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What do Coca-Cola and the Republican party have in common?
Well, they have both stirred up a hornet’s nest of criticism around the immigration issue for no good reason. In sports and politics, an unforced error is made when damage is done not because of the opponent’s skill or effort, but sheer incompetence by the one who made the error. Failing to respond effectively to a challenge or accomplishment by an opponent is far more forgivable in either arena than the unforced error, which lays ineptitude bare.
Coke produced a Super Bowl ad [2] in which singers performed America the Beautiful. What’s the problem? Well, they sang it in Tagalog, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, and Mandarin Chinese among others [3]. This has caused much ado about the spot, with the L.A. Times reporting [4] that “[f]or a while, the hashtag #BoycottCoke trended on Twitter, with some calling for a boycott of the soft drink” and then, there was backlash against the backlashers with Eric Erickson of RedState.com tweeting “E Pluribus Unum isn’t in English either.” Good line for sure, but unless Coke subscribes to the no such thing as bad publicity school, they would probably have chosen to go a different way with the $8 million they paid for those 60 seconds.
The Republicans, led by Speaker John Boehner, have set a course for a similar unforced error, and this one looks like a whopper. Apparently some critical mass of House Republicans are trying desperately to move quickly on an immigration “reform” bill, much to the chagrin of Senate Republicans [5] intent on winning control of the upper chamber in this year’s mid-term elections.
The Democrats are on the ropes because of Obamacare, and the worst of this law is likely yet to come, most notably a ton more policy cancellations and huge increases in premiums. So why would the GOP want to change the subject now? Why would they want to move the game from their political home field, Obamacare, with a big lead, to a road game as a big underdog on the Democrats’ turf, immigration reform? Especially when the issue has been on the back burner for some time because of very limited public support.
The numbers outlining the left’s dominance on this issue don’t lie. Ann Coulter provides the details [6] in discussing the Republicans’ foray into immigration with the hilarious headline, “GOP CRAFTS PLAN TO WRECK THE COUNTRY, LOSE VOTERS.” There are a multiple reasons the left loves immigration reform, but one reason above all others. And it’s not that their hearts bleed with compassion for these illegal immigrants, or undocumented immigrants, as the left prefers to call them. It’s because they know that an extremely high percentage of those immigrants who ultimately vote will vote Democrat.
And consider that the state currently controlled by the GOP with by far the most hispanics, Texas, is the big prize the Democrats are desperately seeking. For if you combine the 38 electoral votes of the Lone Star State with California, New York, Illinois and other Democrat strongholds, the Democrats will achieve an unshakable electoral college majority for as far as the eye can see.
So, given all of this, why in God’s name does the GOP want to take up this issue now? Well, many of the proponents seem mostly interested in the cheap labor these immigrants will provide. This benefits both big business, which depends on cheap labor for unskilled jobs, and high tech, which would subsequently benefit from an increased pool of highly skilled workers. Following the law of supply and demand, increased competition for jobs will drive labor rates down in both sectors, giving employers a buyers market. What’s not to like from their end? Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has gone so far as to buy himself an astroturf organization designed to make it look like his push for more tech workers has some grassroots support, and he has been justifiably excoriated [7] for it by rank and file Republicans.
Wouldn’t those who understand that Obamacare is both a policy disaster and GOP political goldmine be better off saving this fight until after the midterm elections when Republicans could conceivably control both houses of Congress? Perhaps the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Zuckerberg, John Boehner et al., who are pressing for policy changes now, believe that they have a better chance to pass the law with fewer Republicans in office. That would account for much of the current momentum behind the measures. But how would it not make more sense to have this fight with more Republicans in office after the election, rather than now, when this fight will likely lead to fewer Republicans in office, or at least fewer than what would be the case if this issue is not broached.
It appears that any bill will include amnesty, because that is what the Democrats require. But amnesty demonstrates contempt for those who have obeyed our laws and are awaiting permission to legally emigrate to America. Can you imagine being a Filipino 12 years into a 15 year wait list and find out that South Americans who jumped the border last month are allowed to stay without issue? This effectively gives a green light to everyone that they should just come here anyway and worry about the consequences later, because there will likely never be any. That is hardly the right message to convey to the rest of the world.
At the same time, it is true that we do, as always, need immigrants. Our country has depended on them and benefited from them since its inception, and on the whole, they work at least as hard and are at least as productive, if not more so, than those born here. And we should want those who seek a better future to continue coming here, because we benefit from everyone who wants to work hard and strive for success. But the increasingly generous welfare state America has become is also a beacon for those who want to game the system. Without Obamacare, Obamaphones, and the other 126 federal anti-poverty programs, not to mention state funding, immigrants who are unprepared to make their own way would not come here and be a drain on our resources. We are already bankrupting ourselves trying to pay for these programs for our native born population – it will only hasten our demise if we open the floodgates to untold additional immigrant beneficiaries.
What we should ultimately push for is a program in which all immigrants are “sponsored.” That is, some individual or entity pledges to support the immigrant in the event they are unable to do so themselves. We currently have [8] sponsorship requirements in the law, but they need to be broadened to include almost all immigrants, and the terms and conditions need to be tightened. By ensuring that taxpayers are not on the hook for new Americans, we can continue to enjoy all the benefits of immigration while minimizing the risk.
More broadly speaking, we need immigration reform that sends two simultaneous messages. The first, that we will welcome you with open arms if you intend to be a productive participant in society. The second, that we will surely find you and deport you if your demonstrated intent is to feed at our welfare trough.
But one way or another, we should wait for all this. Wait until the Democrats are done hanging themselves with Obamacare instead of taking that rope away from them. Republicans are simply not going to be the party of immigrants. Half measures designed to provide more cheap labor or demonstrate they are not the hateful nativists the left claims them to be will produce minuscule benefits when compared with the risks of changing the subject and voluntarily moving a Democrat issue to the top of the agenda.