Democrats and Immigration

[In It to Win It]

I'm just ranting here.

The Republican Party has spent the last 20 to 30 years (maybe longer) telling the country and the world that Democrats are soft on immigration.

If Republicans, in an effort to smear Democrats, have spent decades creating the image and telling the country that:

Democrats are soft on immigration;
Democrats have open-border policies;
"Sanctuary cities" are a Democratic giveaway where immigrants get a safe haven and free shit;


From my point of view, if you are genuine about solving immigration (which I know they're not), then this rhetoric makes the problem worse. Many migrants are bound to hear that believe that and make a dash for the US border. If you say it, many people will believe you. For fuck's sake, Republicans got idiots to actually believe the election was stolen and actually storm the capital - like a legit insurrection, a whole rebellion against the constitutional order of the United States.

If they can convince to people rebel against the United States, why can't immigrants (by the hundreds of thousands) believe this rhetoric that Republicans spew about Democrats being soft on immigration? If Republican politicians and TV pundits want their constituents and viewers to legitimately believe that "sanctuary cities" is a Democratic giveaway to migrants, why would migrants not see that and also believe it, and make their way to the border because of it?

[Bucky]

1. Here's Ronald Reagan promoting open borders

along with Poppy Bush demanding that the children of "illegal immigrants" get a free education...

[betsuni]

2. "A Koch donor said, 'What we really feel badly about is that we were not able to educate

many in the tea party about how the process works and how free markets work. Seeing this movement that we were part of creating going off in a direction that's anti-free market, anti-trade and anti-immigrant -- many of us are really saddened by that.' ... Trump flouted the many Republican leaders' desire for a more conciliatory tone on immigration -- and then became the standard bearer for Republican voters who never wanted an unfettered free market in the first place. Trump ignored the many Republicans who criticized him for emboldening fringe white nationalists -- and then became the champion of white voters with racially inflected grievances."

Trump voters didn't like pro-immigration establishment Republican policies, they weren't ideological Republicans, they were waiting for racist right-wing hate radio come to life populist Trump and caught Republicans by surprise: "Trump tapped into beliefs, ideas, and anxieties that were already present and even well-established within the party. His support was hiding in plain site." Anti-immigration was a new thing for Republicans.

From "Identity Crisis"

[Walleye]

3. Every other sentence is, Democrats want open borders

Of course people south of the border hear it and believe it. Fucking Republicans know what you’re doing. Plus open borders are the worst thing. Europe is getting along fine