Comments on: Lou Dobbs’s resignation from CNN could be a disaster for the GOP

By: Gross Recipes for Halloween » Michael Roston – Newsbroke – Lou Dobbs’s Resignation From Cnn …

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:01:34 +0000

[...] Sure, there’s Tom Tancredo , but he can’t control his temper and demonstrated his ineffectiveness on the campaign trail before we even got to 2008. He just doesn’t inspire a crowd. Dobbs can. He will be able to put a well-liked (among …This Blog [...]

By: goudy1

goudy1 — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:19:04 +0000

Mr. Roston,

If it were not for the fact that Obama will attempt to deliver a lot of pork to Blue Dog’s in order for them to vote his way, I would say you’re right. However, the President does have the taxpayer’s money and it is a powerful force.

Also note that Owens in NY23 was against the public option and against any plan that would cut Medicare- at least when he was running. Once elected, he followed the party line and voted for it. As Joe Wilson might say- “You Lie.”

Should Obama make this a 2nd term issue. Politically he should. But he is committed to the pro-amnesty (basically Hispanic) crowd and he feels he must deliver fast.

At least that is the way I see it.

By: Michael Roston

Michael Roston — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:04:56 +0000

I don’t think many Blue Dogs will have trouble moving to the right on immigration reform – after all, they’ve done so on abortion, health care reform, etc. I guess I’m more curious to know whether or not Obama will feel compelled in any way to raise the issue in ‘10 or even ‘12 for that matter – it sounds more like a second term issue.

By: goudy1

goudy1 — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:46:16 +0000

A question not asked is: “How will this affect Blue Dog Democrats”?

Most citizens do not want amnesty of any form or by any name. The political liberal and business elites want it, which is the only reason the issue draws any political traction. Left to the voters, there would be deportation and not amensty.

So what does a Democrat do in a distict that is moderate to conservative. Believe me, in many areas of the country this will be a real testing point. And by Obama bringing it up in an election year, well, let’s say, it will be most interesting.

By: Michael Roston

Michael Roston — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:13:36 +0000

Marky, I think it’s going to take more hope than a million Obamaniacs marching on Denver to make that happen.

By: markynj

markynj — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:37:27 +0000

keep spreading the words of Hope
Lou Dobbs for president of The United States, say it over and over again till it comes true!

By: Michael Roston

Michael Roston — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:46:45 +0000

You’re right that it’s not a single killer issue. But in the world of primaries between moderate and hardline conservatives, it’s a wedge issue. And the noisier the anti-immigration animus gets, it also helps Democrats persuade Latino voters to turn out in droves in their favor in tough elections.

By: Michael Roston

Michael Roston — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:44:41 +0000

As far as the 2008 election went, it was helpful of course that Senators McCain and Obama weren't too far off from one another on the issue. But I'm not sure I agree with you that it will be a big wedge issue among Democrats. Gallup polled the issue this summer and it showed a wild swing against immigration among Republicans. Certainly, Democrats and independents are less supportive of immigration than they were pre-recession, but that poll shows a less intense shift among anti-immigration passions in those categories. So that's why I think this is a bigger problem for the GOP than for Democrats. It's not a core concern for them like it is for Republicans.

By: misterb

misterb — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:26:34 +0000

I’m not sure I agree with your conclusion, but you bring attention to an important point. Immigration will be the ultimate wedge issue in our society as employment continues to underperform. I think that the Democrats have more to lose on this issue. It’s the traditional labor base that is hurting in the jobless “recovery”, and immigrants will be the first target as resentment of unemployment rises. Add in Islamic immigrants as a target, and the multi-culturalism of the liberal intelligentsia will be a massive wedge at the heart of the Democratic caucus. With a pissed-off Lou Dobbs leading a “non-partisan” charge, Obama and the legislative Democrats had better drop everything to get people jobs or 1994 will look like a picnic compared to 2010.
BTW, I’m a child of immigrants and an aficionado of different cultures. I disagree strongly with Lou Dobbs’s attitude, but history shows that the last people on the bus draw an unfair share of the resentment when the going gets crowded.

By: Steve Vockrodt

Steve Vockrodt — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:53:25 +0000

My guess is with the way the country’s political discourse has gone in the last few years, navel-gazers like Dobbs won’t have much traction on anyone’s campaigns. Even if Tancredo could have cooled his heels and be articulate, it just seems like there are too many different subjects to chip away at (health care, taxes, domestic security, wars overseas, ect.) for anyone to expect to get too far in the polls by hopping up and down on just one wedge issue like immigration.