Btw, completely agree with you on the Democrat and Republican thing. I have always viewed politics as a special interest power grap…with special interests on both sides. Neither side is ‘morally superior’ to the other. Both are ugly politicians, you just gotta pick the poison that does the least harm, that pushes us just a lil in the correct and/or least damaging direction.

With respect to the unions, yes the Democrats are beholden to the unions and other special interest groups, just like the Republicans are beholding to the defense companies (witness the war in Iraq), oil companies, and big business. Every 4 or 8 years the different special interest groups take turns holding power. No harm in stating the obvious.

Yeah, you got the free market Republicans that are unabashedly pro-immigration (many open borders even) vs. the traditional Republicans that are significantly less so, many full on anti-immigration. It’s a raging debate that has been going on in the party for some time now and nobody knows who will ultimately win out. My bet is on the free market side though.

TacoSam,

You oversimplify. McCain also supports increases in the number of H1-B Visas, and thats hardly considered ‘cheap labor’.

Totally agree on the Reagan thing. It is because of Reagan that most of my family got their citizenship as well.

Oh and good point on the union comment. I am impressed. Most people, especially most Democrats, don’t even understand that subtle problem. Let alone publicly admit it.

Also, the fact that McCain comes from a border states helped shape his views on the need for cheap labor.

I do agree and am thankful that the GOP and Reagan helped legalize a ton of my PRIMOS y PRIMAS who were here as mojados. Many other primos y primas thought we may have the same type of legalization program under Bush. Then came 9/11. End of story.

Because of the Union backlash, I don’t think its probable that Clinton or Obama would push through immigration reform or legalization.

Up until now, the Republican party as a whole has been all bark and no bite on immigration. McCain is just one more example of that long tradition. Reagan, just a few elections ago, was another.

We have differing opinions of the history of the GOP vis-a-vis immigration. As I see it, during the 60’s and 70’s the GOP was unashamedly, enthusiastically pro-immigration. This was a reflection of the conservative movement’s laissez-faire philosophy. By contrast, the Democrats of the 1960’s pushed through an immigration bill meant to pander to the unions that significantly restricted for the first time immigration to the U.S. from Latin America.

All of this began to change for the worse in the 1980’s and 1990’s, as certain politicians on the right (Pete Wilson, etc.) tapped into the growing distrust of conservatives towards minorities that grew out of the civil rights era.

Today, we have a GOP that is essentially anti-immigration, despite it’s proud tradition to the contrary. Reagan represented the GOP of his era, just as Romney, Huckabee, et al represents the GOP of today. McCain is an outlier - an artifact of the past GOP. Unfortunately, it’s the GOP that’s changed. And I am proud to say that I am no longer a registered Republican.

My bet: He will stay relatively pro-immigration, with some bones thrown towards the anti-immigration crowd but likely on a pro-defensive foundation (ie more security on the borders because terrorists can come through). However, on other issues, such as taxes, he will move more towards the right. In other words, giving the base something they really do care about (lower taxes) in exchange for something lower on the priority list (immigration).

For me atleast, it would make my politics more complicated if the GOP was to come out full blown anti-immigration. I might start voting libertarian or something.

Not only is he the least anti-immigrant, but he is also the most LIBERAL of them all, which says something of how republicans feel about their candidates. What you think?

Granted, I am not saying that the GOP is somehow pro-immigration. It’s a complicated issue that can’t be simplified to pro- or con-, my only point here is that if the GOP was as anti-immigration as people assumed, say, 6 months ago, we wouldn’t be in the situation we are in now.

Up until now, the Republican party as a whole has been all bark and no bite on immigration. McCain is just one more example of that long tradition. Reagan, just a few elections ago, was another.