NDN Blog

Greenberg polling shows immigration's legacy will hurt GOP

David Frum has a great blog post on his National Review diary discussing some of the indications revealed by Stan Greenberg's new poll. Greenberg's research, conducted for the Democracy Project, shows that the legacy that will damage President Bush's party is not the Iraq war but its handling of the immigration issue. Frum explains:

Read the report in full, however, and you come across an interesting nugget on page 6: White young people continue to favor Republicans by a thin but real margin of 2 points. The Democrats owe their advantage among youth to a huge lead among young African-Americans (78 points) - and a very large lead (43 points) among Hispanics.

In the past, Republicans could win elections despite their unpopularity among ethnic minorities. But with the huge surge of immigration since 1980 - and especially since 2000 - the voting map of the United States has been redrawn in ways inherently deeply unfavorable to the GOP. If Republicans face an inhospitable future after 2008, we will hear much of the dreadful legacy of George W. Bush on social issues, the war, the environment, etc. But Greenberg's own work makes clear that these issues matter relatively little.

(Only 28% of young voters would respond positively to an anti-religious-right message, for example: see page 11.)

No, the legacy that will damage his party is the legacy of immigration non-enforcement. This has imported a large new community of people who are both economically struggling (and thus open to Democratic arguments) but who lack deep attachment to the American nation (and who are thus immune to the most potent of Republican appeals). It is these voters who will sway elections in future. And thanks to this president's immigration policies, there are going to be a lot more of them than there might otherwise have been.

Quick '08 Update

- Barack Obama delivered a speech today in D.C. where outlined his plan to "fight global terrorism." Obama was introduced by Lee Hamilton, Vice Chairman of the 9/11 Commission.

- Fresh off the heels of the release of his health care plan, Rudy Giuliani criticized the Democratic candidates' plans, saying they would lead to socialized medicine.

- Chris Cillizza from The Fix takes a good look at Fred Thompson's fundraising numbers, which continue to be a point of discussion regarding his viability as a candidate.

- Speaking at a union conference, Hillary Clinton gave a huge shout-out to teachers in Iowa, pledging to make up for the "respect shortage" they face.

- According to the AP, Sam Brownback isn't satisfied with the statement Mike Huckabee's campaign released over a Huckabee supporter's comment about Brownback's Catholicism.

- Tonight, Chris Dodd will appear on "The O'Reilly Factor" to "stand up to its host, Bill O'Reilly, for his unfair attacks on progressive bloggers." Not a bad move, as the YearlyKos Convention kicks off tomorrow.

- While praising its existence, Mitt Romney said that the Department of Homeland Security is inefficient and in need of major restructuring. Further distancing himself from the Bush administration, Romney took a jab at the health care system by saying, "The last thing I want is the guys managing the Katrina cleanup managing my health care system.”

- The Richardson campaign released a new TV ad on clean energy. Check it out below:

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.

Quick '08 Update

- In Nashville for the DLC conference, President Clinton avoided weighing in on the "spat" between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, instead choosing the higher ground by saying "there's more than one way to practice diplomacy."

- Ron Paul defends his plan to capture Osama bin Laden, which was described in The Politico as "wacky."

- Barack Obama referenced the work of President Theodore Roosevelt during a speech on government reform yesterday in Cedar Rapids. Obama is also the subject of two articles - from the Washington Post and The Washington Times - on the views of his candidacy within the African American community.

- Don Frederick discusses the significance of Rudy Giuliani's health care proposal - to be released today - on the LA Times blog, Top of the Ticket. Related Rudy news: Speaking in New Hampshire, Giuliani attacked Democrats' views on taxes and health care, saying that they favor a "nanny government."

- John Edwards is set to begin his "Fighting for One America" bus tour throughout Iowa. Edwards will travel to 30 counties over 7 days. As The Politico points out, it's possible that Edwards will continue to use the media's inability to focus on the issues that matter within his campaign to further his cause.

- This morning, Joe Biden discussed his new book, Promises to Keep, on the "Today Show." He'll be on Letterman tonight. (UPDATE: The video from Biden's interview with Letterman is available here.)

- Chris Cillizza discusses the upcoming Ames straw poll, as well as a possible speech Mitt Romney will deliver on his Mormon faith on his blog, The Fix.

- On a different note, AdAge takes a look at the lack of attack ads thus far in the 2008 presidential campaign.

- Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are both going up on air in Iowa. Romney re-released an ad on immigration in advance of the straw poll, whereas Obama's ad will focus on his idea of reforming Washington. This seems like a smart move, as Obama trails Hillary Clinton by a much wider margin in IA than he does in NH or SC.

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.

Latino community's response to Prince William County resolution

Over the weekend, the Washington Post detailed the Latino community's well organized response to the outrageous resolution that was approved by supervisors in Prince William County, VA. From the lede:

Latinos in Prince William County, angered and panicked by a county resolution to crack down on illegal immigrants, are swiftly banding together against what they see as an assault on their community. They vowed this week to block the resolution through a boycott, a petition drive and possibly a labor strike or lawsuit.

At packed public meetings in three towns this week, organizers signed up volunteers, circulated petitions, set up a hotline for reports of discrimination and announced a campaign of phone calls and e-mails to county officials. They also said they would organize caravans to visit Loudon County and other communities where Latinos feel targeted.

The article also touches on where the organizers are willing to go if their advocacy doesn't pay off, as well as the motivation behind their efforts:

Organizers also said that if their efforts fail, they will consider a one-day labor strike, and volunteer lawyers will prepare lawsuits to challenge the resolution as unconstitutional and discriminatory.

...

"There is fear in the community, but there is anger, too, because people feel they are being unjustly targeted," Contreras said. "We want to turn that anger into civic engagement and into participation in the 2008 elections. They say we are a burden, but a lot of us own houses and cars and pay taxes, and we need to stand up and be counted."

Friendly reminder: YearlyKos is around the corner

Yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle highlighted the significance of this week's YearlyKos Convention. As you have read on our blog, NDN will be there and will be well-represented.

Quick '08 Update

- The Huckabee and Obama campaigns have posted videos of their candidates discussing immigration. Huckabee's comments are from a meet and greet in Muscatine, IA. Obama's comments are from the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) conference that occurred this past weekend. (Hillary Clinton also addressed the NCLR conference.)

- Marking the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Hillary Clinton released her agenda to expand economic opportunity for individuals with disabilities.

- There's a lot of talk about Fred Thompson these days. Today's Washington Post details Thompson's past his legal career. Yesterday, Chris Cillizza analyzed the current state of Fred Thompson's campaign, while Time asked "Is Fred Thompson the GOP's Savior?"

- Coming off the YouTube debate I figured it would be worth mentioning that, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 1 in 5 adults watch web videos.

- Barack Obama went up on radio in South Carolina yesterday. Listen to the ad on his website. (NOTE: Click the play button in the box to the right under "On the Air in South Carolina.")

- In a few recent interviews, John Edwards has been asked how he plans on paying for his proposals. Well, today, Edwards is going to propose a raise in the capital gains tax rate. That added revenue, Edwards says, will be used to finance tax cuts for the middle class.

- Mark Thoma takes Rudy Giuliani's views on energy independence to task on his blog, Economist's View.

- Mitt Romney used the recent news regarding registered sex offenders on MySpace to discuss his "One Strike, You're Ours" policy at an event in New Hampshire in this video.

- While everyone is still left wondering whether Michael Bloomberg will enter the race, it is worth noting where he stands among among his constituents in New York City. A Quinnipiac poll shows that 34 percent say they "definitely" or "probably" would vote for him, with 57 percent who say they "probably" or "definitely" won't vote for him.

- In advance of the Iowa straw poll on August 11th, Tom Tancredo is on TV with a new ad.

- The Daily Show weighs in on the CNN-YouTube debate in the video below. Thanks to PrezVid:



For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.

Quick '08 Update

- The Caucus blog has a neat look at how videos were chosen for the debate. 

- John McCain picked up another endorsement yesterday. This one comes from Glenn Steil, a former Michigan State Senator. Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani announced the endorsements he's received in Southeast Iowa. (According to this Washington Post-ABC News poll, Giuliani is enjoying a lead over his rivals. Note: the link also features a not-so-flattering picture of McCain.)

- On behalf of his campaign, Gov. Bill Richardson presented a check (and, briefly, his background) to the Charleston Firefighter's Fund in this video. (Seems like a thoughtful gesture, given what happened in Charleston in June.)

- The candidacies of Ron Paul and Mike Gravel are the subject of this article in the LA Times. Who knows what could happen? Remember, Newt Gingrich said that the Republican presidential field is a "pathetic bunch of pygmies."

- The New York Times gives a good summary of the back and forth that ensued between the Clinton and Obama campaigns after each candidate's comments on diplomacy. (Yesterday night, Obama's campaign also highlighted the support it has received from former/retired officials from the State Department, Army, and Navy.)

- Mitt Romney's campaign is tracking who the DNC is targeting in its various releases regarding the 2008 cycle.

- The Biden campaign highlights an OpEd written by a Texas Republican that praises Biden for his performance and chides the debate's format for not giving ample time to many of the candidates.

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.

Quick '08 Update

- Much of today will be spent reading analysis and views from last night's CNN-YouTube debate. (Part 1 and Part 2 of the debate are available on CNN's website.) Before I get to that, though, a quick shout-out to Congress seems appropriate:

Reflecting on the question posed by Cecilia Smith and Asanti Wilkins from PA regarding the candidates' willingness to work for the minimum wage, I want to highlight (once more) that the federal minimum wage was increased for the first time in 10 years today. Read the statement we sent out last week for more.

- Due to the work of our New Politics Institute, I would be remiss if I didn't first touch on the technology present in last night's debate and afterwards. Check out NPI commentary in the San Francisco Chronicle, BBC, and the San Jose Mercury News. During the debate, Barack Obama asked his supporters to text him and tell him what they thought of his answers.

- For quick analysis, check out Chris Cillizza's quick take on the debate. Also, Eric Kleefeld and T.W. Farnam have a good round-up of the debate on TPMCafé.

- Roger Simon from The Politico gives the Edwards campaign some reason to celebrate, giving Edwards' performance the highest marks of all the candidates. (It seems as if someone agrees with the Edwards campaign's video, noting that other things do matter aside from Edwards' hair...). Meanwhile, Simon's colleague Ben Smith notes that Clinton, Biden and Obama won marks for their performance as well. Biden also received praise from the National Journal's blog, The Gate.

- Chris Dodd and Hillary Clinton posted videos of themselves answering YouTube questions before and during the debate. Be sure to check out their YouTube channels for more (Dodd's here and Clinton's here).

- Some non-debate news: make sure you check out Rudy Giuliani's first ads. They are on radio in New Hampshire and Iowa. Check out "Garbage Can", "Will Do", and "Out of Control". Also, the WSJ blog points out that John McCain seems to be going after hedge fund and private equity money. (Enter Mike Gravel's point from last night...)

- Until I post more updates, check out the Dodd campaign's Talk Clock from last night:

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.

DVR Alert: CNN/YouTube Debate tonight at 7 PM EST on CNN

The Democratic candidates will gather tonight in South Carolina tonight for the first of the CNN/YouTube Debates, a fantastic example of how technology can involve more Americans in the political process. (Peter Leyden, the Director of our New Politics Institute explains the possibilities more in the Seattle Times.)

The deadline for submitting a question ended yesterday, but if you are curious as to what the questions might look like, check out YouTube. For a look at how the candidates themselves might present their ideas, Chris Cillizza has an analysis on his blog, The Fix.

Fall Interns

NDNBlog readers, we need your help. As the summer comes to an end, we will soon be saying goodbye to our phenomenal group of summer interns. Their departure means that we’ll be looking to find more college-age interns who are just as motivated as them to participate in our fall internship program here in our Washington, DC office.

As many of you know, our interns will get a chance to work directly with NDN staff on major initiatives, including the Hispanic Strategy Center, New Politics Institute, Globalization Initiative, and other NDN advocacy work. More importantly, they'll get hands on experience in progressive politics, government and working in a professional environment.

Please feel free to pass this on to any one you know who would benefit from the unique combination of opportunity and responsibility that defines the NDN internship program.

To apply, e-mail your resume, cover letter, and a brief writing sample to jobs@ndn.org.

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