Reply #20: It is detectable, however..... [View All]

[loyalsister]

Case in point:

"He says he wants to send a message to illegal immigrants that they should forget about coming to Missouri because they won't be able to get government benefits."

This guy is exploiting the "don't take food off of my plate" mentality, and perpetuating a stereotype that the only reason people immigrate is to get government services in the U.S.
It taps into the ugliest parts of voters- sometimes without their knowledge. Stereotypes work very subtly and the us vs. the other response that comes with some of these is so strong it clouds any notion of questioning. It is tremendously sick and cynical, because the politician has to be against "the other" to come out on the side of the voter. This is the strategy formerly known as Nixon's Southern Strategy. Only this net covers brown people.

http://www.missourinet.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=63D3C60C-99D5-4830-B831C904300DE0CE&dbtranslator=local.cfm