The re-emergence of illegal immigration in the last two Democratic presidential debates could hurt the party in the general election and might even imperil some Republicans in the primaries.
“It’s a tricky issue for both Republicans and Democrats because it’s an emotional issue that can be sloganeered very easily,” said Richard Benedetto, who teaches politics and journalism at American and Georgetown universities. “The public has a general feel for that issue on a gut level.”
At a Democratic presidential debate last month, Hillary Clinton expressed support for a plan by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. After a public outcry, Spitzer withdrew his plan and Clinton reversed herself.
At a second Democratic debate on Thursday, Barack Obama was the one who stumbled on the question, eventually saying he supported licenses for illegals. That position will likely be used against him by Republicans if Obama advances to the general election.
“Democrats have to find a way to make it sound like they’re not opening up the gates and [giving] away things to people who don’t have legal standing in this country,” Benedetto said.
The fact that Clinton said Thursday that she now opposes licenses for illegals will not inoculate her against GOP attacks if she wins the Democratic nomination.
“If Hillary Clinton thinks she fixed her problem on the driver’s license issue with one debate question response, then she is quite mistaken,” said Kevin Madden, press secretary for Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
Romney and Fred Thompson have been playing up the immigration issue not just against Democrats, but also against fellow Republican candidates who are viewed as vulnerable on the issue. These include Rudy Giuliani, who welcomed illegal immigration to New York when he was mayor, and Mike Huckabee, who advocated in-state tuition rates for the children of immigrants when he was governor of Arkansas.
“Rudy and Huckabee don’t want immigration at the forefront of any issues debate,” Madden said. “With the issue front and center, both have a great deal to lose.”
Sen. John McCain, another Republican candidate, took a major hit earlier in the campaign by advocating a comprehensive immigration reform package that many conservatives equated with amnesty.
Seeking to capitalize on these strong feelings in the GOP base, Thompson released a TV ad this week in which he says that “granting amnesty is not the answer.”
