The fight on the right

The issue that ends up rendering asunder the American right will not be Iraq but the other i-word, immigration. George W. Bush and Karl Rove have long believed that the future of the Republican Party depends on appealing to Hispanics, the fastest growing minority group in the US. They argue that with their strong family values, work ethic and small business mind-set this group are just waiting for the Republicans to court them. Indeed, Bush and Rove received some vindication for this theory when a sharp increase in the Hispanic vote helped win Bush a second term.

But, so the argument goes, if the Republicans are to win the loyalty of Hispanics for more than one election they need to deliver “comprehensive immigration reform”, which translates as something that regularises the status of the 10 to 12 million—mostly Hispanic—illegal immigrants in the US. The problem with this is that much the Republican base ain’t too keen on it. Some of those objecting are just nativists. Others, however, have an issue with the idea of rewarding people for entering the country illegally. Check out National Review’s The Corner, which is generally fairly supportive of Bush, for a taste of the anger that this issue generates.  

Realistically, there’s no way you’re going to deport all these people and the current situation is deeply distasteful with huge sectors of the US economy relying on illegal labour. So those advocating some kind of amnesty, even if they daren't call it that, are being pragmatic. But that won’t stop other taking shots at them—especially as one of the key deal-brokers is Senator John McCain who’s running for president.  His opponents know that this issue could end up killing off his campaign.