Tucker: Opening borders is not the key to raising the Hispanic vote
GOP thinks more illegal immigrants is the answer to winning elections among Hispanic voters.
Over the weekend, a group of Republican lawmakers and their many consultants agonized over the future of the party. They're worried because the Republicans' share of national elections is shrinking. Why is that?
Well, focus group experts say it's because of shifting demographics and the GOP must win over more minority voters in order to survive, particularly Hispanic voters, and that's probably true. The question is how do you do it?
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The geniuses who run the Republican Party in Washington think there's really only one way to win more Hispanic votes, you need more illegal immigration, and you need to give amnesty right away to those people who are already here illegally. Well, Democrats, needless to say, are cheering from the sidelines. They agree with this strongly. It helps them. But is it factually true as a political matter? It's worth thinking about that.
A closer look at the numbers suggests that Hispanic opinion on immigration is a lot more complex than they're telling you on television. A Harvard- Harris poll last summer found that a majority of Hispanics want stricter enforcement of America's immigration laws.
According to a Pew survey, meanwhile, only 14 percent of American Hispanics think our country needs more immigrants. Fully a quarter believe America has too many immigrants already.
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And the most anti-immigration Hispanics of all are those who are foreign- born, less-educated, and speak mostly Spanish. Why is that? It's obvious. These are the very people who face the stiffest competition over wages from future waves of lower-skilled immigrants.
So, it turns out that opening the borders is not the key to winning the Hispanic vote. So, what is the key? Well, maybe allowing parents to raise their own children. How about that?
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It turns out, Hispanic voters are for that, passionately. One Pew survey shows that 73 percent of Hispanic Americans believe it is better to have one parent stay at home to raise children, rather than having both parents work. That's well above the national average on that question of about 60 percent.
Hispanics put their belief into practice, too. 38 percent of Hispanic mothers stay at home when their kids are small. That's 9 percent above the national average.
So, it turns out that opening the borders is not the key to winning the Hispanic vote. So, what is the key? Well, maybe allowing parents to raise their own children. How about that?
So, think about what that means for a minute in political terms. Three-quarters of Hispanic voters believe a parent should stay at home to raise children, but less than half can actually afford to do that. That means there are millions of Hispanic parents who wish they could be at home raising their kids. But they can't because they can't afford it.
So, here's a crazy idea for the Republican Party and its legions of overpaid consultants. Why not work to give these voters what they want most? Why not run on a platform that unites children with their parents at home?
Sure, 19 unhappy social activists on Twitter would not like this. But who cares? Those people are miserable and pathetic, and there is no reason they should have this level of control over our society. How about ignoring them for once?
Republicans ought to make giving parents the choice to raise their own kids their party's top priority. Hispanic voters would love that. Voters of all colors would love that. Why wouldn't they love that? Nothing would make this a happier country.
Adapted from Tucker Carlson's monologue from "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on January 14, 2019.
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