John McCain held a town hall meeting the other day in Arizona. Citizens of that state were in an uproar over the proposed immigration bill. They demanded to know why the fence hadn’t been built, why troops had been posted on the border, and top complain that all illegal immigrants were on welfare.
McCain attempted to calm the crowd down, to no avail, and to explain the reality of immigration in this country. (Like the fact it would take 2 million troops to secure the border.) John McCain like many establishment Republicans knows that an immigration bill is necessary to make America stronger. The problem they face is that rank and file Republicans have been told illegal immigration is as simple as just throwing up a fence. They have been told this by politicians like, John McCain. In 2010 when scrambling for reelection McCain ran an ad saying “build the dang fence.”
Republicans know that not only the American economy, but the Republican ability to compete electorally depends on an immigration bill. The problem they have is that they have been stirring up white working class voters for years with sometimes fantastical stories about the horrors of illegal immigration. These voters are now so terrified of illegals they are convinced amnesty (which Reagan did) will tear apart the very fabric of America.
The video is great by the way.
http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/02/20/John-McCain-defends-immigration-policy-in-testy-town-hall-exchange-VIDEO/7851361378767/
