And there is at least one more issue where the Republicans are out of step with most voters -- immigration. President Obama has supported a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and an even quicker and easier path to permanent status for young immigrants who go to college or serve in the U.S. military -- and the White House has said he will push hard for these initiatives in his second term. But the Republicans have made it very clear that they oppose both.
Now another poll has come out that shows most American voters support the position the president has taken. The Politico/George Washington University Poll, taken of 1,000 random "likely" voters between December 2nd and 6th, makes this very clear. Here are the public's views on immigration reform:
WOULD YOU SUPPORT OR OPPOSE IMMIGRATION REFORM THAT ALLOWS UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS TO EARN CITIZENSHIP OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS?
Approve...............62%
Oppose...............35%
Unsure...............4%
WOULD YOU SUPPORT OR OPPOSE IMMIGRATION REFORM THAT ALLOWS THE CHILDREN OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS TO EARN THE RIGHT TO STAY HERE PERMANENTLY IF THEY COMPLETE A COLLEGE DEGREE OR SERVE IN THE MILITARY?
Approve...............77%
Oppose...............19%
Unsure...............4%
The president has said he is going to travel around the country and take this issue to the people to win support. If this poll is correct (and I believe it is), then he won't have much convincing to do. I expect the Republicans will continue to fight against reasonable immigration reform though. They seem intent on electoral suicide recently.
The fact that the public favors doing something does not in and of itself mean that doing it is a good idea, and that is the fallacy of this trend toward trying to decide issues by popularity polls.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Central Arizona Project, which brings water from the Colorado River to Phoenix and Tucson, reached Tucson there was much discussion whether to inject the water directly into the water system or to "recharge" it, meaning to put it into the groundwater aquifer and pump it ourt as needed. The decision was made to do the latter, since the process would be one of natural purification and would save money.
A small bunch of nuts decided that the plan presented a danger of the water migrating underground down to Mexico and being lost and lobbyed to have it put directly into the water system, despite assurances from experts that there was on danger of that happening. They mamaged to get a referendum, and the issue was put to a vote of the public. Recharge lost and the water was put into the system
The addition made the city water completely undrinkable due to minerals and impurities that treatment could not remove, and everyone had to buy bottled water for drinking and cooking. People with sensitive skin could not even wash in it. We had to buy special soap to use in it, because regular soap would not dissolve. The city's water pumps were badly damaged, and distribution water pipes corroede badly. All of this had been predicted by the experts and denied by the people who were claiming that the ground water would go to Mexico.
The CAP water was then recharged, and the city spent over $1 million repairing its water distribution system.
That's why we have a representative government. They can evaluate the facts and the implications of their decisions, and can make decisions that are based on the best interest of the nation, and are not based, as the founding fathers put it, "on rude emotion."