"Anchor Babies" and the 14th Amendment

[Charles]

Originally Posted by noonereal

you are God damed right

Thank you Noon.

I always feel better when my bat bites the leather.

Chas

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Charles

Thank you Noon.

I always feel better when my bat bites the leather.

Chas

I swear you have a monopoly on little known expressions.

[d-ray657]

I guess I define a wedge issue a little differently. It's not an issue designed to stir up one party or another's natural constituency, but to drive a wedge between people who might otherwise be attracted to a party but for one issue that drives them away. For example the gift-wrapped issue for the GOP in 2000 was gay marriage. Many who might have otherwise voted democratic opposed gay marriage and saw the democrats as more likely to support it. The Willie Horton commercial obviously meant to scare white voters and make that concern more important than pocketbook issues. A classic wedge issue is gun control. Even a moderate view on gun control laws tags a party with the idea of gun confiscation and, for some people overcomes all other issues. I remember seeing bumper sticker: "Union Member and Gun Owner." That drives a wedge between Democrats and their natural constituency.

Actually, I guess the Iraq war did turn out to be a pretty good wedge issue for the Democrats beginning in '06. Even Republicans were fed up with it by then, and the GOP was painted with it.

Sorry for rambling. Too lazy to clean this post up.

Regards,

D-Ray

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

Actually, I guess the Iraq war did turn out to be a pretty good wedge issue for the Democrats beginning in '06. Even Republicans were fed up with it by then, and the GOP was painted with it.

I pretty much share your understanding of the nature of wedge issues except when it comes to the above. I think of wedge issues as ones chosen primarily for the purpose of causing divisions between people who might otherwise form a "natural constituency" or keep an identifiable group, like blue collar workers, from gravitating toward the party or ideology which best speaks to their concerns.

The Iraq war fails that test for me. I think the anti-war people were motivated by moral considerations, understanding that the reasons we were given for invading Iraq were both insufficient to justify the proposed course of action and false on their face. In fact, at least initially, the identification of Democrats as anti-war actually cost them support. They (we) were seen as unpatriotic, disloyal and unconcerned with the welfare of our troops. Sort of a wedge issue in reverse.

John

[d-ray657]

Yeah, good point John. My comparison of the war to a wedge issue is that the war separated many republicans from their party at that time. However, that was the failure of the policy, not the creation of a false issue.

Regards,

D-Ray

[finnbow]

Per a couple of online dictionaries, a wedge issue is a "a sharply divisive political issue, especially one that is raised by a candidate or party in hopes of attracting or disaffecting a portion of an opponent's customary supporters."


This definition comports with what you were saying, Don. That said, the idea of illegals coming over here simply to hatch babies and take advantage of American largess is just that, IMHO. Accordingly, I fixed the last sentence in my OP.

[merrylander]

BTW, regarding Willie Horton the law by which he was let out was passed by the Republican governor who preceeded Dukakis.

[finnbow]

Here's a well written editorial on the subject of "anchor babies."

[Charles]

Originally Posted by merrylander

BTW, regarding Willie Horton the law by which he was let out was passed by the Republican governor who preceeded Dukakis.

That's true, But Dukakis had a hand in modifying it to where also applied to criminals with records like Horton.

Under the original Republican law, Horton would not have been released.

Of course, back when I was a screw, I used to release an inmate to go to Lincoln University every day. He was serving 4 life + 50's for 4 1st degree murders...and he never caused any trouble.

Left up to me, I would have locked him in a hole and pumped daylight to him, but it wasn't left up to me.

But I'm kinda funny about things like that.

Chas

[Charles]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Here's a well written editorial on the subject of "anchor babies."

Now my op ed piece states that if you are born in this country to parents who are here illegally, you don't get automatic citizenship, you don't pass go, you don't collect 200 bucks...what you get is you and your family shipped back across the border because all of you were here illegally in the first place.

I will admit, you op ed piece IS better written!!!

Chas