Could Gingrich’s Immigration Stance Boost His 2012 Chances?
EmailWith his newfound perch at the top of the polls, GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich opted to take a risk at Tuesday night’s debate, touting a more moderate stance on illegal immigration than has yet been expressed by any other Republican candidate besides Gov. Rick Perry.
But while Perry’s support for in-state college tuition and a path to citizenship for young illegal immigrants set off a fire storm of criticism, Gingrich’s call for a path to legalization for people who have long-established family roots in America may actually boost his White House prospects.
“I think what he’s showing is that he can pick up conservative Latino voters and for the other candidates that’s in doubt,” said Brent Wilkes, the national executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. “This could help him go from being the flavor of the month to actually a viable, mainstream Republican candidate.”
While Gingrich’s more moderate immigration stance could help him in a general, if Perry’s campaign implosion is any indicator, it could most certainly damage his primary election prospects.
“It’s going to hurt him,” said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the conservative Federation for American Immigration Reform. ”Whether it’s going to hurt him as much as it hurt Perry remains to be seen, but it’s safe to say it’s going to hurt.”
Gingrich’s on-stage rivals were quick to criticize him for supporting “amnesty” and a federal “Dream Act,” labels that Perry has yet to shake.
“Look, amnesty is a magnet,” Mitt Romney said. “In order to bring people in legally we’ve got to stop illegal immigration. That means turning off the magnets of amnesty, in-state tuition for illegal aliens, employers that knowingly hire people that have come here illegally.”
Gingrich’s stance may differ widely from his fellow candidates, but it is actually fairly similar to that of the last two men who successfully clinched the Republican nomination, Sen. John McCain and George W. Bush, both of which were also accused of supporting amnesty.
During Bush’s second term he pushed for a temporary worker program that would allow undocumented immigrants to register and stay legally as temporary workers. And during the 2008 general election between McCain and Obama, immigration was practically a non-issue because the two candidates shared virtually the same position, Mehlman said.
But while Gingrich’s call for an end to deporting tax-paying, church-going grandparents is fairly consistent with past GOP big-hitters, Mehlman said it is out of touch with today’s Republican voters.
“Basically his position is we are going to allow people to stay here after they get some kind of slap on the wrist and have to jump through a hoop or two,” Mehlman said. “I think there is very much within the mainstream of the Republican Party the idea that we can’t grant amnesty to illegal aliens because that it is simply going to exacerbate the problem.”
Gingrich pushed back against being labeled a supporter of amnesty, telling CNN’s Gloria Borgen immediately after the debate that under his plan “millions will go home.”
“I’m willing to be tough, but I’m not willing to kid people,” he said. “And I can’t imagine any serious person here in this country who believes we’re going to tear families apart that have been here twenty or twenty-five years.”
Without support from the Latino community, Wilkes said a Republican candidate cannot beat Obama. Thus far, only Perry and Gingrich have a chance of building a coalition of support that includes Hispanics, he said.
“Unfortunately there is a strain in the Republican Party that thinks the easy way to victory is to show you are against minorities,” Wilkes said. “The rest have really shot themselves in the foot.”
But Gingrich’s record with Latinos is not without its smudges. In 2007 the former speaker infuriated the Hispanic community after he called Spanish a “ghetto” language.
In a speech against bi-lingual education, Gingrich said schoolchildren should be immersed in English-only classrooms “so they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto.”
“That was a dumb move on his part,” Wilkes said. ”Gingrich has irritated us a number of times over the years but overall when he was speaker of the House he was someone that did try to engage Latinos and he did have a lot of support among conservative Latinos.”
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It’s obvious Newt is courting the Hispanic vote, the problem is he is not smart enough to know this is not the general election. He has to get by the conservative republicans first.
Why do you republicans think this guy is so smart, because he calls himself a historian and has had a few book published. If you have the money anyone will publish anything you write, it doesn’t make you smart.
President Clinton used to play Newt like a drum. He’d let Newt propose some idiotic bill, then once the public and the rest of the House would jump on Newt, Clinton would intervene with amendment proposals that got what he wanted and saved Newts ego. The man is an undisciplined idiot.
Posted by: tmferretti | November 23, 2011, 2:27 pm 2:27 pm
Odd how Newt is worried about splitting families when he cheated on his wife while she lay in her death bed. He could care less about immigrants….but he will lie to get what he wants.
Posted by: SinTexas | November 23, 2011, 2:33 pm 2:33 pm
Good Bye Newt,
Matbe Perry can find you a job.
Posted by: Jackiet | November 23, 2011, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm
Good Bye Newt,
Maybe Perry can find you a job in Texas.
Posted by: Jackiet | November 23, 2011, 2:47 pm 2:47 pm
Romney has stated a viable case. You do not reward illegal activity. Provide a path to citizenship for those who have been in the country prior to a specific cutoff, have demonstrated they & their children can stay out of trouble and hold a job, and adopt the common language of the country (English).
This will demonstrate that they wish to become part of the country and not become a separate entity within.
Posted by: mike maskaly | November 23, 2011, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm
“But while Gingrich’s call for an end to deporting tax-paying, church-going grandparents is fairly consistent with past GOP big-hitters, Mehlman said it is out of touch with today’s Republican voters.”
Yep. Because today’s Republican voters are morons. This is probably the smartest thing Newt has ever proposed, and it will lose him the primary. THAT is the new Republican Party………….
Posted by: Searambler | November 23, 2011, 3:29 pm 3:29 pm
LOL! …. Does the Republican party even have an established platform anymore? I mean, come on…on EVERY single position last night the eight “(R)” candidates had almost 180 degree opposing ideas. It looks to me like the only party established platform on any subject nowadays is this one: “Which policy looks like it’s going to get me the most votes.” ……. smart voters see right through this, but of course, you wouldn’t expect a bunch of Forrest Gumps to be able to do the same.
Posted by: Republicans = a BUNCH of Forrest Gumps | November 23, 2011, 3:36 pm 3:36 pm
Immigration guru Romney says the biggest magnet for illegal immigration is amnesty. Where has this guy been all his life? The biggest magnet for illegal immigration is jobs. Have a couple high profile cases where the employers are given long jail terms if they hire illegal’s and watch this problem go away. Of course Romney would never consider this; he gets too much campaign money from the US Chamber of Commerce which is the biggest opponent of stopping illegal immigration.
Posted by: tmferretti | November 23, 2011, 3:43 pm 3:43 pm
ILLEGAL IS ILLEGAL no matter how many years they were here illegally! Newt won’t get my Latino
vote, I’m tired of these millions of illegal alien invaders stealing all our jobs and social services!!!
Posted by: BIG MEX JIMMY | November 23, 2011, 3:50 pm 3:50 pm
Forrest Gumps —- Isn’t it refreshing to see candidates think for themselves? —- Kind of the opposite from the Democrat’s Obamacare push in congress,… man… any Dem not doing what they were told was in trouble. — Yeah, I would take varied positions in the GOP over “tax & spend”… “tax & spend”… “tax & spend”… “tax & spend”… in the Democrat party… too monotonous!!!
Posted by: TheLoyalOpposition | November 23, 2011, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
There’s only one direction to go in order to differentiate himself from most of the GOP: Towards the moderate! To the right is “kill them all if they won’t deport themselves.” So if he wants to be different, he hasn’t got much choice. What’s funny is that the others will take the bait and all trip over themselves to hit the wall to the right of the status quo. They really can’t move further to the right without instituting the East German Stasi.
Posted by: James M | November 23, 2011, 4:10 pm 4:10 pm
I don’t call BREAKING THE US IMMIGRATION LAWS….m-o-d-e-r-a-t-i-o-n…..he should be ashamed of himself! Inviting more law breakers until we are nothing but a nation of law breakers!!! Shame on Newt !!!! I guess that means he won’t fire the illegals working in his yard, cleaning his house, or working in his pet projects.
Posted by: Moderation? | November 23, 2011, 5:46 pm 5:46 pm
Come on republican voters! What is wrong with you all? Can’t you see the elephant in the room? Why are you all in denial that our only hope to beat Obama is having Gov. Perry to run against him. Gov. Perry, unlike other candidates, is running basically on his gigantic record of achievements. Can you imagine Obama running against Perry based on his very poor record? Obama with disastrous record or no record at all, vs Gov. Rick Perry, a giant successful third term governor of a great state, with 13th biggest economy in the world, who has military, governing and legislative experience; plus, Perry is naturally charismatic and powerful leader, and his policies are bold and visionary!! A commander in chief indeed.
Posted by: nancy sabet | November 23, 2011, 7:17 pm 7:17 pm
The story quote: “Unfortunately there is a strain in the Republican Party that thinks the easy way to victory is to show you are against minorities,” Wilkes said. “The rest have really shot themselves in the foot.”
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So, illegal immigrants are being touted as minorities? Can this Amy Bingham be more ignorant? This is the kind of krap that makes this liberal media biased! No one is against immigration, majority or minority! We are against “Illegal” immigration! This issue is not about race or country of origin. It’s about right and wrong, and people who come to USA legally or illegally!
Posted by: tularockstar | November 23, 2011, 10:26 pm 10:26 pm
TheLoyalOpposition | November 23, 2011, 4:07 PM, Said:
“Yeah, I would take varied positions in the GOP over “tax & spend”… “tax & spend”… “tax & spend”… “tax & spend”… in the Democrat party…”
==============================================
LOL! …… in comparison with the Republican RECORD of “Borrow & Spend” … “Borrow & Spend” … “Borrow & Spend” … “Borrow & Spend”? Let’s not forget under which two Presidents, in the past 30 years, did the balance of our national debt DOUBLE:
# 1 = Republican Ronald Reagan
Takes office January 1981, debt balance = $935 Billion
Leaves office January 1989, debt balance = $2.7 Trillion
Difference = $1.8 Trillion… a debt balance increase equal to 189%
# 2 = Republican George W. Bush
Takes office January 2001, debt balance = $5.7 Trillion
Leaves office January 2009, debt balance = $10.6 Trillion
Difference = $4.9 Trillion… a debt balance increase equal to 86%
LOL!….if the next Republican is just as much a “fiscal conservative” as Reagan and G.W. Bush were, we’re in for some major trouble!… hehehehehe!
Posted by: Republicans = a BUNCH of Forrest Gumps | November 23, 2011, 11:53 pm 11:53 pm
To paraphrase famous comedians George Burns & Gracie Allen when closing their dialogs, George remarked, “Say ‘Good Night’, Gracie”. From all those Americans who still believe in the rule of law, “Good Night, Newt.”
Posted by: shellback | November 24, 2011, 11:28 am 11:28 am
So, Mr. Brainiac, Newt, does your plan call for those illegals you propose to give a free pass too include that they repay the U.S. taxpayer for decades of FREE “Healthcare, Education, Welfare, and various other freebees for themselves and their dozens of illegal children born to each family here under the false interpretation of the 14th amendment? I do not know how much it would be but I would guess several hundreds of thousands of dollars per illegal family you want to give a free pass to.
Posted by: Steve | November 24, 2011, 11:35 am 11:35 am
After stating his stance on illegal immigration, Gingrich can get out of the race. He had been my number one choice until he spoke on immigration, but now he’s the last person I would vote for. Don’t let the door hit you in the butt on your way out, Newt!
Posted by: Yarth | November 24, 2011, 10:43 pm 10:43 pm
This is a red herring, folks! Wake up!! WE DO NOT WANT LEGAL IMMIGRATION, EITHER!! Legal Third World immigration is what elected Obama. 1.6million immigrants have been coming legally every year during the Obama Admin, despite no jobs for Americans. WE ARE LOSING OUR COUNTRY!!
STOP ALL IMMIGRATION!!
KEEP AMERICA … AMERICAN!!!
Posted by: Leon | November 28, 2011, 8:49 am 8:49 am
NO MORE IMMIGRATION OF ANY KIND!!
30 million unemployed Americans. Stop 1.6 million LEGAL immigrants every year. No more!
I want an end to ALL immigration.
Posted by: Leon | November 28, 2011, 8:54 am 8:54 am