogant lying assholes consistantly lie to our faces!
This is not uncommon. I can go to any large conservative blog at any time of the day and find similar comments. This is not reaching out. This is not building coalitions. This is not governance. This is hate and anger. It solves nothing. But this is what the people of the three largest states in America see as the core of the GOP. Because it is the core. Not all of it (not by a long shot). But it is the darkside of the GOP and it represents at least half the people and most of the well known talking heads and bloggers and their supportes. This is what they attract and this is what they say, and this is how they envision America.
I am a Bush-Reagan Conservative. I am not a GOP Conservative. There is no more common ground between us – so say the GOP conservatives.
Sounds as if you are advocating “sticking your finger into the wind” as the method we should use for deciding what is right or wrong.
It’s a good thing Pres Bush is not an advocate of that philosophy for his war on terror, he would have surrendered long ago.
Unfortunately for the country, that’s what he decided to do on the illegal alien issue.
how about stem cells? finger in the wind?
how about global warming? finger in the wind?
If we governed by ‘finger in the wind’ we would kill humans for research, we wouldn’t be driving cars and we wouldn’t be fighting a war on terror.
So when you want to make a point, pointing out who is holding their finger the highest in the wind is not a very compelling argument.
Aimed at the people of CA TX and FL???? I never said that! It was aimed at those people who support this bill, regardless of where they live. You’re making stuff up AJ. Otherwise, I stand by every word!
Associated Builders and Contractors of Texas
Excel Cleaning and Building Services
Lawn Management Company
Greenway Lawn Care
Pilgrim’s Pride (poultry plant)
Sanderson Farms (poultry plant)
Texas Restaurant Association
Tyson Farms (poultry plant)
Texas Hotel Association
This is just a small portion of the Texas Employers for Immigration Reform. The entire list can be found at
http://www.txeir.org/supporters.aspx
EVERYONE of these members rely on illegal workers to increase profits. Tyson Farms even went to Mexico to recruite illegals to work at their plant in northwest Arkansas after they were busted twice for hiring illegals.
I have been telling you that businesses are pushing this bill because it means larger profits and smaller wages for their companies. And it is big business that supports the RNC.
We have been told that Texans support this bill. Yet, if you read the survey’s questions, no where does it ask if illegals should be given the right to stay in this nation with only 24 hours allowed for a background check.
When I talked to Senator Cornyn’s office last week, I was told that thousands of emails and calls were coming into his office every week demanding he vote “nay” on this bill.
Texas Employers for Immigration Reform is currently running ads on Texas TV.
If AJ thinks that a bunch of businesses that polled just slightly over 1,000 Texans (out of a population of 30 million) is representative of what Texans feel, no wonder he is so out of touch with reality.
I AM A TEXAN, and I know how the man on the street, including black Texans, Tejanos and white Texans, feel about this bill. They don’t like it. They want the border closed to illegal immigration, they want employers fined to the full extent of the law and they want their taxes to stop raising to pay for social services for illegals. They want their hospitals on the border to quit closing. They want their schools to quit taxing them to educated children who are not in our state legally.
Bikerken,
Your only value right now is an example of what Americans should not become. We all know who you were referring to.
R05,
You are a Texan in the minority of the population from thst great state. As I suspected (since I know a lot of Texans too).
AJ,
in that quoted paragraph, you totally missed the point. The point was that the people that are pushing this bill are lying about what’s in it.
And that point is well made. I’ve not read one word from anyone that is pushing this bill, including you, that will tell the truth. Most, like you have not even read the bill and don’t even know what is in it, so they, or you, can’t say correctly what is in it. All you do is quote lies about it and make up things. Even when the bill is quoted verbatim, you say it’s not true. An example would be your contention that voting rights are not conveyed in the bill.
And you said about that comment you quoted:
“I can go to any large conservative blog at any time of the day and find similar comments.”
So? in fact you can go to your blog and find comments such as that. You are lucky, you have some informed readers on your blog. Some that have actually read the ‘shamnesty’ bill and will tell the truth about it. Seems as if you don’t appreciate that fact.
AJ, no, I am not in the minority. I am of the majority of Texans who know that we were lied to in’86 and are being lied to again. And WOW!, I’m impressed that you know a lot of Texans. I am sure that you know just as many Texans as I do, someone who lives in the state. You talk to your neighbors (Texans), church members (Texans) and fellow GOPers (Texans) everyday, don’t you.
I noticed you did not dispute the fact that Texas Employers for Immigration Reform are those very employers who benefit from illegal immigration. Would you be as quick to tout the results of a survey if it were taken by Texans for Immigration Reform? I think not.
So don’t try to tell me that just because you have a couple of friends who hail from Texas makes you as aware of the “man on the street” opinion of Texans more that someone who lives there. Does your arrogance know any bounds?
R05, AJ said:
You are a Texan in the minority of the population from thst great state. As I suspected (since I know a lot of Texans too).
Dammit, hit the submit button prematurely; I was going to say:
R05, AJ said:
You are a Texan in the minority of the population from thst great state. As I suspected (since I know a lot of Texans too).
He, I believe, is putting you in the ‘minority’ based on those polling numbers. If so, it’s just another example of him forming his beliefs based on how high in the air he stuck his finger and which direction the wind was blowing at the time, and whether the wind was caused by a storm or a……….. fan?
As in “artificial” wind.
R05,
Texas has a little old NASA center called Johnson Spaceflight Center which I visit all the time.
And per these polls you are in the minority. Whether you agree with reality or not is irrelevant.
Bush is not Texas born. Minor point, for sure.
And no, we are not in the minority.
Notice the question AJ. I believe that is what most of us have been saying. But that isn’t what is in the bill. No matter how many times you say it is.
It is in the bill. It has some holes. It has some things you think are needed. But all of that is in the bill. You just don’t like the version and naively believe there will ever be a perfect bill with all the holes filled to your satisfaction. You want more? Pass this and get moving in making enhancements!
There are more questions in these polls, and more polls than these. But hey, ostrich all you folks want. No skin off my back.
“No skin off my back”.
Of course not. It was not YOUR state that spent $3.7 BILLION on illegal immigration last year, it was MINE. It was not YOUR friends and neighbors that were killed by an illegal immigrant, it was MINE. It is not YOUR state hospitals that are closing because of illegal immigration, it is MINE.
So on one point on illegal immigration you are correct. So far, it is no skin off your back.
I’ll say it does. That you have finally admitted it is refreshing, though I have noticed in the last few days you were issuing more caveats. I wondered if you had gotten around to reading the bill and the amendments that failed.
If we governed by ‘finger in the wind’ …
…we would have Bill Clinton. **grin**
Sue,
I said it was imperfect from day one. I said it would not cover every conceivable aspect of the issue. I said it was like all other legislation.
Thanks for finally recognizing what I have been saying for months.
I come from Texas and this is not what we are hearing or how most people feel about this bill – just look at how the representatives and senators from Teas are voting. If their constituents loved this bill they would be voting that way.
And AJ you can’t be a Bush-Reagan Conservative because Bush isn’t a Reagan conservative. You seem to me to be a Bush-McCain moderate sometimes – conservative sometimes.
Jacqui,
I know who I support much better than you can guess. LOL!
Too funny! For the record, I have never support McCain for President. And Find him 50-50 aligned with my views. Bush is nearly 100%. Reagan too!
AJ,
It appears that the anti-comprehensive crowd can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. It’s good that we have a president that can see the big picture which also includes the economy that these “basic” types benefit from.