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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHopes Frustrated, Many Latinos Reject the Ballot Box Altogether
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/31/us/hopes-frustrated-many-latinos-reject-the-ballot-box-altogether.htmlLatinos mainly blame Republicans, who control the House and have buried the Senate bill, but they also have soured on Mr. Obama. The federal government has so aggressively enforced existing immigration laws that one national Hispanic leader recently nicknamed the president deporter in chief for allowing nearly two million people to be deported. A day after that widely reported gibe in Washington, at Denvers Spanish-language radio station KBNO (Que Bueno to its audience), the host Fernando Sergio devoted his three-hour talk show to asking listeners whether they agreed with the criticism, or has President Obama done the best he can against Republican opposition?
The majority were very angry at the president, Mr. Sergio said in an interview at the station, where pictures of John and Robert Kennedy, Bill Clinton and Mr. Obama hang on the walls. People feel like hes made some promises that he hasnt fulfilled, that he can do more like expand his 2012 order that deferred deportations of young people brought to the country as children, a group known as Dreamers. If I were a Democratic consultant, Mr. Sergio added, I would have been concerned.
...
The president told them that his secretary of homeland security, Jeh Johnson, would review the deportation system. But Mr. Obama lowered expectations by reiterating that administration lawyers say he cannot take action beyond his 2012 order benefiting the so-called Dreamers. The advocates expressed skepticism.
This is what happens when we don't fight hard enough for our ideals. It's not that immigration reform hasn't been passed, it's that our side has neither made our fight public enough, nor stood up for immigrants facing deportation. And then we wonder why the voters don't show up.
Lady Freedom Returns
(14,120 posts)Cha
(297,692 posts)lunamagica
(9,967 posts)resolution in sight. And Latinos are just expected to keep the faith?
Democrats are taking Latinos for granted. This can backfire BIG TIME.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)lunamagica
(9,967 posts)first year as president. He made this promise over, and over again.
HE was the one who promised. Latinos believed this promise and voted for him.
HE is the one who should not have made a promise he could not/would not fulfill.
Me explaining how it passes congress? That's just stupid. I'm nobody. I never made any promise. It was the president who did
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Oh wait...
Sure, and since you can't come up with a way to get it through Congress, it's much better to attack Obama instead. Otherwise you might have to concede that Congress is the problem.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)Seriously, how is beating up on this person doing ANY good for anyone?
I am friends with MANY Dreamers. They are frustrated, frightened and despondent.
Obama campaigned on Hope and Change.
So far, THEIR hopes have been dashed, and the only change they've seen are kids terrified to sign up as Dreamers because they would be admitting their parents are here illegally. These Dreamers believe they would be putting their parents on a list for deportation.
You aren't changing anything by the unmitigated gall you display by addressing your fellow Democrats with such abject disdain.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)The problem is Congress. We need to fix Congress. You know what doesn't fix Congress? Yelling at Obama.
The NSA? The problem is Congress - we need new privacy laws, because the telcos and Google are doing far worse. You know what doesn't fix Congress? Yelling at Obama.
Global warming? The problem is Congress. You know what doesn't fix Congress? Yelling at Obama.
Help the 1% instead of the 99%? The problem is Congress. You know what doesn't fix Congress? Yelling at Obama.
So how about we focus on the actual source of these problems? That way we might actually get something done. Though that would require not yelling at Obama.....decisions, decisions.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)when you learn that basic rule of politics, you'll be far more successful.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)And learning that the Executive branch does not pass laws.
When you understand that, and stop yelling at the wrong person, you will be far more successful.
ETA: Assuming your goal isn't the yelling.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)through the internet! LOL, you never know.....
When you stop attacking your fellow members of this site, you may earn some respect.
Until then, it's game on.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)No one ever uses a word in any situation other than it's literal meaning. In fact, I can hear you speak through the NSA-installed bugs planted throughout your house, so I know exactly what you have been yelling.
You know what I care about? Labor. Women's rights. LGBT rights. Immigration reform. Privacy. Global warming. Cutting corporate welfare.
You know what falls well below those? The respect of people who blame Obama for Congress's failures.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)Yet you still refuse to address any of the FACTS I presented which are actually ON TOPIC to the OP.
So why the hell did you come in this thread to beat up on fellow Democrats who happen to CARE about the latino vote?
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Or cause Congress to pass laws.
Because those fellow Democrats are complaining about the wrong people. You might as well be complaining that your mailman has not passed immigration reform.
If they actually CARE about latinos, then they should be going after the people who actually cause the problem.
If the only CARE about the latino vote, then they should stop claiming Obama can pass laws. Then they could move on to wondering why they care about the latino vote and not latinos.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)plain and simple. You see, your excuses won't hold any more water out in the "real" world than they do right here on DU.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Instead, you're tossing insults and shoving your fingers into your ears.
Literally, of course. I wouldn't want you to think I was using any sort of symbolism.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)over the last few months has convinced many of us that trying to have anything resembling a conversation, which requires critical thinking, with you an exercise in futility.
Not wasting my time.
I'm going to follow your lead and fling poo all over DU until you and your gang stops beating up on your own.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)Don't promise things you can't or won't deliver on from the office for which you're running.
bornskeptic
(1,330 posts)or income inequality or anything else but foreign policy and national security? Foreign policy and national security are the only areas where the president has the power to do much of anything, and on homeland security his power is really limited.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)Just don't make promises you can't or won't keep.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)Amazing how some believe making empty promises on a campaign trail is not big deal..
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Boy, that's really gonna get laws passed.
Next you should complain how Obama gutted the voting rights act.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)What I actually wrote had nothing to do with Congress 'blocking' anything, but was instead about people making promises when they didn't have the power to actually carry them out.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Because no such promise of dictatorial power was actually made. Obama never said he would seize power and bring about immigration reform.
Yes, you're blaming the wrong person, so that you can complain about him.
Now if you actually wanted to pass immigration reform, you'd probably be complaining about the people who failed to do so, and continue to block it. You know, Congress.
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)You'd be better off watching Jeff and how he processes the workings of govenment rather than attempting to jump onto bandwagon of nothing more than knee jerk reactions that misdirect and misinform.
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)the President can't pass laws himself is too difficult for you to understand? It seems you are the one without a working understanding of how our government works. I wanted a single payer healthcare system and didn't get that but I certainly wouldn't let it keep me home on election day.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)Obama campaigned on Hope and Change.
So far, THEIR hopes have been dashed, and the only change they've seen are kids terrified to sign up as Dreamers because they would be admitting their parents are here illegally. These Dreamers believe they would be putting their parents on a list for deportation.
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)chances for change in the area of immigration are better having the pubbies in charge, by all means, stay home. But then quit your bitching cuz nobody is going to care.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)NOT!
BTW, the OP is about LATINO VOTERS, not me.
But, if your nastiness makes you feel better, you keep it up. I'm sure you'll help turnout during the election.
In the meantime, I'm going to keep encouraging the DREAMERS I know to GOTV despite the broken promises.
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)Unless anyone sits on their asses and doesn't vote. We've all got reasons to be disappointed - that would never keep me from not voting. If you think that's an answer, knock yourself out.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)or do you just randomly fling poo all over DU because you're throwing a temper tantrum?
Never mind, stupid question. You actions make it moot.
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)that many people simply don't agree with you and that doesn't make them wrong and you right? If you think that's a temper tantrum, you must regularly head to the fainting couch with the vapors - that also would not be my problem.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)What did Latinos get for all their support? Record deportations. A real kick in the face. Things didn't even remain the same, they got worse than ever. Is it so difficult to understand the reason for the disappointment and desperation?
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)You obviously think that'll help so have at it. I'm sure the pubbies will be much more sympathetic (you know, when they're not comparing you to drug mules and prostitutes).
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)leftynyc
(26,060 posts)or anyone else to BEG you to do something that people all over the world are literally dying to do, forget it.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)Glitterati
(3,182 posts)they could care less if the Democrats win another election. Their hero won his last election, so no further need to vote as far as they are concerned.
Hell, the teapublicans couldn't be any better at suppressing turnout than these poo flingers.
Cha
(297,692 posts)House Democrats gather at the Capitol to introduce a procedural move that would force a House vote on comprehensive immigration reform.
With only 199 House Democratic members, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) knew before, during, and after a Democratic leadership-led press conference on the steps of the Capitol that a procedural motion aimed at forcing a vote on comprehensive immigration reform would fail to garner the required 218 signatures needed to send an immigration bill to the House floor without first being passed out of committee. That discharge petition requires a bipartisan miracle and House Republicans have been unwilling to budge. But the Democrat-led effort is intended to call out Republicans who have called immigration the 800-pound gorilla, but have done little to come up with a solution.
At the conference, several Democratic leaders and celebrity America Ferrera expressed their hope that the Demand A Vote discharge petition for the House Democrat-introduced comprehensive immigration bill would successfully make House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) allow a vote on immigration reform. Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) said, one person should not stand in the way of the will of the country. Separately, during general speeches on the House floor, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said, we have created a dysfunctional immigration system that does not meet our needs while Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA) touted the benefits of immigration reform, saying that the bill would supercharge the economy of our great nation.
MOre..
http://thinkprogress.org/immigration/2014/03/26/3419040/house-democrats-introduce-immigration-discharge-petition/
Our "hero"..
President Obama listens to hunger striker Eliseo Medina as he and the First Lady visit with immigration protesters in their tent on the Washingon Mall November 29. Since November 12, immigration advocates comprising Fast for Families have abstained from food as they call on congress to take up action on the immigration issue.
Obamas visit immigration hunger strikers
snip..
"In June, the Senate passed an immigration bill that would increase spending by more than $30 billion for border security and allow most of the estimated 11 million people in the country illegally to eventually become citizens after paying fines and submitting to background checks. The bill has gone nowhere in the House."
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/nov/29/nation/la-na-obama-mall-20131130
House Democrats Arrested In Immigration Reform Protest
"The protest came after more than 160 rallies for immigration reform were held across the country on Saturday, and slightly less than a week after House Democrats introduced their own immigration bill based on two pieces of bipartisan legislation: one from the Senate and one approved by the House Homeland Security Committee.
But the action also came during a government shutdown and a brewing fight over raising the debt limit -- and after months of House Republican leadership firmly stating that they will not hold a vote on the Senate immigration bill or anything else that a majority of GOP members oppose."
MOre..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/08/house-democrats-arrested-immigration_n_4066253.html
Members of congress calling for comprehensive immigration reform stand in unison before they were detained by police in front of the U.S. Capital Building in Washington on Oct. 8, 2013.
http://www.ibtimes.com/several-members-congress-including-least-8-house-democrats-arrested-immigration-rally-washington
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)I just find it amusing...and pathetic
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)but I've grown tired of it.
It's time to play their game, on their terms. And, if they want to attack, they're going to find that's exactly what they get in return.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)That's why people vote. To get 'hard' things passed, meaning they expect those they vote for to FIGHT.
We've had very hard things passed in our history. They didn't get passed by making excuses.
Politicians fight for what they believe in. When they don't fight, the only thing the people can assume is, it just wasn't a top priority for them.
If you're arguing against fighting, I hope your view is a minority view in the Democratic Party.
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)No one is arguing against fighting for what you want to see in society. But there is a system in place to arrive at those rules and it is set in our Constitution and laws. To me, it sometimes sounds like singling out PBO to castigate and excoriate is an excuse to not tackle the very hard job of replacing some very bad legislators. Some one on another thread asked about why people do not come here to do more than complain but present "progressive" candidates to support or ideas or groups to get behind. I've asked that in the past upon several occasions. Continual complaining is just that--continual complaining. There is pie in the sky and then there is feet on the ground feel the dirt beneath my feet. Tilling the soil and seeding it is just as important as wishing for dessert. Someone has to grow them apples and grind the flour. I hope that metaphor makes my point.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Instead, you always reply against what is not actually in the posts. Instead, you fight the demons in your imagination. Every. Single. Time.
The lack of immigration reform is Congress's failure.
The lack of new privacy laws is Congress's failure.
The lack of single-payer is Congress's failure.
The fact that Gitmo is still open is Congress's failure.
And so on.
That has nothing at all to do with "hard". It's recognizing the correct people to yell at. Because screaming at Obama won't get Congress to fix it's fuck-ups.
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)They just didn't bother.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Unfortunately, the Senate only had 60 nominal Democrats, and a filibuster rule that required all of them to vote "yea".
The Senate did not have 51 votes to change the filibuster rule. It didn't even have 30.
So no, they bothered. They bothered the hell out of it in order to get Lieberman, Nelson, and the rest of the pseudo-Democrats to vote "yea".
Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)Everything else is just excuses. And in any case, let's stop fucking around talking about winning this or that slice of government and just tell the truth: NO majority will ever be enough, there will always be an excuse and it will always be the same one.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Official votes are the only possible way to find out how a Senator will vote.
No, it's just going to take time. The Republicans worked very hard for 50 years to get us to this point. It's going to take more than one election - or the 5 years since - to undo that work.
Springslips
(533 posts)Putting something up for vote that is pre-known not to have enough yeas to pass is 'political theatre' and will disillusion people for some unfantonable reason. You can't win for trying.
I feel for the dreamers; but their only hope is to vote. If they let the obvious repuke strategy to alienate them from voicing their power at the ballot box work, then they need to take a deep look at themselves in the mirror. They need gumption, backbone, resiliency.
uponit7771
(90,364 posts)lunamagica
(9,967 posts)He promised immigration reform during his first year as president, had a majority in BOTH houses for TWO years, and still he didn't do it.
uponit7771
(90,364 posts)...after the GOP changed teh senate rules and started fillibustering everything.
Again, GOP takes action against Obama policy and then blame Obama for not getting it done.
I wish people would stop with the bullshit ass'd GOP talking points here
Cha
(297,692 posts)House Democrats gather at the Capitol to introduce a procedural move that would force a House vote on comprehensive immigration reform.
With only 199 House Democratic members, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) knew before, during, and after a Democratic leadership-led press conference on the steps of the Capitol that a procedural motion aimed at forcing a vote on comprehensive immigration reform would fail to garner the required 218 signatures needed to send an immigration bill to the House floor without first being passed out of committee. That discharge petition requires a bipartisan miracle and House Republicans have been unwilling to budge. But the Democrat-led effort is intended to call out Republicans who have called immigration the 800-pound gorilla, but have done little to come up with a solution.
At the conference, several Democratic leaders and celebrity America Ferrera expressed their hope that the Demand A Vote discharge petition for the House Democrat-introduced comprehensive immigration bill would successfully make House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) allow a vote on immigration reform. Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) said, one person should not stand in the way of the will of the country. Separately, during general speeches on the House floor, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said, we have created a dysfunctional immigration system that does not meet our needs while Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA) touted the benefits of immigration reform, saying that the bill would supercharge the economy of our great nation.
MOre..
http://thinkprogress.org/immigration/2014/03/26/3419040/house-democrats-introduce-immigration-discharge-petition/
House Democrats Arrested In Immigration Reform Protest
"The protest came after more than 160 rallies for immigration reform were held across the country on Saturday, and slightly less than a week after House Democrats introduced their own immigration bill based on two pieces of bipartisan legislation: one from the Senate and one approved by the House Homeland Security Committee.
But the action also came during a government shutdown and a brewing fight over raising the debt limit -- and after months of House Republican leadership firmly stating that they will not hold a vote on the Senate immigration bill or anything else that a majority of GOP members oppose."
MOre..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/08/house-democrats-arrested-immigration_n_4066253.html
Members of congress calling for comprehensive immigration reform stand in unison before they were detained by police in front of the U.S. Capital Building in Washington on Oct. 8, 2013.
http://www.ibtimes.com/several-members-congress-including-least-8-house-democrats-arrested-immigration-rally-washington
Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)Cha
(297,692 posts)Lady Freedom Returns
(14,120 posts)Don't see a Rep. in there. Or am I missing one? I doubt it, but one might be in the back.... yeah right.
Cha
(297,692 posts)leftyohiolib
(5,917 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)leftyohiolib
(5,917 posts)Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)this is what happens when there is futility being sown and fostered, instead of activism and hope.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)DU doesn't work in a vacuum, and neither is it the sole causation for any groundswell.
Black and white thinking is so stupid, and the only reason I responded is because the question is so black and white I though you'd like to know how dreary it becomes to have them thrown out like it was a clear and "real" question.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)and DU has absolutely nothing to do with it.
I know many DREAMERS.
Obama campaigned on Hope and Change, and immigration reform.
So far, THEIR hopes have been dashed, and the only change they've seen are kids terrified to sign up as Dreamers because they would be admitting their parents are here illegally. These Dreamers believe they would be putting their parents on a list for deportation.
atreides1
(16,093 posts)Yes he campaigned, and the Senate passed a bill...the House buried it! What are his options now?
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)Go out to Latino organizations and EXPLAIN why he can't get it done, and what they need to do to help Congress.
Good lord, his bully pulpit is HUGE. USE it to effect change.
Thinking his supporters out on places like Facebook and DU beating up on anyone who DARES to bring up the broken promises isn't enough to get the job done.
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)but clearly you have no idea how legislation and Congress works. Your response clearly provides nothing concrete in dealing with a recalcitrant Congress. Your are just as excited as all get out to have another thread where you can blame Obama for something, anything. I'm just waiting for you say "Benghazi" to put that one last nail in the coffin. Go for it.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)The poo is deep in here. Think you've flung enough around DU yet?
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)Glitterati
(3,182 posts)And, no, I expect to make that my daily question to you poo flingers.
Until. You. Stop.
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)on this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4758347
Yeah, that will be helpful, won't it?
So please, go for it....you need not even bother scouting the permiter and alerting for posts. Your cheerleading squad has already decided you have worthy goals and blocked me, so join the little rah rah group, and give each other a congratulatory slap on the back of the head.
1000words
(7,051 posts)I'm doing some serious "Spring cleaning" today. Off to the curb you go ...
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)ps Why haven't you put me on ignore yet? Your bombing so many threads with Obama hate, makes your motives very obvious.
Glitterati
(3,182 posts)Now that's rich.
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
beerandjesus
(1,301 posts)Shouldn't you and your Obama hate be hanging out in the RPG (Rand Paul Group)?
BeyondGeography
(39,382 posts)That's what sucked about your commentary.
WilliamPitt
(58,179 posts)Without a doubt, the 2 million overwhelmingly non-criminal immigrants deported under Obamas watch would be enough reason for Latinos to mistrust his much-trumpeted compassion for immigrant families and his avowed commitment to immigration reform.
97% of all the deportees are from Latin American and Caribbean communities, and that 28 people have been killed by the Border Patrol since 2010 the vast majority of them Latinos. Theyll also learn that because immigration crimes are now federal crimes, tens of thousands of people are currently in federal prisons for minor violations and, as a result, Latinos now represent the largest group in federal prisons.
We want to make the community aware of the 400,000 people who are in jail, the thousands upon thousands of ICE raids of homes and even schools, the militarization of border communities, and many other abuses committed under Obamas presidency, Lovato said.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/obama-record-deportations-tarnishing-legacy-article-1.1738544
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)that overwhelmingly house immigrants.
It is wrong. It is fueled by profit-seeking private prison lobbyists. And it is an abomination.
http://www.presente.org/campaign/tell-obama-remove-quota-from-his-budget/original_email/
News flash: President Obamas 2015 budget requests a wasteful and dangerous policy that indiscriminately jams immigrants into private prisons.
Immigrants who have committed no crimes or only minor crimes are being stuffed into prisons to meet an arbitrary immigrant body count quota passed by the House of Representatives in 2006. That means ICE has a sick incentive to rip immigrant families apart, profile Latinos in border communities, and give billions of dollars away to private prison corporations like GEO Group -- all for no good reason.1
President Obama could push back against this policy. Instead, his budget request legitimizes it. Its one thing for GOP extremists to request a policy like this -- its another thing entirely when a President who claims to support our communities does.
Some people call it the bed mandate. We call it the immigrant imprisonment quota. Whatever you call it, its bad news -- so why does President Obama seem to support it?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/controversial-quota-drives-immigration-detention-boom/2013/10/13/09bb689e-214c-11e3-ad1a-1a919f2ed890_story_2.html
By Nick Miroff, E-mail the writer
KARNES CITY, Tex. In the past five years, Homeland Security officials have jailed record numbers of immigrants, driven by a little-known congressional directive known on Capitol Hill as the bed mandate.
The policy requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to keep an average of 34,000 detainees per day in its custody, a quota that has steadily risen since it was established in 2006 by conservative lawmakers who insisted that the agency wasnt doing enough to deport unlawful immigrants.
But as illegal crossings from Mexico have fallen to near their lowest levels since the early 1970s, ICE has been meeting Congresss immigration detention goals by reaching deeper into the criminal justice system to vacuum up foreign-born, legal U.S. residents convicted of any crimes that could render them eligible for deportation. The agency also has greatly expanded the number of undocumented immigrants it takes into custody after traffic stops by local police.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials say that they are not needlessly jailing immigrants to meet a quota and that they find plenty of candidates for detention and deportation by targeting criminals who pose a threat to public safety and border security.
But critics of the mandate note that the majority of ICE detainees are not violent offenders. Immigration judges eventually allow many to remain in the United States, but the detainees may spend months in costly federal custody, even when far cheaper alternatives are available, such as ankle bracelets and other forms of electronic monitoring.
LuvNewcastle
(16,858 posts)discussing. When someone takes away your freedom over some petty bullshit, you get a crash course in what's really happening in this country. We get into a lot of fights on this site over a bunch of garbage, but we hardly ever talk about our exploding prison population, which is far above any other country in the world. When you go to jail or prison, you realize very quickly that your freedom is the most essential right you have. If freedom is the most essential thing we possess, then why the hell isn't everybody in this country discussing this abomination we have in our midst? We never care about prisoners until we become one.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)You are exactly right. Thank you.
I've now made this an OP: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024765010
LuvNewcastle
(16,858 posts)I was at work yesterday when you started the thread, so I missed it. I went back and kicked it this morning, so I hope it shows up again. Great post!
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Reform has to pass Congress. Congress said they would not take it up unless there was more enforcement. Obama added more enforcement. And Congress continues to refuse to take it up.
This, of course, is Obama's fault. There's magic pixie fairies he could deploy to pass reform even though Congress refuses to do so. Or if he "tried harder", McConnell would suddenly love immigration reform, teabagger challenger be damned.
Cut back on enforcement? Now Capt. Orange and the Turtle get back their excuse for avoiding it, and it still doesn't pass. And that failure to pass Congress would, of course, be Obama's fault. For not trying hard enough or something.
It's almost like we have co-equal branches of government instead of a dictatorship.
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)He needs to "lead" and use the "bully pulpit!"
But he should also give no more "pretty speeches!!"
And the GOP hates him so much, he really should probably "stay out of the way" more too!!
amandabeech
(9,893 posts)He put just about everything else aside to focus on health care and that's his one big achievement.
Some think that if he had focused on jobs and the economy until that situation cleared up, which it really hasn't, and immigration, which is still on hold, that he wouldn't have lost the House in 2010, and could have done health care in 2011 or 2013.
And it's not clear that much of anything he or most Dems want will get done in Congress until 2017, if we then can regain the House, keep the Senate and put another Dem in the White House then. (I think that we'll be doing good this year if we can keep the Senate, let alone win the House.)
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)There are executive actions he could take to stop the mass deportations.
It's one kind of disappointment to not get a law you want passed; it's a whole different kind to watch your friends and family members snatched up and disappeared into the immigration gulag, then thrown out of the country.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Republicans will latch on to the reduction in deportations as an excuse to not advance reform.
They'll claim "there would be no immigration problem if Obama would do his job!! And we need to pass even more voter ID laws so that those people don't vote.
And unfortunately, we'll need the votes of some Democrats in Congress who buy into that stupid framing.
polichick
(37,152 posts)except when they're campaigning.
Latinos aren't alone - young voters and many others join them.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)But as soon as the campaign is over, Latinos are tossed aside over "more pressing, more important things". Meanwhile, Latino families are being torn apart like never before...well, many are not buying it anymore
1000words
(7,051 posts)Folks here at DU can rationalize all they want, many are disappointed and disillusioned.
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)on election day will certainly help matters!!! The very second I find out someone stayed home on election day is the very second their opinion ceases to matter.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)Yes, they will stay home, and they think all politicians are scum. Good luck.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)iandhr
(6,852 posts)The President has tried again and again to pass immigration reform.
It passed the Senate. The house won't take it up because it would be a political victory for the President. Not turning out in the midterms will make immigration reform less likely.
In terms of deportation the President has already deferred deportation who are dream act eligible.
abelenkpe
(9,933 posts)when the media is owned by a few corporations that don't share a desire to shine attention on the subject of immigration reform.
Le Taz Hot
(22,271 posts)in which I live (Central San Joaquin Valley). We have massive voter registration drives targeting Hispanic and Spanish-Speaking-only voters and we actually do a good job outregistering the Republicans. But . . . come election day, our Hispanic brethren and sistren don't come out to vote. I've asked over and over again why this happens and I'm told that they feel their vote doesn't count and with Obama as the "deporter in chief" it's difficult to make the argument that Republicans are worse. Families are being torn apart and they don't really care whose doing it -- just that no one is taking up the cause, or so it seems to them.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)And yes, the registration is well over what Republicans do, but increasingly. "para que, no importa si voto. Why bother, it does not matter if I vote."
I hear this so often now, as a reporter. and I don't even ask, it's not my job. But since I speak Spanish, as a native speaker, I am told this, next to whatever we were talking about. The frustration is no longer under the surface.
Cant see reform happening anytime soon, regardless of the POTUS this congress will never pass it and I mean never. The GOP are too worried about their basic as are democrats, the Tea Party would go ape shit, the ring-wing is not going to take that risk. Maybe if the Latino community had a movement as large as the LGBT movement or occupy Wall Street then some progress could be made, strikes and walk-outs something that caused and finical loss! IMO nothing moves congress but money or potential loss of money.
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)Maedhros
(10,007 posts)Progressives who voice criticism of the President are constantly harangued by the Democratic faithful because "we don't get every single thing we desire." That's not it all.
I, for one, am not just angry at the things the President didn't do. I understand the legislative sausage-making process, and there are some things that are bound to be compromised. I'm angry at the things that are done when they didn't need to be: push the TPP, suggest SS reform, drop missiles on women and children, prosecute journalists using the Espionage Act, execute U.S. citizens without due process, and deport millions of immigrants.
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)Ironically, they insist on leaving the criticism to the Republicans instead of making it themselves.
Le Taz Hot
(22,271 posts)Deportations went UP during the Obama Administration. And I can't make a credible counter-argument because there is none. "Republicans are worse" just doesn't cut it.
beerandjesus
(1,301 posts)
Carlos Gutierrez, 32, echoed Mr. Sergio's comments, adding, "I was all fired up about President Obama until I was surfing the Internet and found a site called Democratic Underground. After reading several comments by Scuba, Will Pitt, and Manny Goldstein, I realized there was no point in voting and decided to stay home.
"The way those posters keep saying we should demand more of Democrats, instead of just accepting the moderate-centrist orthodoxy, well, that was just more than I could bear. Scuba, if you're reading this, I blame YOU for convincing Latinos to stay home."
Scuba
(53,475 posts)beerandjesus
(1,301 posts)(Hillary Clinton approaches the podium)
"I just called President-Elect Paul to congratulate him on his overwhelming victory. We threw everything we had at our ground game, but we were just no match for Scuba's DU game...."
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)Apparently I didn't, because I actually clicked through to scroll down to he 7th paragraph
Autumn
(45,120 posts)kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)You are important to the good of us all. The struggle must continue. The obstructionist GOP Congress and the fearful Dems trying to hold on to their positions in Congress are the main cause of nothing getting done. The President and the country needs your help to make immigration reform in its best form a reality. But this will not happen unless the grassroots Latinos get out the vote. Fighting hard doesn't get what you want overnight but not fighting at all never gets anything. Stay with the dream, stay on the team. VOTE!!!!!!
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)two million feel used, betrayed and feel they have nothing left to lose, and who can blame them?
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)people who you know for certain won't help your efforts is the better choice? I don't think so. And once again...Obama is not running for office...although I don't blame him entirely for the laws in place when he was elected and their dastardly impact on many immigrants. At the same time it wasn't 2 million people who had their families "torn apart" as you say...but whatever the number is tragic and the laws need to change. That change will not come about under GOP control of the House and the Senate.
a la izquierda
(11,797 posts)all the while doing the shit jobs other Americans won't do. And what do they get from a Democratic president? Deportations at record numbers.
Maedhros
(10,007 posts)the fastest-growing demographic in American politics.
Want to crush the Republicans like bugs, year after year? Solidify the latino voting bloc the same way we solidified the black voting bloc. Accept some political risk by aggressively campaigning for real immigration reform. It will take political courage, but it will pay huge dividends.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)President Obama is presiding over a broken immigration system that has deported two million human beings since he assumed office in 2009. It is a horrific figure that we too often forget represents incalculable human suffering, including an estimated 150,000 U.S. citizen children who had a parent deported in FY 2012 alone. In fact, the Obama administration has already deported more human beings than George W. Bush did in eight years and more than double the number of people Bill Clinton deported.
Actually, it's more than any president ever, which is why the president's immigration allies are fast becoming adversaries.
Two weeks ago, the president barely avoided a resolution from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which was about to formally criticize his administration's staggering number of deportations. In early March, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)--three members of the Senate's Gang of Eight immigration reform negotiators--also criticized the president's deportation record by calling on him to slow down the pace of his administration's deportations. Things have gotten so bad that the National Council of La Raza has rightly dubbed President Obama the "deporter-in-chief."
In the face of this intense heat, the president has asked Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to undertake a review of the administration's deportation priorities and policies, so they can be executed in a more humane manner. To curb the record-level deportations, the president should immediately undertake the following actions to help fix America's disastrous immigration system.
High rate of deportations continue under Obama despite Latino disapproval
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/19/high-rate-of-deportations-continue-under-obama-despite-latino-disapproval/
In an interview with Telemundos Jose Diaz-Balart on Tuesday, President Obama said that it would be difficult to halt the deportation of immigrants living in the country illegally without the approval of Congress.
Immigration rights advocates have pushed the president to halt deportations through an executive order, especially of immigrants who havent committed any serious crimes.
Last summer the administration did just this for young unauthorized immigrants brought to the country illegally as children with the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Known as DREAMers, more than 500,000 young unauthorized immigrants have taken advantage of the administrations program. Our 2012 survey of Hispanic adults found wide approval (89% approved of this new policy). A Pew Research Center survey of the general U.S. public found that 63% of U.S. adults approved of this program as well.
But deportations of unauthorized immigrants continue at record levels. In 2011 some 392,000 immigrants were removed from the U.S., according to the Department of Homeland Security. Among them, 48% were deported for breaking U.S. laws, such as drug trafficking, driving under the influence and entering the country illegally.
Oilwellian
(12,647 posts)Obama has no control over what ICE does. The Republicans MAKE ICE deport millions of immigrants. Those who are left should just shut up, donate, and vote.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Did you forget the sarcasm thingy?
Oilwellian
(12,647 posts)Of course I was being sarcastic.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)i think all they will get is a blank stare
Le Taz Hot
(22,271 posts)don't want to hear that. It's Congress' fault, it's the Republicans' fault, it's everybody's fault except the "deporter in chief" who presided over RECORD NUMBERS OF DEPORTATIOS. Yes, True Believers, that IS Obama's fault.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)I have heard this so many, many, many times. I could retire if I got a penny for each instance.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)I remember this being pushed before the election. More can be done.
Still, a lot of the blame falls on Congressional Republicans, and one would hope that translates into a negative in the 2014 election.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)ProSense
(116,464 posts)The bill would be a huge win for immigrants and the economy.
markpkessinger
(8,401 posts). . . but "Republicans are worse" isn't exactly an inspiration to go to the polls. At this point, I suspect many Latino voters are looking for a reason to vote for a particular party or candidate.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)"That may well be . . . but "Republicans are worse" isn't exactly an inspiration to go to the polls. "
...that's simply a tired talking point that has nothing to do with my point.
Fact: Latinos mostly blame Republicans.
Fact: Republicans are blocking significant legislation that represent a sea change.
Fact: Latinos are frustrated with Obama and want him to do more, meaning he has done something like his 2012 action.
Given those facts, you and others may want to focus on what Obama hasn't done, in part because of obstruction, and then claim that will negatively impact the 2014 election.
I see a big friggin obstacle in Republicans, as do Latinos. To encourage them to the polls, I see the benefit of highlighting Republicans intransigence.
I don't give a damn about tired talking points.
treestar
(82,383 posts)1. As long as the laws have not changed, then deportations of people illegally here are perfectly to be expected.
2. Republicans are not going to change the laws. They are the ones in the way.
People who think like this (and it is not all Latinos, and probably very few) - it doesn't matter what they want. If they can't drag themselves to the polls due to their hopelessness, they are going to get Republicans.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)People can't be deported if they are not illegally here.
And they will stay illegal until the Republicans are out of office.
That is one pure truism, so anyone who stays home over this is simply shooting themselves in the foot.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/us/illegal-migration-from-mexico-falls-but-local-fears-persist.html
PHOENIX The impact of steep declines in the number of migrants illegally crossing the border with Mexico in recent years has rippled across Arizona and other border states, with federal and local law enforcement seeing big drops in crime related to illegal immigration.
treestar
(82,383 posts)There's a huge population.
But my point remains. The Republicans will certainly not enact reform. So staying home because the Democrats haven't done enough, not only makes no sense, it proves the person really doesn't care about the issue. This is one issue where clearly the Republicans are the cause of no reform and if they retain Congress there will be none. So staying home shoots self in foot and proves beyond a doubt the person does not have much zeal over the issue.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)if they don't bother to learn enough not to see the difference between the two parties. This is one issue on which you cannot claim that. The difference between the two parties is crystal clear. Anyone who doesn't know that does not care enough about the issue to know the first thing about it.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)... immigration reform while the other pays lip service to it?
From the article it sounds like they understand these facts very well.
Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)Bush had the talk radio extreme in a rage, and if I recall that fucker McCain was pro reform as well. And didn't Reagan actually PARDON and grant citizenship to everyone here? So why is it that GOP Presidents will fight their own base to try for reform, and we won't act on the things our base supports?
And no, I don't want to hear bleating about Congress. Obama was elected with majorities in the House and Senate and he was too busy passing banker bonuses to do any of the things he promised to.
okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)in 2004 and mostly through 2007 the number of border patrol agents and their budgets grew significantly. Additional agents and budget means additional deportations. We tightened the borders for security but those crossing the borders looking for work were caught in that system.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Lobo27
(753 posts)They brought in a congresswoman from Florida, she was speaking Spanish, and letting the people know that the dems and President failed latinos. Because when he came into office dems controlled everything and did nothing.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)And Obama hater (she was a Clinton hater too).
Takes every opportunity to bash the administration. Too bad that this time what she says is true
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)Dr Erich --
This video really tore me up. (Link to video)
Maria voted for President Obama because he said he'd do something on immigration. But instead, his Administration deported her husband Brigido.
Now she's urging President Obama to stop deporting the people who could be eligible for legal status under the Senate's immigration bill!
Please watch Brigidos video -- just one of the 2,000,000 people deported during the Obama Administration.
Thanks for all you do,
Gabe Ortiz
America's Voice Education Fund
lunamagica
(9,967 posts).
tularetom
(23,664 posts)I think he gets carried away with his own oratorical skills and starts to say things he knows he can't deliver on.
The Democrats have been handed a bazillion Hispanic voters on a plate, and the president, by his flowery but empty campaign rhetoric, is letting them slip through his fingers.
They won't vote republican for sure, they just plain won't vote at all.
To a lot of Hispanics "both sides" are, pretty much, "the same".
JohnnyRingo
(18,648 posts)But I have to think: If the party puts up a candidate who vows to bust open the southern border and grant automatic amnesty to those already here, is that enough to swing a national election. Maybe, but let's look at the numbers:
People who identify themselves as Hispanics apparently represent a full 16% of the population. Of those, perhaps one quarter are of voting age and otherwise documented to cast a legal vote. That's an optimistic estimate of 4% of the overall total population of the US. If voting participation is unusually high, democrats may see a windfall of 3%.
Certainly if Hispanics stay home in Nov 2016 it won't bode well for the Democratic Party, but how many fence sitters will vote GOP on the sole basis of the "amnesty" issue? I really don't know, but republicans are masters of playing race to garner grass roots support, and such a talking point would absolutely be the cornerstone of their campaign against such a candidate.
Don't kid yourself into thinking there aren't racists in the Democratic Party either, I witnessed shamed union friends who crawled out of the woodwork in 2008 to put a "Democrat for McCain" sign in their yard. My own NE Ohio district, that historically votes a full 66% democrat, fell to 60% in the last two presidential elections. Thank goodness overall participation nationwide, particularly in the south and among younger voters in general, was high.
I totally agree that Americans have to get over their unfounded fears of a true melting pot, and I harbor no objections whatsoever against welcoming immigrants from south of the border, but I look more to quiet implied regulation (and later positive action) rather than an all out initial campaign to attract a small minority while at the same time driving away a larger number to the GOP. As the son of his family's first born naturalized citizen, my compassion for immigrants is emphatic.
On the other hand, the prospect of turning Texas, New Mexico, and Florida bright blue would be an obvious shot in the arm for democrats. I just prefer a slightly less focused and less idealistic method to achieve this. If I knew how to do that, I'd have a prime job at the DNC and wouldn't have time to sit and post at DU. Leisure time is one of the few benefits of being stupid.
As it is, I'm a retired 2nd generation union member, but I wouldn't dream of staying home just because the democratic candidate doesn't promise to absolutely put an end to outsourcing manufacturing jobs or rolling back "right to work" laws, nor do I encourage anyone else to, including you or Latinos.
Still, thanx for posting an article that is, at once, both informative and thought provoking.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)and I want you to tell me how exactly you want to bring Raquela out to vote.
She is in her mid 20s, and her first election was actually the 2012 election. She voted for Obama in a state where this did not really matter, after all California is currently blue. Yet she voted for the POTUS since he promised to solve this problem, and her father and mother do not have a legal status. Until they were deported both her parents worked as farm workers, and in the service industry. Her mother worked at a local hotel in fact, making beds for minimum wage.
Her father is now living in Mexico, after being deported, as well as her mother. Raquela is left raising her two brothers, and missing her two parents. The only good thing for her is that she is a US Citizen, so she could get a passport if she could afford it, so she could go visit. But how exactly do you get her back to the voting booth?
She is not only thinking of sitting out the 2014 election, but any and all future elections. To her politicians are just scum, and she makes no difference to which party. As I said, she at least can get a passport. Many in her cohort are dreamers, who have also seen the families torn asunder, and placed all their hopes in both the President and the Congressional delegation.
I just gave you a real life example. As I said, I hear these stories now so often this article is all but surprising to me. It is like, really took you guys so long? These issues have been "hot" in the minority press for the last at least 18 months.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)And I work for an Anglo paper.
JohnnyRingo
(18,648 posts)..and if everyone either stayed home because democrats aren't addressing their issues or voted republican, we'd see a permanent GOP majority. The Tea Party complains they have no real representation too, and besides pandering hot air from local legislators, they have a point. Everyone's a RINO to them.
However:
Gay people could stay home because democrats haven't established equal rights on a national scale.
Union workers could ignore the election because right to work laws and outsourcing continue unabated.
African Americans have seen little progress from the party on wage equality.
Younger people face a cold world with little prospect for advancement. It could rightly be said that the Democratic Party does not focus enough on their issues.
Small business owners may feel the GOP breaks all go to Exxon Mobile and dems don't offer the boost they need to stay afloat.
Women in general know they have a long way to go before they are truly equal. Is the party doing everything possible to make the Equal Rights Amendment an actual law? I haven't heard a word about it.
If you can tell me why all those people manage to make it to the precinct every year, I'll tell you why Raquela should get out and vote her better interests. You wouldn't be able to stop a republican from voting if you let the freakin' air out of his tires and broke one leg.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)and I doubt she will enter a booth ever.
Her better interests is to keep her family together, and she was promised as much. I am sorry that partisans cannot see how now both parties are losing that voting block, perhaps for a LONG time.
They will take another route, and it will not be pretty. But based on US history that is the route they will take now.
Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)Everyone on the planet, including their own party, recognizes that they are batshit crazy. EVERYONE. Yet they are still so powerful that Congressmen piss their pants and nod along with every insane word the Teaparty mutters. Why?
They NEVER play cheerleader for their party representatives. Note that word, representatives, because that's what they have. We have party leaders, and we are expected to work for them. Teaparty lunatics have representatives, and those reps either vote as they are told --no matter how crazy that vote is -- or they can pack their bags.
JohnnyRingo
(18,648 posts)...and it does seem true that republicans - especially congressmen - bend over backwards for their blessing, but I think it only goes so far as the republicans' timeless motto: "If you don't work, you don't eat", and that standard predates the Tea Party by nearly a hundred years.
Other than on that specific issue, the 'baggers are just as disappointed in what they see as the compromising spendthrift values of their candidates, as the far left is about Obama. Probably more so, as RINO covers every republican in government except a handful of local representitives to them.
randys1
(16,286 posts)my anger is growing by the hour now, instead of by the day
no words left...
countryjake
(8,554 posts)Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)start this early in the election cycle...Silver has already created the future, and now all the media have to do is find a narrative to fill the gaps...
Just out of curiosity, does anyone remember the last time there was a "Likely republican voters are disillusioned and plan to stay home" -story? Because I can't think of one in the past 15-20 years....
And I don't even care who it is, what their political leanings are, and who or what they're pissed off at -- If you stay home, you deserve exactly what you get, and forfeit any right to complain about the post-election results...
Scuba
(53,475 posts)It's a religion with them. They'll show up and vote in 2014 just like they did in 2010 when we got clobbered. My State went from blue to red in that election. Did I deserve the Scott Walker regime too?
Maybe if our side had run someone who could inspire Dems to the polls, rather than a Republican-lite corpo-Dem we would have won.
In any case, waiting for the media to help us is not going to be fruitful. We need to have policies that liberal/progressive/Democratic voters want, not some "kinder, gentler" version of Republicans.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)There's still never an excuse for anyone to stay home...
In my state's most recent race we had one of the biggest "Republican-lite corpo-Dems" we'd had in years on one side...On the other side we had Ken Fucking Cuccinelli...Our votes weren't out of inspiration as much as fear of Cuccinelli tossing all minorities, feminists, gays and intellectuals in prison, and trying to impeach Obama from Richmond...
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Hard for me to believe that the state that brought us Russ Feingold and Tammy Baldwin can't find a more appealing candidate, but there ya go.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)I mean FFS it's the state of La Follette(!)
Sadly, Va. can only run the repub-lite types and expect a chance of winning...Warner, Kaine, Webb, McAuliffe....ugh...
But at the end of the day it's worth it if only to keep the alternative out of office...
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Get a leftist who can motivate 10% or 15% of those who don't typically voter, see what happens.
amandabeech
(9,893 posts)Getting any Dem statewide is a real victory over there. There are more and more Dem votes in Northern Virginia, but it's truly tough sledding (even this year!) elsewhere for the Dems.
My fave candidates usually don't run or don't make it through the primaries no matter where I live, but I still get out and vote.
My most important issue, decent jobs for all, often gets short shrift, too, but I keep on voting.
Perhaps my enthusiasm for voting would end if half my family were to be deported, so I hesitate to condemn, but showing up is a big part of getting anything done.
Laelth
(32,017 posts)-Laelth
WilmywoodNCparalegal
(2,654 posts)in the spirit of the 1st Amendment and as an immigrant myself - deportation is the price you pay if you break some immigration rules. An article cited above indicates that over 48% of those being deported are criminal aliens and others subject - under the law - to deportation.
Since when is that a bad thing? If I drive while drunk, I should expect to suffer the consequences of my actions. If I fail to declare my income and pay taxes, I should expect the IRS to come after me. Sure, I could use the excuse that huge corporations pay fewer or no taxes, but I doubt the IRS auditors would give me a freebie.
I guess my point is that we have to define what we mean by 'immigration reform.' Is this reform about changes that can be made to very bureaucratic and old-fashioned rules to allow for more ways for people to obtain work authorization or is this reform that some propose a basic 'carte blanche' for anyone to just pop in the U.S. and work?
As an immigrant who actually did it by the book, I find this second option a slap in the face not just to me but those thousands upon thousands of people from all over the world who have to wait years - and even decades - to come to the U.S. legally.
I am well aware that the current immigration system is not up to par with 21st century realities and there must be at some point a concerned effort to improve it, strengthen it and even re-design it if necessary.
I will fight for that all day - as I have done so for quite some time. But I will not fight for the kind of 'immigration reform' that makes a mockery out of following the process in place and doing things honestly and by the book.
I do not feel sympathy for those who willingly chose a less than honest path into the U.S. and then have to pay the price for their actions (such as being deported, leaving family behind). Immigrating to any country is not a right, but a privilege. Every country in the world has the right to set up its own rules and eligibility criteria.
The President is actually enforcing laws that should have been enforced for quite some time; he is doing his job as the Chief Executive. However, he cannot unilaterally legislate immigration reform. That has to be a congressional action. The main problem is that different factions within the parties define 'immigration reform' differently. Even among self-described liberals, there are a variety of opinions on what immigration reform should entail.
There is not going to be an easy fix or a solution that will please everyone. But there is no doubt that something must be done, both on the business and family sides of immigration.
brooklynite
(94,738 posts)...if they're not 100% sure it'll be successful.
Well, that should shorten the campaign season...
Scuba
(53,475 posts)What have Democrats done to fight for immigration reform? Has a bill passed the Senate multiple times, forcing the House-controlled Republicans to vote against it again and again?
Now, contrast that behavior with the House's 50-plus votes to repeal the ACA, maybe you'll get the idea.
brooklynite
(94,738 posts)...forcing the the Senate Democrats to vote against it again and again?
Scuba
(53,475 posts)The motivation isn't the issue, it's the observation that the Dems are not fighting for votes.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)something that centrists miss, regularly.
Autumn
(45,120 posts)amandabeech
(9,893 posts)Many Dems up this year come from reddish-purple states where immigration isn't very popular.
They aren't going to vote repeatedly to fall on their swords. That's why Obama's nominations for Surgeon General and at Justice haven't gone anywhere. The votes this year are not there for anything controversial, and there's nothing that the Pres can do about it right now.
Not that many of the Repugs in the House are in districts where the ACA is popular. They get cheers when they vote against the ACA over and over again.
Politics is a messy business, and I have to remind myself of that often.
gulliver
(13,195 posts)Latinos aren't dumb. The only people Latinos or any other natural Dem constituency should be angry at is non-voters. All of the suffering done by the people who would benefit from Dem platform policies can be blamed on the people who did not vote Dem. Squarely. And the people who think that's not the case share the blame just as much.