The Patriot Post® · Open Borders?
When conservatives suggest that it should be the nation’s policy to deport all illegal immigrants, the response from the media, the left, and, sadly, even some quarters of the right is, “That’s ridiculous. You’re not going to deport 11 million people.”
Well, based on their statements at last night’s debate, the opposite view of open borders and no deportations appears to be the new standard on the left. Both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders promised to go farther than Barack Obama in protecting illegal immigrants.
In fact, Mrs. Clinton’s comments seemed to take amnesty advocate Jorge Ramos of Univision by surprise. Consider this exchange:
RAMOS: “So you are telling us tonight that if you become president you won’t deport children who are already here?”
CLINTON: “I will not.”
RAMOS: “And that you won’t deport immigrants who don’t have a criminal record?”
CLINTON: “That’s what I’m telling you… the undocumented people living in our country, I do not want to see them deported. I want to see them on a path to citizenship. That is exactly what I will do.”
That position runs counter to virtually every public poll. For example:
Bloomberg recently reported that “Sixty-one percent of Americans agree that ‘continued immigration into the country jeopardizes the United States.’”
A recent Rasmussen poll found that 59% of likely voters said that “gaining control of the border should be the priority when it comes to immigration reform.” Just 34% said the priority should be providing legal status to illegal immigrants.
A July 2015 Gallup poll found that only 25% of Americans felt that immigration levels should be increased.
If the official position of the government is going to be that no one gets deported, the obvious question is this: “Is there any limit at all on how many people would be allowed to enter the country?”
This is not just an academic question. Many school districts and local tax jurisdictions are struggling to pay for non-English speaking students. This has serious implications for hard-working taxpayers.
Stay tuned! Immigration has played a big role in the 2016 campaign and it looks like the issue will continue to dominate the debate.
Palestinian Terrorist Kills U.S. Veteran
Taylor Force, a 28 year-old West Point graduate and veteran of Iran and Afghanistan, was murdered Tuesday by a Palestinian terrorist. Force was in Israel on a trip sponsored by Vanderbilt University, where he was earning his MBA degree, to explore the country’s thriving economic startup industry.
While strolling along a Tel Aviv boardwalk, Force was attacked by Bashar Masalha, a West Bank Palestinian. Masalha also attacked at least eleven other people before he was shot by police.
As Israelis and Americans mourn the loss of Force, the Palestinian Authority praised the murderer. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, offered his condolences, but refused to condemn the attack. The official Fatah Facebook page posted the following statement of praise to the “martyrs”:
“O the pride of all of the young Palestinians, may your blood remain a source of true honor for the homeland for which you sacrificed all – even your precious lives. We promise you that your blood will continue to be a torch that illuminates our path…”
Moreover, official PA TV stated that, “Twelve settlers were hurt, among them an American tourist who was killed.” Notice the word “settlers.”
Jaffa-Tel Aviv, where Taylor was killed, is not a disputed territory. It is nowhere near the West Bank or Gaza. Claiming the Tel Aviv victims to be “settlers” reveals the radical Islamic supremacist mindset that dominates Palestinian culture, which sees all of Israel as “occupied territory” to be liberated.
This is the same Palestinian Authority that American taxpayers are subsidizing each and every year with hundreds of millions of our hard-earned tax dollars.
Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah Party are described in the media and by many politicians as “moderates.”
The Obama Administration is demanding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu make additional concessions to Abbas and the Palestinians.
This Palestinian Authority that praised the murder of an American veteran is supposed to be Israel’s “peace partner.” The Palestinians are not interested in peace with Israel or even a piece of Israel — they want it all!
Reagan & Blue Collar Workers
There’s a lot of commentary suggesting that the turmoil in the primary season this year is being fueled in part by an uprising of blue collar workers. There certainly appears to be significant evidence to support that. Sadly, some pundits also claim that this uprising is destroying Reagan conservatism. That is absurd.
Ronald Reagan was the candidate who drew blue collar voters, along with evangelicals, to the Republican Party and transformed the governing coalition of America for decades. He didn’t do it with just rhetoric; he did it with real policies.
We hear a lot about how Reagan’s reduction of marginal tax rates spurred economic growth. What you don’t hear much about is that Reagan doubled the personal exemption, increased the standard deduction, and tripled the earned income tax credit — policies he hoped would greatly benefit working class families with children. The Wall Street Journal hated the proposal.
Yes, Reagan believed in free markets, but he did not hesitate to use tariffs to protect iconic American industries, like Harley-Davidson. Reagan understood that it was more than just a motorcycle company, it was a big part of the culture of blue collar America. He was endorsed by the Teamsters, which sent shockwaves through the left.
Countless blue collar workers in America had known Ronald Reagan for years as a spokesman for General Electric. He toured the country speaking at GE factories and eating with the workers. When Reagan’s populist message was heard back in the corporate suites, it contributed to Reagan and GE parting ways.
Ronald Reagan was just as comfortable campaigning in a hardhat as he was in a cowboy hat. Blue collar populism isn’t distorting Reagan conservatism; it was always a huge part of it.