Originally Posted by Jelly Bean Lover

I totally agree with everything here. As bad as it sounds, Newt Gingrich is the closest thing to an adult in the room we have seen on immigration for some time in presidential politics.

It reminds me of the political problem of Chinese relations in American politics in the 1950s and 1960s. The Democrats knew if they did not sound tough on China and communism they would lose to the Republicans on the Red-baiting vote. But everybody also knew it was the only rational course to normalize relations with China. This couldn't happen until a Republican presidency took the lead on it (Nixon) because the anti-communist public did not trust the Democrats to be tough enough on the issue.

I wonder if something like that needs to happen on immigration. The reality is that Obama has cracked down harder than anybody, but the dim-witted Republican base actually believes he is trying to enact backdoor amnesty, that the border is less secure, that the border is even the problem, etc.