Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Immigration Fervor Could Burn GOP

Rollback of Bush’s Hispanic-friendly stance is risky

By Jonas Oransky, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 13, 2007 1:19 PM CST

(Newser) – The GOP contenders embracing anti-immigrant fervor may be sorely miscalculating, Ryan Lizza writes in the New Yorker, in a piece looking at the party's dramatic turn from the Bush strategy of cultivating immigrants in 2000 and 2004. The nativist passions Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani have been fanning appeal to a vocal niche, he notes, but they’ve erased Republican gains among Hispanics and might be damaging the party.

Longtime immigration hardliner Tom Tancredo tells Lizza that the frontrunners have the polls squarely behind them when they vie to “out-Tancredo Tancredo," but John McCain and Mike Huckabee are “appalled” by the hawkishness directed at illegals. The issue is a top concern in two of the early primary states—Iowa and South Carolina—Lizza notes, but could cost the GOP elsewhere, as most Americans favor a middle road.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, left, and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. (Getty Images)

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has taken a hawkish stance against immigration. (Getty Images (by Event))

Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks to a crowd during a campaign stop in Nashua, N.H., Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm) (Associated Press)

Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., take a question from the student audience during a campaign stop at Hampsted Middle School in Hampsted, N.H., Friday, Dec. 7, 2007. (AP Photo/Mary... (Associated Press)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

GOP Is Chasing Away Latino Voters

Immigration policy hurting party, says American Prospect

(NEWSER) - With 69% of Latino voters going Democratic in 2006, anti-immigration sentiment among GOP presidential hopefuls may only serve to turn off the remaining 30. Meanwhile, the Latino population is growing, especially in swing states. "Even Texas could become a swing state a couple of elections from now," the American Prospect's Paul Waldman writes. More»

Polls Predict Easy Ride for McCain

State-by-state look gives him Super Tuesday victory

(NEWSER) - Snowballing support for John McCain means he could just about wrap it up on Super Tuesday, TPM Election Central reports. A state-by-state look at the 21 races sees him leading in most and, thanks to differing rules on apportioning of GOP delegates, McCain will walk away from Romney states with some delegates, while Romney will get zilch from McCain states where he comes a strong second. More»

Mitt's Seconds Looking More Like Lasts

Without big win, and taking lumps from departing GOP rivals

(NEWSER) - Mitt Romney is “almost there” in his quest to narrow the GOP race to two, but the men he’s beating are hanging tough against him—and the silvers aren’t adding up to gold. The departing Rudy Giuliani is passing the torch to John McCain, while Mike Huckabee—"the Christian leader who never turns the other cheek to Romney"—is willfully staying in to siphon votes from Mitt, argues Boston Herald columnist Howie Carr. More»

McCain Edges Romney in Florida

Victory gives him big boost heading into Super Tuesday

(NEWSER) - John McCain scored a hard-fought victory over Mitt Romney in Florida tonight to establish himself as the Republican front-runner a week ahead of Super Tuesday, Politico reports. McCain got 36% of the vote to Romney's 31%. Rudy Giuliani, who staked his campaign on a win here, managed just 15% and will reportedly drop out. Mike Huckabee had 13%. More»

Rudy Will Drop Out, Endorse McCain

He staked his campaign on a Florida win but finished third

(NEWSER) - Rudy Giuliani will drop out of the presidential race in the wake of his weak third-place finish in Florida and endorse John McCain tomorrow, NBC News reports. Giuliani is expected to fly to the Ronald Reagan library in California to make the announcement. "We ran a campaign that was uplifting," a dejected Giuliani told supporters. Asked later whether he was dropping out, he responded only, "I'm going to California." More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Immigration Fervor Could Burn GOP

Rollback of Bush’s Hispanic-friendly stance is risky

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Mitt Romney • immigration • John McCain • Rudy Giuliani • Mexico • Mike Huckabee • Mexican border • Tom Tancredo • Hispanic • border security

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

GOP Is Chasing Away Latino Voters

Immigration policy hurting party, says American Prospect

Polls Predict Easy Ride for McCain

State-by-state look gives him Super Tuesday victory

Mitt's Seconds Looking More Like Lasts

Without big win, and taking lumps from departing GOP rivals

McCain Edges Romney in Florida

Victory gives him big boost heading into Super Tuesday

Rudy Will Drop Out, Endorse McCain

He staked his campaign on a Florida win but finished third

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?