Which Way, GOP - Part 1 - Immigration

The Republican Governor's Association and the Republican National Committee are engaged in serious soul-searching as I write this. Everyone is asking, "What went wrong in 2008?" and "How can we (or can we at all) win again?"

These are valid questions, and it is important to answer them before we attempt to define the national dialogue.

Well, what did go wrong? In the next few blog posts, I will identify what I believe to be problems with the GOP's strategy in the last four years.

I think our biggest failure was in communicating a sound immigration strategy in 2006 and 2007. Much blame can be placed on all sides: The Bush administration put forward a plan that didn't have the support of his party, let alone the support of many Democrats. This unpopular plan never really got off the ground. In addition, the Bush plan did not do enough to secure the borders, thus assuring it would receive no support whatsoever from border-security supporters.

On the other hand, conservative talkshow hosts like Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage (I use the term conservative loosly), and others argued against Bush's immigration plan tactlessly. Ingraham delighted in recounting stories of another mugging by an illegal immigrant, car stolen by an illegal immigrant, and woman raped by illegal immigrant, despite the fact that these anecdotes do not prove the point for immigration reform. The fact is, most of the criminals in my town who are raping, burning, and killing are citizens of the United States, and I have yet to hear Ingraham comment on that. Savage, on the other hand, lived up to his name with a negative attitude toward illegal immigrants that went beyond respect for the rule of law. (Along this line, I commend Mark Levin who vociferously opposed the Bush immigration reform, yet condemned callers who referred to the immigrants as "cockroaches.")

Opponents of the immigration plan immediately seized on its weaknesses and started trumpeting "language, culture, borders" as their cry. Now, I see that illegal immigration poses a threat to America's security because it opens the borders up to unknown intruders who may be terrorists or criminals. However, I do not see a threat in an influx of residents who eat tacos instead of hamburgers. Our melting pot is not threatened by new cultures.

In addition, the Hispanic population particularly affords cultural improvement: most hard-working immigrants from Mexico consider themselves pro-life and pro-family, making them an ideal demographic for American immigration.

Unfortunately, the dialogue on both sides became heated and combative: La Raza decried American values and conservative commentators, on the other hand, denigrated Mexican immigrants.

The bottom line: half of America hated Bush for proposing immigration reform, and the rest hated the conservatives for their opposition to immigration reform.

You know the rest: even though McCain was the strongest backer of immigration reform, he lost the Hispanic vote substantially.

Where do we go from here? Fight for border security and immigration reform without being angry about it. Put a human face on immigration and do what is best for the nation and the families caught in the balance. Above all, argue with "candor, intelligence, and goodwill." That's how we'll change the debate in 2010.