Tancredo: GOP's future? Or biggest problem?

Saturday's Greeley Tribune discusses the lack of support for Congressman Tom Tancredo from the rest of the Colorado delegation in his turf war with Diana DeGette.

Requests for comments from Coloradans on Capitol Hill were either declined outright or were felled by "busy schedules."

It's just one piece of the GOP's larger struggle with Tom Tancredo, whose readily-conceded fixation with illegal immigrants turned him into a pariah during Bush's first term. Tancredo's inflammatory rhetoric nevertheless gained tremendous support in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, readily evidenced by the manifold growth of his Immigration Reform Caucus.

Colorado GOP Chairman Bob Martinez, whose "job it is to support the President," has called on Tancredo and other local officials to "back off" criticism of the President's fairly liberal immigration reform agenda, while Bob Beauprez and Wayne Allard have both found it expedient to make controversial anti-immigrant comments of their own.

If that seems a little contradictory to you, we're inclined to agree. With demographics in America shifting strongly towards Hispanics as a decisive voting bloc,  while an angry backlash from the "White Right" fuels the rise of deeply controversial figures like Tancredo, one can easily see two potential outcomes (among many):

1) The GOP, led by the pro-immigrant Bush machine, exiles Tancredo and his following to a ten-mile strip along the Mexican border.

2) The GOP is taken over by Tancredo and his caucus, which many experts believe would amount to demographic suicide (see above).

With that, we'll open the floor for debate.

Comments

[seriously?]

Anyone else see the Greeley Tribune trying to milk this story for all its worth?

Everyone knows the GOP doesnt like Tancredo. How could they? It would be political suicide. I dont think he and his rabid supporters will be taking over that party any time soon.

Oh, and when did Bush become pro-immigrant? Sounds like you guys are using some of Tancredo's own language. Just because he came out with a guest-worker program 2 years ago doesnt make him 'pro-immigrant.'

[learnedhand]

RE: demographic suicide

I think there is some overestimation of the power of the hispanic vote.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Hispanics only accounted for 8% of the electorate in the 2004 election. Add to that the fact that only 1 in 5 eligible hispanic voters actually votes.
GOP in future generations, so in that case I agree with the "demographic suicide" comment. For the time being though I'm not so sure that this isn't a good strategy for the GOP. The claims of Republican inroads into the hispanic vote in 2004 have been discredited as being based on bad data and analysis. They're not winning the hispanic vote anyway so why not use immigration as a social wedge issue to get out the base.... gods, guns, gay, and protecting gueros....

[learnedhand]

hmmm, somehow I lost a sentence... before the word GOP insert

The current strategy could possibly hurt the

[Mario Nicolais]

I understand the demographics of illegal immigration, but still think it must be noted that Congressman Tancredo has never been anti-hispanic. He is simply against "illegal immigration," something I think Americans from all ethnic backgrounds should be able to agree upon.

Let's remember, the Congressman himself takes great pride in his family's own Italian background. Presumably, that history is of Italian-American immigrants. But in all likelihood they came through Ellis Island, legally.

While many people make this out to be a racial issue (because it sells more papers), the heart of this is "legal" vs. "illegal." America is a great country and the realization of a dream for many people around the world. But we are a country of laws and should not allow them to be undermined as the first act of people coming here to pursue their own American Dream, no matter what their ethnicity.

[No Mario]

Mario - While the argument over 'legal' vs. 'illegal' is a good and important one - it is not Tancredo's argument. Tancredo's talk does not match with his walk.

Tancredo believes in selective enforcement of our immigration policy. Specifically, he wants to build a huge frickin' wall along the U.S./Mexico border. Tancredo nowhere mentions a wall, or even speed-bump along the Canadian border. The people in Mexico are brown, while the people in Canada are white. Thus, Tancredo wants to wall-off the browns and not the whites.

If this was truly about immigration, Tancredo would ask for tighter controls everywhere. He simply does not. So, we are asked to see past Tancredo's veil and see him for what he is. A sad little man who gets very uncomfortable around anyone with a tan.

[Donald E. L. Johnson]

Seems like your premise is wrong. Colorado's Republicans seem to be joining Tancredo in calling for secure borders and an end to illegal immigration.

All support legal immigration.

And it's not just many white folks who oppose illegal immigration. Many blacks and many Hispanics do as well.

If there is a "pariah" in the Colorado GOP, it may be Bob Martinez, who's job is to promote Colorado Republicans, not demonize them. It is not his job to support the president in his fight with the Colorado delegation.

If the president wants to hold the House in 2006, he'd better listen to Tancredo, the Colorado delegation and the Immigration Reform Congress, not the corrupted chambers of commerce and trade associations of the industries that are illegally exploiting illegals---construction, agribusiness, hospitality and others.

Martinez and Bush must support the rule of law, not the corruption of our society by illegal immigrants ant the lawyers and lobbyists who are exploiting them.

[peterco]

An end to illegal immigration is only possible if you make "Fortress America" or open the doors completely. Both choices are untenable. This is like a gun debate in reverse, where you have people saying you need new laws and the other side says you need the government to enforce the ones they already have.

Bush used an optout clause to get out of hiring 2000 Border Patrol agents this year - you can tell which side he is on.

[Angelo]

Tancredo, like Pat Buchanan, is the exception and not the norm by which the GOP will guide itself in the 21st Century.

The immigration issue will not cost the Republican Party the Hispanic vote. At least, not on its own. However, comments along the lines of "Mexican time" could.

If there is to a be a positive "anti-illegal immigration movement" it has to offer an intelligent policy alternative that makes legal immigration an easier dream to achieve.

Unless you are a full blood native American Indian (and I mean a real one, not like Ward Churchill) you are the decendant of an immigrant. That opportunity, which your ancestors enjoyed, must never be denied.

[Count Blah]

THe proble, with Tancredo, Don Johnson and the rest of the ilk is that they have traded their hoods in for mesh hats. The issue is xenophobia and the fear of a loss of the "american way" of life. I say relax, at least there will be an improvement in the quality of Mexican food all across America.

[insulted]

Donald - How in the world is Bob Martinez the Pariah? He is in step with the majority of the GOP delegation - just because he isn't radical and is trying to take middle ground on this complicated issue? HARDLY.

This issue isnt as black and white as the Tancredo cult would like everyone to believe.

If you really think that this issue - and especially Tom Tancredo - is going to influence the election next year you really have been drinking his Kool-Aid.

Tancredo is not mainstream and he does not speak for the majority of Republicans in Colorado. And frankly as a Republican myself, I find it insulting to suggest so.

I appreciate the efforts to tone down his rhetoric - he is an extremist and I, for one, do not one to be in the same category as him.

Dont make broad generalizations about things that you do not have the authority or knowledge to do so.

[Donald E. L. Johnson]

Insulted,
Guess you don't attend Republican meetings, talk to Republicans or read the polls, because you're way out of touch with the sentiments of the GOP when it comes to illegal immigration.

We're insulted that the president of the U.S. is not only refusing to secure our borders but is encouraging illegal immigration. We're insulted that we are spending billions on the war in Iraq and minimal amounts on border security. We're insulted that the president lies about the economic importance of illegal immigrants to our country. And we're insulted that anyone would pretend that Republicans who believe in the rule of law would ever support illegal immigration and the insecurity of our borders.

You can bet that this will be an issue in the 2006 and 2008 elections, unless the president gets on the correct side of the issue, which is 180 degrees from where he now is. He, like to many other Americans, is being corrupted by the illegal immigrants and their government in Mexico.

[Donald E. L. Johnson]

How will this proposed boycott affect the immigration debate?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/07/05/BL2005070500674.html

[brio]

Mmmm, Mexican food.

[Mario Nicolais]

First, Donald, I think that may be the first time we have agreed.

Second, I appreciate anyone on this site who disavails themself of anonymity. You gotta love Count Blah making a comment about trading in hoods while posting from an anonymous screenname. Oh how the irony floweth...

Finally, Mi Cabana at 44th and Kipling. Best Mexican food in town. I think that should officially be the Colorado Polls next poll. Best locale for Mexican, starting with my nomination. Who knows, the website might actually produce something useful rather than our idle chitter-chatter.

[Hugo O'conor]

Don,
Have you ever heard of Daffy Duck or Speedy Gonzalez? Those cartoons do not have racial overtones, no sir. Daffy duck has been on a stamp and no one complained. Could it be that the culture is different?

Get out of your ivory tower and go talk to some real immigrants, will you?

I too go to Republican meetings. I talk to Republicans. I know that polls can be skewed to give you the answers you want. I know that while illegal immigration is wrong, the system for legal immigration is more wrong. You're not going to fix illegal immigration until you fix legal immigration.
Tancredo's grandfather "legally" immigrated from Italy. He was put on a boat as a child by his relatives with the name and address of other relatives here in the states pinned to his chest. Would that work in this day and age? with the current immigration laws, would he be admitted? Would he even have a chance? Immigration needs have changed and the laws need to adapt, as they have done so before, to accommodate the new needs of the nation.

[brio]

Mario - better than the rellenos, green chile, adobada, et al at Tacos Jalisco? I'm there!

[insulted]

Donald -
No one from the GOP supports illegal immigration or encourages it. Bob Martinez has said that, President Bush has said that.........

you just seem to be reading of Tom Tancredo's talking points without actually knowing what our REAL GOP lawmakers are actually proposing. Its called an immigration plan that actually addresses the reality of the situation instead of inflamming the situation and doing everything but to help.

And the President has done more to protect the borders of our country than any other President in our history. He has a record he can stand on with that - maybe you should take some time to look at what he actually has done instead of just repeating the words that come out of Tancredo's mouth. For the sake of keeping the post shorter, I wont list all of the funding, programs and technology he has deployed to hire more border agents, make more arrests, make more deportations hold more hearings and prosecute more criminal illegal immigrants in the HISTORY of illegal immigration. The numbers are real.

That man is a joke of a Congressman - he gets his kicks out of making a fiasco out of this one issue because its the only way he will get press or attention. If for one minute you think he invented the immigration issue, you are sadly mistaken.

[Paul]

funny, but if you ask me, no one, and i mean NO one, talks about the real trouble with legal and illegal immigration...i don't know why the truth makes people so uncomfortable, but the fact is, The U.S. does not need any more crowded cities, highways, schools or hospitals. someone ( who is not a lobbyist for the developer/US chamber of commerce types ) is finally going to figure out that, at 300 million and skyrocketing, we don't need anymore people in the U.S., the net change needs to be stabalized, we don't need anymore growth, at least not the stupid kind, nto that there is hardly ever any smart growth. the real crime of immigration, is that this is 2006, not 1906, and our country hardly needs anymore people. or maybe you people have never driven in chicago, new york, l.a. or houston

[Karla]

"Illegal" immigration grows out of laws created by politicians to prevent new immigrants from entering or staying in the country legally all in the hopes of winning votes. Laws that were non-existing when Tom Tancredo's grandfather arrived in the states. Now, his own grandkid is preventing kids in the same situation from entering the country and even going out of his way to deport an honor student because of his legal status. Shame on him. Tancredo would be speaking italian if these laws would have been in effect when his grandfather migrated to the country. The fear with new immigrants,they say, is that they take away jobs from American Citizens. Really? Are American Citizens who speak the language and know the system that inept? Are new immigrants a real threat? No, new immigrants take jobs that American don't want to do. Is that why Americans are so angry? Then, there is the issue of overpopulation. You can give me examples of cities such as Chicago, New York and Houston, but aren't those big cities anyway? How about Kansas, Arkansa or Idaho to mention a few. Furthermore, the economy benefits from new customers and Target, Walmart and K-mart will not disagree. Overpopulation is a world issue and not our country's issue. China's population is huge, nonetheless, their economy is booming. Reality is that Overpopulation is only controlled by preventing the CHILD BIRTH RATE. Maybe we should invest our money in educating our teenagers about this issue, instead of wasting our money on a wall that will be defeated one way or another. Immigrants might be "the stuped kind" but they have learned to survive and that is what is so admiring. They don't ask for 1st class seats as many Americans expect , they only ask to make room for them to stand. The only question I ask Tom Tancredo is: Who is your next target to win the conservative's votes? Abortion? Gay marriages? Religion?....Scary indeed.