Yes, we know the personal offense that can be taken by this ad, yes, we know that "illegal" is not a noun, but I thought it worthwile to share this ad with our readers to illustrate the beginning of a likely tide of ads to come. We expect that many candidates running for local and national office will try to employ such ads as a part of their campaign.
As reflected by 2004 and 2006 exit polls, Hispanics have interpreted the change in tone in the immigration debate from anti-undocumented to anti-Hispanic. It is telling that Republicans received 10% less of the Hispanic vote from 2004-2006, while Democrats gained 10% in the same period, and the 2008 exit polls show that of the Hispanics who have voted in the Presidential primaries and caucuses, 78% have voted for the Democratic candidates, while 22% have voted for the Republicans (see NDN's Hispanics Rising presenation, released today).