I just want to go on record here that Barack Obama did more than just shoot himself in the foot at last night’s debate when he supported drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants. If he should somehow get the Democratic nomination, that one ill-considered position could well make him unelectable. What could have driven Obama to support such unpopular foolishness? Even if one thinks drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants is a wonderful idea, this is a democracy. The people get a vote. And the people have spoken. As I noted in my piece today on THE DAILY STANDARD, a Quinnipiac poll in Ohio shows 84 percent of Ohioans opposing drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants while a mere 11 percent support the idea. Elsewhere in the blogosphere, Roger L. Simon has hypothesized that Obama’s stumbling response to Wolf Blitzer’s question on the issue and his ultimate begrudging, “Yes, I support the idea” shows that Obama doesn’t want to win. Could be. If you want an idea of how disastrous Obama’s handling of this matter was, check out the Frank Luntz footage from above. And lest you think Obama’s a prisoner of his conscience defiantly standing by an unpopular position, note the evasive manner with which he handled the matter. Personally, I blame the progressive blogosphere for the immigration disaster that awaits the Democratic nominee. The best way a candidate can utilize the blogosphere is to exploit its usefulness as an early alarm system. If the bloggers are going nuts about something, chances are a sizable portion of the public will follow. But on immigration, the progressive blogosphere is silent. Thanks to the wonderfully soundproof echo-chamber the left has constructed, a leading presidential candidate can adopt a position that 84 percent of the country passionately opposes and think it’s a swell thing. If the left wing bloggers really wanted to help the Democratic candidates, they should offer a reality check when a candidate goes off the rails as Obama did last night. Instead, we get the unsightly spectacle of Matt Yglesias whining that “Wolf Blitzer’s main interest is in asking questions designed to put Democrats on the wrong side of public opinion.” Boo hoo. A lot of progressives have suggested that conservatives long for the Democrats to nominate Hillary Clinton because she would be the most easily defeated Democratic nominee. That calculus changed last night.
