Experts Expound

Experts Expound

“In 1994, with Pete Wilson and Prop 187, immigration was a hot issue in California’s political races. Will 2010 be a repeat, given the Arizona law? If so, what impact will it have?”

The Arizona law will drive the political mobilization of Latinos this fall, helping CA Democrats offset Meg’s Mega Millions.

This year’s ballot themes are weed and greed. If immigration were a polling place topic, we’d be saying Adios Republicanos. Sadly, that’s not the case.

Republicans should listen to George W and Karl rather than John and Ken on this issue. Bye-bye to the Southwest for 40 years in presidential politics and without the Southwest … the GOP can’t win.

It would be nice to light a fire under the Latino sleeping giant.

If California’s Latinos went to the polls in numbers that truly represent their piece of the population, than anti-immigration proposals would be DOA.

California doesn’t listen to Arizona on anything else – why this?

California voters barely pay attention to our own laws.  Arizona’s law will not impact our elections.

In the gubernatorial race, it will only be an issue if Poizner is the Republican candidate. In other words, it won’t be an issue.
No repeat.  Mexicans are too important to California…..

Yes, immigration will be a hot issue – but this time the context will be budgetary. Brown is going to side with the unions and the other “undocumented democrat” interests and the republican candidate if it is Whitman will weenie. If Poizner is unlucky enough to win the primary he will boldly go where others might not.

It would be hard to duplicate what Pete Wilson did to stir up Latino passions in California, but Arizona’s flawed attempt at immigration “reform” promises to take Latino bashing nationally.  If so, it could sadly be the Willie Horton-ization of an issue that demands compassion, fairness and clear thinking, all of which are in short supply in an economically stressed country.

Andrew Acosta, A.G. Block, Mark Bogetich, Barry Brokaw, Morgan Crinklaw, J Dale Debber, Peter DeMarco, Mike Donovan, Jim Evans, Kathy Fairbanks, Jeff Fuller, Rex Frazier, Ken Gibson, Evan Goldberg, Deborah Gonzalez, Sandy Harrison, Bob Hertzberg, Jason Kinney, Greg Lucas, Mike Madrid, Nicole Mahrt, Steve Maviglio,  Adam Mendelsohn, Barbara O’Connor, Bill Packer, Kassy Perry, Jack Pitney, Adam Probolsky, Tony Quinn, Matt Rexroad, Matt Ross, Roger Salazar, Dan Schnur, Will Shuck, Ralph Simoni, Sam Sorich, Ray Sotero, Garry South,

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