May 30, 2007
Immigration A Top Issue For GOP Only
CBS' Kathy Frankovic: Issue Is Top Domestic Concern Of Many Republican Primary Voters
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Play CBS Video Video Bush: Act Now On Immigration CBS News RAW: Speaking at the Federal Law Enforcement Academy in Glynco, Ga., President Bush urged members of both political parties to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
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Video Special Report: Bush CBS News Special Report: Katie Couric has a special report on President Bush's news conference from the Rose Garden, in which he addressed the war in Iraq and the immigration bill.
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Video Reality Check On Immigration Republicans say the immigration reform now on the Senate floor treats illegal immigrants too well. Democrats are worried the bill doesn't treat them well enough. Jim Axelrod reports.
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(CBS/AP)
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Interactive Immigration And Naturalization Who's coming to America? Find out what's being done to screen for terrorists and take a citizenship quiz.
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Photo Essay Immigration Rallies Demonstrators demand path to citizenship for estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.
Looking only at overall poll results can sometimes hide major differences in the way groups view issues. Many of those differences are partisan like the huge gap between Republicans and Democrats in support for the war in Iraq. But sometimes those differences go deeper, and what is happening within a party can matter politically.
In the most recent CBS News/New York Times Poll, Republicans, Democrats and independents differed little on some specifics of the immigration reform bill that is now being debated in Congress. Immigration is one of very few current issues that don't show partisan polarization. Most in both parties said they favored a guest worker program and supported a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, while recognizing that illegal immigration as a very serious concern.
But many Republicans in Congress are having a difficult time with the proposed legislation, and the poll suggests why and why immigration reform may really matter only in the GOP's presidential selection process next year.
Iraq is still the big issue for both parties' voters: In the latest poll, more than one in three Democratic primary voters (registered voters who say they will vote in a Democratic primary or caucus next year) volunteered the war in Iraq as the country's most important problem (37 percent), followed by health care at 7 percent and gas prices at 6 percent. Nothing else not immigration, not even terrorism, was named by more than 3 percent of Democrats.
Republican primary voters, however, rank issues differently. Iraq is still No. 1 for them, but at 21 percent it's much less often volunteered than it is by Democratic primary voters. Four other issues are each mentioned by one in 10 primary voters immigration (11 percent), gas prices (9 percent), terrorism and security (9 percent), and religious and moral values (9 percent).
But the party difference is even starker when voters are asked about four specific domestic issues. We asked which of the following issues the President and Congress should concentrate on now: reducing taxes, making health insurance available to all Americans, strengthening immigration laws, or promoting traditional values? For Democratic voters, there is no contest. One issue health care dominates. Seventy-two percent name health care availability, and just 12 percent say strengthening immigration laws should be the priority. Even fewer not even one Democratic voter in 10 say the dominant issue is taxes or values.
But on the Republican side, immigration dominates. Forty percent of Republican primary voters choose strengthening immigration laws as their chief domestic issue. Twenty-four percent choose values, 22 percent health care availability, 12 percent taxes.
Immigration, therefore, is really a Republican issue now. And those four in 10 Republican primary voters who care about strengthening immigration laws have more negative feelings about immigration and immigrants than do other Republicans. For example, among those who see strengthening immigration as the most important domestic issue:
This group of Republican primary voters also supports construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Compared with other Republican voters, they are more likely to believe that illegal immigrants take jobs away from Americans, and are more likely to want even legal immigration decreased.
This anti-immigrant segment of the Republican Party is not limited to any one region, although it is less of a concern among Midwesterners. There are more men than women in this group. These voters are almost as conservative as the very conservative group who cite traditional values as their primary concern.
Many of the Republicans now running for president, including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, hold positions similar to the Republican voters who care about immigration. But some favor less punitive measures. Arizona Sen. John McCain, one of the co-sponsors of the current bill, could be particularly vulnerable on immigration with those Republican voters who care the most about the issue. Although Rudy Giuliani has criticized the current bill, as Mayor of New York City he took a softer stand on immigration.
The immigration issue hasn't had an impact on Republican voters' preferences yet. In the CBS News/New York Times poll, Giuliani leads among those Republican primary voters who said immigration was their most important domestic priority and by about the same margin as Giuliani enjoys among all Republican voters.
But, of course, all that could change. Our poll explains why the Democratic candidates are spending their time talking about health care and why so many Republican voters are waiting to hear more about immigration from their party's candidates.
By Kathleen Frankovic
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The secrets of tennis legend 
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See all 65 CommentsNot much of a sampling for whatever reason. But betweeen the 2 of us we disproved this entire story. The no way's on this issue do cross party lines.
Posted by nottellin1 at 10:43 AM : Jun 01, 2007
Me - Dem - no way.
Posted by Fastfredy1 at 12:34 PM : May 31, 2007
Dude, I'm sorry it has gotten that bad in Virginia. Imagine how it looks here in LA,CA.
Me - Rep - no way
put the concerns and issues of the LEGAL U. S. citizens and taxpayers ahead and above that of those who are ILLEGALLY here and are ILLEGALLY employed by many businesses throughout this country. Laws need to change also; the "Anchor Baby law only rewards illegal immigrant women to have their babies in this country, and rewards them for trespassing into this country. States and lower levels of governments should pass laws
(courts permitting) that DISCOURAGE illegal immigration; and,not ENCOURAGE the practice. Stop and end, once and for all time, the ability for illegal immigrants to live and stay in the U. S. in the first place: First and foremost, stop illegal immigrants from obtaining jobs, and then deprive them of obtaining housing within this country. Second, stop giving illegal immigrants other priviledges they do not deserve, including: Education for their children, health and medical care, all other rights and priviledges, including the ability to obtain car ownership, driver's and business licenses. Also, make ALL crimes illegal immigrants commit deportable offenses.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/25/opinion/polls/main2851959_page3.shtml
"Sixty-nine percent think that illegal immigrants should be prosecuted and deported for simply being in the U.S. illegally; just one in four think they should not be. Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans share this view."
And, most people aren't anti immigration, they are anti ILLEGAL immigration.
You're in for a big surprize if you really believe what you wrote. Get the facts straight. The Senators - ALL of them - are being slammed with calls, e-mails and letters 100 to 1 against this bizzare policy, their words, not mine. At least make an effort to earn your big bucks salary and get the facts straight before you try to influence the public into thinking this is a party issue. This is a citizen's issue, plain and simple.
Right now there are politicians in both parties that intend to vote for amnesty for the illegal aliens. They are not representing their legal voters.
Please write, call, and email all the people that are supposed to be YOUR representive in congress, the senate, state and local level.
Tell them to support existing laws. Deport illegals, fine and/or jail anyone that hires them, and ban from the U.S. any illegal caught here. Secure our borders against illegals, possible terrorists, and disease.
Enforce the laws.
No Amnesty
As an American Citizen, whose dear ones have suffered, fought, and died for our precious freedom,I am so saddened and even scared, about the condition of our great country. I grew up on a farm and worked in the fields and in the dairy barn, as millions of other Americans have and do today. I consider the term "jobs no one else will work" as propaganda. Many homeless people (many homeless as a result of the free flow of drugs across our borders, would much rather be picking produce out of the field for a salary, than digging through garbage, just to survive. Americans, wake up. Money is coming out of every American pocket to support illegals, schools, jails, births, hospitals and medical care. Paying American patients are denied healthcare due to hospitals going broke caring for those illegals who cannot pay. I have seen lines at Western Union on payday, illegals sending money home. Is that helping the American economy? No. In a few years, the North American Union. Will that mean free flow of commerce, drugs, terrorists across our borders? Lowered standards for imported produce? Where did America go? Citizens today are failing to protect what our forefathers and our military gave so much to provide for us.
Posted by artsygrandma at 11:51 AM : May 31, 2007
Amnesty by any other name is AMNESTY. This proposal intends to reward criminals with the object of their crime. This is typical Bush Administration "My way or the highway", if one does not agree with Mr. Bush one must therefore be some kind of subversive. The subversives are those criminals who have invaded our country, and the traitors who support them whether in the Senate or in some church or other providing aid and comfort to them while still enjoying tax-exempt status. What is it about ILLEGAL Mr. Bush and the drones in the Senate will not understand about ILLEGAL ALIENS?
Americans know in their gut Mr. Bush and the drones in the Senate are selling out the USA.
This is the most massive Corporate Welfare piece of Pork ever considered by Congress. It should be rejected with hostility.
Posted by Fastfredy1 at 12:34 PM : May 31, 2007
"Hispanic"? I wasn't aware that was a language. . . You should try learning a little spanish and things might go better for you.
Also, there aren't really a lot of Mexicans where I live in Michigan and the Ers and the roads are still congested! Why do you alarmists always have to blame everything on the immigrants? Sad but true, our infrastructure in the US is crumbling. Maybe the immigrants can help us rebuilt it?
Adios, fastfreddy1. Good luck learning Hispanic!
You're so far out in left field, you%u2019ll never realize reality. Other than small number of farmers that are looking for a crop of subservient, modern day serf's there aren't many people concerned about how lettuce and cucumbers are harvested. Even Hispanics don't want Ag-work which is why they are working in meat and poultry processing plants, manufacturing, construction, and a whole host of other industries.
Mexicans, like any other ethnicity, that enter this country illegally have no rights, other than to be arrested and deported as soon as they are found. Americans regardless of their heritage, want law and order enforced.
Today one can't go onto the internet without hearing about Latino gangs, murder's, rapes, large drug busts, etc. But unlike Latino's that thrive on a culture of disregarding laws or take the law into their own hands, Americans believe in the rule of the law. If this Congress doesn't start putting Americans first instead of an invading class of criminals, we%u2019ll put another one in office.
(Congressman and Senators) These people are untouched by this problem except maybe for their own servant problems. This should be voted on by the american people. Why not let us vote on this and then no one can complain. It seems we lose our voice on important issues.
Posted by cathaleen at
When the American people vote on an issue pertaining to illegal immigration, like the town in Texas (I believe) it did no good because a Judge stopped it and lawyers are eager to challenge it. So much for the will of the American people. I think this is one issue that can united all true Americans, regardless of race or political affiliation.
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