I’m rather conflicted about this poll, too be honest. Much of it seems to be focused on legal immigration, when the focus should be on illegal immigration. But, there are some seriously interesting tidbits
(Breitbart) New polling data shows that it would be virtually impossible for Hillary Clinton to win the general election if the Republican nominee were able to frame the immigration issue in populist terms that emphasize reducing the overall amount of immigration into the country and protecting jobs, incomes, and benefits for the domestic population.
The poll was conducted by Gravis Marketing, a nonpartisan research firm, in conjunction with Breitbart News Network, and surveyed a random selection of 2,010 registered voters throughout the nation.
“The poll shows that instead of dividing Americans, immigration is an issue where Americans have reached the consensus that it is a problem, maybe the problem,†said Doug Kaplan, the managing partner of Gravis Marketing.
The big problem here for Republicans, and specifically Trump, who I assume is the target to use this data, is how to nuance it to highlight the belief that reducing immigration is good without being accused of hating immigrants, much like how the Democrats attempt to shift the debate regarding illegals.
Whereas the media and Democrats try to frame the immigration issue as pitting native-born Americans against foreign-born Americans, the polling reveals that Republicans should offer a completely different framing of the issue– one which focuses on the interests of the domestic American population– and all of its members (i.e. foreign-born, native-born, etc.)–versus the interests of the world’s seven billion people that live outside the United States.
That could be dangerous, as this needs much more nuance, and Trump doesn’t do nuance well. Here are a few things the poll found (many have explanatory paragraphs, I’ll leave it to you to hit the link and read it)
- By a nearly 6 to 1 margin, U.S. voters believe immigration should be decreased rather than increased.
- By a 25-to-1 margin, voters believe that unemployed American workers should get preference for a U.S. job rather than a foreign worker brought in from another country.
- Sixty one percent of voters believe that any politician, “who would rather import foreign workers to take jobs rather than give them to current U.S. residents, is unfit to hold office.â€
- Three out of four voters believe the nation needs “an immigration system that puts American workers first, not an immigration system that serves the demands of donors seeking to reduce labor costs.â€
- A majority of U.S. voters (53%) believe “record amounts of immigration into the U.S. have strained school resources and disadvantaged U.S. children.â€
- A majority of voters (55%) disagree with Hillary Clinton’s call to release illegal immigrants arriving at the border into the United States and give them a chance to apply for asylum.
- Roughly three out of four voters— including nearly three out of four Democrat voters— believe that “instead of giving jobs and healthcare to millions of refugees from around the world, we should rebuild our inner cities and put Americans back to work.â€
Now, how to frame this for what are essentially sound bite campaigns? Americans are certainly a bit upset over the number of illegals coming to the country, and have a problem with legals coming in on short work visas and taking American jobs. They also have a problem with bringing in refugees who share little to no mores with Americans, will be tough to assimilate, and may very well hold Islamic extremist views. They’ve seen the reports out of Europe, and want nothing to do with the crime, rape, sexual assaults, and terrorism, not too mention the demands that Europe cave to their extremist demands.
I think no matter what any repub nominee would say, they’ll always be accused of hating immigrants, being racists, sexist, etc. It’s what the left does. Reality isn’t needed for their worldview.
I tend to think most Americans would be happy to see present immigration laws enforced with some added vetting for those inclined toward terrorism.
The problem isn’t immigration; the problem is welfare. We have illegal immigration solely because Americans have the choice to not work and still not starve to death. If it was a choice between working and starving, all of those jobs that Americans just won’t do you would suddenly find filled by Americans. Then the only immigration coming here would be people we needed because we had more jobs than could be filled by Americans.
Trump can’t use this argument because HE “imports” migrants to work at his properties, hotels, casinos, resorts and country clubs.
It’s the same reason he can’t relentlessly oppose outsourcing: he outsources many of his Trump branded products.
People have bought the simplistic argument that “American” unemployment is caused by immigrants or welfare or ??
Our unemployment rate is low right now. The real problem is that jobs do not pay enough to support families, a fact that is decimating the middle class. Wages have been flat for decades and immigration is only a tiny contributor to that. Outsourcing manufacturing jobs (trade deals that enrich the capitalists but shit on workers), fiscal “discipline” that slows the economy, monetary “discipline” that slows the economy, “strong” dollar policies that squelch exports and encourage imports, tax policies that squeeze the working classes, in fact every policy rewards the already wealthy and sends good paying middle class jobs overseas… The working classes pay an extra $1 trillion for health care each year – the extra goes into the pockets of doctors, executives, shareholders, administrators, insurance companies and drug companies.
Bernie Sanders had all these correct.
How to black Americans poll about illegal immigrants taking jobs?
Yet those positions are based on the same arguments you make all the time.
You say you hate the medical patent system, but won’t give up the patents because they make you and your partners money.
You want everyone else to pay more in taxes and fees, but won’t pay more into the system on your own.
You are very much a “me first” person when it comes to the things in your world, but when another business or another owner has done the same things you have, you think it is wrong.
There’s a reason people outsource jobs and that is costs of the massive regulations, taxes and fees paid by companies and employers.
Clinton calls for more regulations which won’t bring jobs back here. Trump wants to end regulations and failed liberal principles which will being jobs back.
Yet you want to blame trump for wanting to bring jobs back and support the criminal Clinton because of her vast business experience and her desire to regulate more.
The millionaire wrote:
No, our ‘official’ unemployment rate is lower, artificially lower, because so many have simply gotten disgusted and stopped looking for work. The U-6 unemployment rate is 9.6%.
And that is the result of opening virtually all positions to women. Prior to the sixties, men were responsible for supporting an entire family, and employers had to pay enough for a man to do that, or he had to find work elsewhere. Add to that the fact that the work force was restricted in size because women were not allowed to hold so many different jobs, and you had a de facto unionization of the white male workforce.
Once women and blacks were allowed to compete for any job, what you saw was a huge expansion of the available workforce, and a concomitant lowering of wages, as the supply of workers greatly exceeded the demand.
Finally, since men could now count on their wives to supplement the family income, employers did not have to pay enough to support the whole family to just one worker; the only ‘requirement’ is that two people must be able to earn enough to support a family.
Gravis is pretty new to poling Nate Silver gives them a B- grade and yes Surprise !!!they do lean Right
Now Gallup polling shows that more REPUBLICANS favor a path to citizenship (76%0 than do favor building a WALL
http://www.gallup.com/poll/193817/republicans-favor-path-citizenship-wall.aspx?g_source=immigration&g_medium=search&g_campaign=tiles
Basically Brietbart paid Gravis to do a poll that showed something else.
Like abortion and gay rights immigration is a loser issue for the Republican party
Pharma and tech discoveries can be financed by a better system than our current patent system. But you’ve demonstrated repeatedly that you, like Trump, are incapable of learning.
Jobs are not outsourced because of regulations and taxes but because of cheaper labor costs.
Neither you, nor Trump, have a clue regarding the economy.
There you go again, trying to distract from you not doing what you demand others do. If you don’t like the patent system, give up your patents. Opt out. Walk away.
But as you have demonstrated, you don’t have the stones to do what you say others must do.
And you really don’t think that regulations and taxes add to the cost of labor?
You’re an idiot if you believe that.
You don’t understand the patent system, but then you seem to not understand a lot of things.
When did I suggest that companies abandon patents? You don’t understand the patent system, do you?
Do you really think that most of Americans pay comes from regulations and taxes on the employer??
You’re an idiot if you believe that.
Really? Someone like me who has patents doesn’t understand that patent system?
Once again, if you don’t like the system, give up, abandon, or relinquish your patents. We all know you won’t because that would actually cost you money and you don’t want money to not flow into your pockets. You only want money to be taken from other pockets.
Problems reading again Jeffery?
Let’s go back and re-read what I said: “And you really don’t think that regulations and taxes add to the cost of labor?”
My comment is not even close to what you wrote which simply shows that you got caught again.
Once more for effect: if you don’t think that taxes and regulations add to the cost of business and salaries in this country and lead to outsourcing of jobs, you are simply, completely and totally ignorant. Only an idiot would believe what you claim to believe.
Tuesday morning links
How archaeologists found the lost medieval megacity of Angkor In its prime, largest city in the world How the American Civil War Built Egypt’s Vaunted Cotton Industry and Changed the Country Forever Heterodox Academy is Now Open to All Tenured Pro
U6 Employment has improved significantly since the end of the Great Recession:
http://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/charts/employment/unemployed-U6.gif