The Internets today have two excellent articles that, put together, point to why Democrats must prioritize comprehensive immigration reform if they want to save themselves in November. Over at Political Wire, Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling points out the crucial difference between 2006 and 2010. In 2006, Republican voters defected and voted Democratic. In 2010, Democrats are staying home - but you don't see them liking the GOP.
The reason Democrats won [in 2006] even though the electorate disproportionately consisted of Bush voters was that 15% of those Bush voters cast their ballots for a Democrat, a pretty large amount of crossover. There aren't nearly that many Obama voters leaning toward the Republicans this year.
Meanwhile, at Alternet, NYU Professor Greg Grandin nicely lays out nine reasons why Democrats should prioritize immigration reform this year:
1. Immigration reform ends the Southern strategy ... 2. It wins back the Catholic Church to social justice ... 3. It slows the inclusion of Latino evangelicals into the religious right ... 4. It is lose-lose for Republicans ... 5. It splits the conservative coalition in other ways ... 6. It revitalizes the union movement ... 7. It dilutes the power of Florida Cubans. ... 8. It helps America's cities ... 9. It is the morally right thing to do.
Memo to Democrats: Want to avoid a bloodbath in November? Mobilize your base. Wanna mobilize your base? Pass immigration reform. I honestly don't see another way at this point to keep our Democratic majority.
