Out of Touch RNC Advocates Comprehensive Immigration Reform

By Joe Guzzardi
March 18, 2013

The Republican National Committee’s latest report, released March 18 at the National Press Club, offers more evidence that the GOP is out of touch—but not in the way it thinks. According to what the RNC called an “autopsy” of what went wrong in the November 2012 election, it concluded that the party is perceived as comprised of “stuffy old men,” “scary” and needs to change its ways. The first course of action should be—guess what?—passing comprehensive immigration reform! Before anything else is done, said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, Republicans must join together to pass amnesty.

Nothing could have been more predictable than the RNC’s conclusion that more immigration would solve the GOP’s woes. Whatever problem faces the nation, the solution is always more immigration. If there’s a national job shortage, immigrants will create more employment. If Social Security is failing, immigration will help fund it. Worried about crime? Immigrants make us safer. Lose the election? The immigrant vote would have won it.

Interestingly, the converse is never the case. Overcrowding in schools and hospitals, for example, isn’t a consequence of too many immigrants adding to overall population growth but rather too few schools and hospitals.

Although the RNC report correctly identified a need for Republicans to better connect with minority, female and young voters, indeed the GOP is out of touch—with immigration reality.

First, polling proves that amnesty isn’t important to Hispanic voters. Repeatedly, immigration finishes behind jobs, the economy, education and health care as important issues to Hispanics. A Fox Latino survey found that only 6 percent of Hispanics voted for President Obama because of his immigration advocacy.

Second, amnesty for 11 million illegal aliens will create nearly 11 million Democratic voters. This outcome is beyond debate. Hispanics are generally politically aligned with Democrats; Republicans cannot outflank them on immigration. By a margin of 75 percent to 19 percent, Latinos indicated a preference for larger (Obama-style) rather than smaller (Romney-esque) government. Furthermore, Hispanics have said, again repeatedly, that immigration reform legislation will not compel them to change their vote from Democrat to Republican. Senator John McCain, one of the notorious Group of Eight, confirmed that amnesty would not create any new Republican voters.

Third, apparently Priebus doesn’t understand exit polling. According to New York Times political blog, even if Romney had won an historically high percentage of Hispanic votes in swing states, he would still have lost. The Times concluded that if Republicans are counting on Hispanics to recapture the 2016 White House, they should reconsider their strategy.

Fourth, amnesty would grant permanent legal status to 11 million illegal immigrants. Included as part of aliens’ newly obtained legal status would be work authorization allowing them to compete with 20 million unemployed and underemployed Americans. The most adverse impact would be the double digit levels of unemployed blacks, Hispanics and recent college graduates, the very demographics the RNC claims it wants to win over.

Curiously but not surprisingly, immigration reform is the only specific policy suggestion the RNC report makes. Although it encourages overhauls in the tax code, improved public education and a more robust economy, it doesn’t outline a plan on how to achieve improvements in any of them. Only immigration reform is singled out as a mandatory course of action to restore the GOP back to health. The GOP is on a suicide mission. If Republicans are complicit in passing amnesty, they’ll gain nothing but lose everything. The only word to describe the RNC report is madness.

Joe Guzzardi is a Californians for Population Stabilization Senior Writing Fellow whose columns have been syndicated since 1986. Contact him at [email protected]