So, some out there are already claiming that immigration was a big issue yesterday. Pshaw:
Voters across Virginia chose candidates in state and local elections yesterday not out of anger over illegal immigration but based on party affiliation, a preference for moderation and strong views on such key issues as residential growth and traffic congestion.With a few notable exceptions, the trend benefited Democrats and not those who campaigned the loudest for tough sanctions against illegal immigrants.
Let this be a wake-up call to progressives everywhere -- the immigration issue is nothing to be feared. Reasonable immigration reform that includes strong border security without turning our backs on those that already live among us is not only the right thing to do, it's the politically smart thing to do as well.
The long-term damage to the GOP on this issue has been addressed many times. The Republicans are losing a generation of future new voters because of their xenophobia. However, the short-term gains that they were hoping for (and some Democrats fear)? Not really there either.
More after the flip...
Some details of the GOP carnage in Northern Virginia:
Fairfax County continued its transformation into solid Democratic territory, with as many as five legislative seats poised to fall out of Republican control. In Loudoun County, Democrats who campaigned on a promise to slow residential growth took over the county board. Even in Prince William County, where the board's chairman, Corey L. Stewart (R), won easily on a vow to crack down against illegal immigrants, the volatile issue was tempered by the victory of state Sen. Charles J. Colgan (D-Manassas), who had been painted as soft on the issue.The returns provided the sharpest evidence yet that Democratic gains in recent state elections represented more than a temporary dip in Republicans' popularity. Yesterday's initial results showed that a more long-term structural realignment may be occurring and that voters are increasingly drawn by Democrats' promises to improve schools and ease traffic and away from Republican conservatism on such issues as taxes and social policy, particularly in fast-growing Northern Virginia.
In other words, the "blueing of Virginia" continues at a strong pace. This is the third election year in a row in which Democrats made strong gains. Governor ... Senator ... State Senate. And the GOP attempt to demagogue on the immigration issue is not nearly enough to reverse this trend.
This is another failing of the "Supply Side" world-view. Endless meaningless wars, like the GWOT, Drug War, and now those who rattle their sabers because they see a boogeyman and have control of the purse strings.
As long as our trade deals continue to force the develping world into poverty, until America becomes the champion of the worldwide middle-class that it should be, ideologues and demogogues will continue to fetishize hate in order to win votes.
It's a pity that Corey Stewart was rewarded for his bombastic idiocy, and it's a credit to the rising "Creative Class" in NOVA that this idiocy never took hold.
Surely the 88th deserves a delegate that doesn't just vote "no" when he either can't or won't take the time to understand the content of a bill. But, I guess they like them dumb....
Now, Stewart has his feather in his cap, so lets see what the next 4 years brings PWC. I don't think you need to be the Mighty Carnack to guess what will happen when there is no funding for this resolution, and absolutely nothing else gets done, because there was never a plan, or vision.
They say this was the "test bed" for the nation. I believe that is true.
The results in the chairman race were identical to the result last year and it did not affect any race where immigration was used heavily by the Republicans. Lets hope folks can see through Corey's rhetoric about this being a mandate on immigration. The good news is that for the first time since 1995 we actually picked up seats that were open or challenged in Nichols, Barker and Principi here in PWC. The demographics are definitely changing and in the next few years we should see this trend continue gradually throughout the county. The only disappointment was in the Clerk's race; I thought that Ryland might be able to win but Lucy didn't split enough Republican votes from Michelle.
The not-too-smart ones may also think that after three years of pushing the issue, 2008 may be the election when this issue blooms.
Even leaving aside the issue that the story was an opinion piece masquerading as a news article, it was also disconcerting that the paper had bit into the latest GOP spin on immigration hook, line, and sinker. It's not that black and white of an issue, as the Repubs internal battles in the U.S. Senate and House have shown.
Challenge in the future will be to educate the press on the matter.
I won't hold my breath expecting a correction from the Post on Sunday's piece.