Immigration Will Be Vital to the Republican Comeback

7/28/2009, by Proloy Bhatta

HIGHLIGHTS

• Fifty-one percent (51%) of Arizona voters say it is more important for Congress to pass immigration reform than health care reform.
• By a 65% to 20% margin, Arizona voters believe enforcing the borders is more important than legalizing the status of those already living here.
• Half of the state’s voters (50%) think it is possible to put an end to illegal immigration.

51% of Arizona voters polled by Rasmussen Reports said they thought it was more important to pass immigration reform than health care reform.

And by an over 3-to-1 margin, Arizona voters think the priority should be to have secure borders over granting amnesty to illegal aliens.

If the Republicans are going to make a comeback, they are going to have to elevate the immigration issue to the forefront of American politics. Because this is one position that the Democrats are at odds with the American people.

Democrats tend to avoid immigration as an issue because taking a strong position one way or the other exposes themselves politically. The majority of Americans want secure borders, more done against illegal immigration, and are more likely to want less legal immigration.. But siding with the American people would put them at odds with their large Hispanic voting bloc.

Case in point, during the Democratic primaries, Clinton's decline was fueled by her unwillingness to take a position on the granting of driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

If this issue were to get to the forefront of American politics, Obama would also be hit hard. On July 22, 2009, we reported Obama's lowest approval rating of any issue was on immigration, 39%.

In April, ABC News found that 74% of Americans thought that we were not doing enough to keep illegal immigrants from coming into this country.

In June of 2008, Gallup found that the number of Americans that wanted the level of legal immigration to decrease was more than double than those that wanted it to be increased.

During the same time, CNN also found that a majority of adults would favor the building of a fence along the Mexican border.

The American people do, however, side with the Democratic party in wanting a path to legalization for illegal immigrants already in this country.

It is in the Democratic party's favor to grant amnesty because they are potential new voters that will be more likely to vote Democrat.

But Republicans must hit the Democratic party hard in their unwillingness to stop illegal immigration. As the economy continues to recess and Americans start looking for a scapegoat, immigration will be a key issue the Republicans have in their favor.