Divisive issues to decide 2008 elections

[kach22i]

Immigration No. 1 issue in 2008 election?

The last Republican debate was heavily weighted on this single topic. Kind of turned into a debate on who waffled more on the subject or was more of a hypocrite.

The related issue of drivers licenses for illegal’s may have turned out be the tipping point (Hillary’s duff) in selecting a Democratic presidential candidate.


Prediction:
Immigration will be the No. 1 issue in 2008 election! It's the new gay marriage issue and it's sure to divide the nation with equal vigor.

Food for thought:

Richardson won't settle for VP in caucus campaign
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/12/04/opinion/opinion/doc4754f085914cc940960928.txt

According to a Washington Post/ABC News poll, Richardson gets points on immigration. Twenty-five percent of Americans trust him on that issue — a better showing than his opponents.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I have to admit, while I'm not a "one issue voter", a candidate like Huckabee who comes out so stridently in favor of securing our borders scores major points with me.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I have to admit, while I'm not a "one issue voter", a candidate like Huckabee who comes out so stridently in favor of securing our borders scores major points with me.

Can he or is willing to do the five or six other things required in concert to properly address the issue in full?

Promising to "build a wall" just to get elected and then doing it half way or just going though the motions and not addressing adjacent issues affecting the topic throws most of the candidates from both parties into the same barrel. In my opinion.

[Rick Lee]

I'm not a one issue voter either, but immigration is near the top of my list, while I never cared at all about gay marriage one way or the other. Immigration has tangible consequences for our national security, economy, healthcare system, car insurance, you name it. Gay marriage doesn't even come close to that.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Gay marriage doesn't even come close to that.

The whole homophobe thing was the brain child of Karl Rove, helped in getting Bush elected gov in Texas too.

New players, new playing field and yet pandering to the party base and playing off fears is a tried and true election ritual.

This is a real issue for me because if we ever hope to have National Health Care Insurance open borders and immigration must be addressed.

Look at a map, and then look at the history of immigration..........there is a pattern, immigration built America and it's cities.

The cheap labor of the unwashed masses has always fueled our economy and still does today.

Going to China for use of their unwashed masses will never develop into a favorable position for us.

[stevepaa]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I'm not a one issue voter either, but immigration is near the top of my list, while I never cared at all about gay marriage one way or the other. Immigration has tangible consequences for our national security, economy, healthcare system, car insurance, you name it. Gay marriage doesn't even come close to that.

I agree, although the solutions from various sides are debatable. A wall will not work. It is just silly to think we can secure the perimeter of the the US.
Dry up the demand for illegals and they won't come. Deportation seems overly costly but may be necessary for some.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by stevepaa

I agree, although the solutions from various sides are debatable. A wall will not work. It is just silly to think we can secure the perimeter of the the US.
Dry up the demand for illegals and they won't come. Deportation seems overly costly but may be necessary for some.

The way things stand today; if we were to build a wall the lowest bidder would be using many illegals to help keep his cost down.

Oh the irony of it all.

What did Mitt Romney do about the illegal labor issue to get the winter olympics built in time?

[Rick Lee]

A wall would work amazingly well if it ever got built and was guarded with vigilance. How many suicide bombings have you heard about since Israel built their wall? How many people make it across the DMZ in Korea or physically made it across the Berlin Wall? The combined number is probably less than those who cross our southern border illegally in one day.

[frogger]

I think a minefield should do the trick.

[stevepaa]

the wall is nonsense and is a red herring. we have thousands of miles of coastland, we have a northern border you cannot patrol or put a wall up.


again, save the money from building a wall. penalize businesses who hire illegals and the problem goes away.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by frogger

I think a minefield should do the trick.

It would work perfectly. No politician here has the balls to suggest that. Minefields work in plenty of other places and in our case, there would be ample border crossings for legal entrants. Don't wanna lose a leg? Don't try to break into the US. It's pretty simple, just a matter of how seriously you take the issue.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by stevepaa

again, save the money from buidling a wall. penalize businesses who hire illegals and the problem goes away.

That would be part of my multi-prong approach too. But my main concern would be the ease with which terrorists could disguise themselves as Mexicans and waltz across the southern border uninspected. Much more liely to happen there than on the norther border or in the ports. But I'd be all for securing those areas better too. Prioritizing....

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

....my main concern would be the ease with which terrorists could disguise themselves as Mexicans and waltz across the southern border uninspected.

Yeah, because we've had so many domestic terrorism cases since 9/11 perpetrated by Mexican-looking terrorists.

Geez, where the hell do you guys come up wit this stuff?

P.S. Mexicans do not waltz across the border. Perhaps, merengue or salsa, but no waltzing!

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Yeah, because we've had so many domestic terrorism cases since 9/11 perpetrated by Mexican-looking terrorists.

Geez, where the hell do you guys come up wit this stuff?

P.S. Mexicans do not waltz across the border. Perhaps, merengue or salsa, but no waltzing!

I think everyone of the Muslim nuts we've caught here could get picked up by the Border Patrol in AZ and be mistaken for a Mexican. Local cops surely wouldn't take them seriously if they thought they were just illegal aliens. In fact, in many places, those cops would not be allowed to even check on legal status.

[stevepaa]

This wall idea reminds me of the "star wars" era with Reagan. There was always someone pushing a new method to protect the US from incoming attack. Teams were set up at the labs, red and blue, to model the offense and defensive reaction. For every defensive measure, there was an offensive counter which was grossly less expensive than the defensive measure. The means to get around any perimeter defense is easy and cheap.

Wall off the southern boder and terrorists will come across somewhere else just as easily. They can just get forged documents and fly in.

[nostatic]

its gonna be a looooooong wall.

Fine the businesses $10K per illegal found. That should cover deportation costs and dry up the demand. Problem solved. Well, until you're paying $5 for an apple, but don't mind that. You're safer now

[legion]

Originally Posted by stevepaa

the wall is nonsense and is a red herring. we have thousands of miles of coastland, we have a northern border you cannot patrol or put a wall up.


again, save the money from building a wall. penalize businesses who hire illegals and the problem goes away.

Yet most of illegals walk across the border in CA, AZ, NM, TX. It would certainly reduce the problem by an order of magnitude.

[kach22i]

What would happen if all the illegals got together and started a class action lawsuit against the US government to regain all the Social Security taxes paid to fake or false S.S. numbers?

Is the government taking in money without any expectation of ever having to dish it back out?

Is the government making as much money off the illegals as the employers?

There has got to be a reason no one is fixing the problem.

Follow the money.

Follow the money.

Follow the money.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Have the illegals work on constructing the wall for 3 months each before deportation. Endless supply of free labor.

Walls worked great in China for centuries. It should work similarly well here.

[mattdavis11]

Well it aint the #1 issue in my book and I'm going to be a 1 issue voter this time. Until the Democratic candidates understand that people kill people, not guns, it makes for any easy vote.