Posted by Sir Four at 11:40pm Aug 1 '09It was pretty clear to me that a segment of the Republican party wanted an immigration bill that was pretty friendly to hispanics to get passed under Bush. But it didn't happen. And it certainly won't happen now with Republican support, given how the base feels on the issue.
The base, I think, is now just a huge liability for Republicans, when you consider the larger demographic picture of America. They demanded opposition to Sonia Sotomayor, for instance. They will never compromise on the immigration issue. As a result, hispanics continue to shift away from the Republican party. How will the party reach beyond conservative white voters in this climate? The Southern Strategy has worked a little too well, I think. Anything that would allow Republicans to reach outside their base seems to piss off their base. I don't know where you go with that.
The base, I think, is now just a huge liability for Republicans, when you consider the larger demographic picture of America. They demanded opposition to Sonia Sotomayor, for instance. They will never compromise on the immigration issue. As a result, hispanics continue to shift away from the Republican party. How will the party reach beyond conservative white voters in this climate? The Southern Strategy has worked a little too well, I think. Anything that would allow Republicans to reach outside their base seems to piss off their base. I don't know where you go with that.
There's also the changing demographics to consider - Sir Four