AP Reports that Oregon overturned Drivers License for Illegals law. [View all]

[Savannahmann]

One ballot measure in very blue Oregon went largely unnoticed in the shellacking that the Democrats took nationally. While Oregon bucked the national trend and extended the Democratic Majority in the State Houses, one ballot measure did not fare quite so well.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The fate of a little-noticed ballot measure in strongly Democratic Oregon serves as a warning to President Barack Obama and his party about the political perils of immigration policy.

Even as Oregon voters were legalizing recreational marijuana and expanding Democratic majorities in state government, they decided by a margin of 66-34 to cancel a new state law that would have provided driver's licenses to people who are in the United States illegally.

That means for every person who supported the measure, two voted against it. Two to one majority of people voted to overturn the law while at the same time electing more democrats to office. Some would call that a mixed message, but I think it's pretty consistent. Polling has shown pretty consistent support for an immigration fix from Congress.

Now, I've posted before that exit polls showed 57% support for congressional action on Immigration. While one poll asked the question asking about support for Executive action, and that one showed 20% support. I'd reference another, but there just isn't one that I can find.

I've read here how people will support the President, because he's doing what they want. But I can't find any reason to believe that except perhaps wishful thinking. That sort of wishful thinking led to our losing control of the Senate and giving the Republicans the largest majority in Congress since Herbert Hoover.

My message for a long time now has been the same. I want the Democratic Party to become more responsive to the public, and to listen to what they say. I want the Democratic Party educating the people on what we believe and what we want to do. I don't want us to keep running into the brick wall full speed screaming we're popular and we're going to win. Because your friends and family agree doesn't mean a majority of the people, or a majority of the voters agree with you.

I'm asking that we stop doing the Republicans job and destroying ourselves. Because if I'm right, and the Immigration move is going to be that bad for the party, we'll lose the White House in the next election, and that won't be anything good for us. Even if it isn't quite as bad as I fear, then it puts the likelihood of taking the Senate back into far more improbable territory. However, even two days before the election, I was predicting that we would see a Republican Senate with 52 seats, instead of 53 looking at 54. So If I'm wrong, and it's worse than I suspect, then we may well see the Democratic Party in the minority for the next decade for minimal gain.

We need to take a long hard look. A brutally honest look at the last election, and see why we were not supported by the public. Because until we do that, we have no hope of gaining the majority. I'm talking about reading the polling information, and listening to the people. I'm talking about arguing that what we're doing is right because of well considered factors. Not just saying that we're doing it and if you disagree you're a racist/sexist/homophobic asshole. That doesn't win us support, it drives those fence sitters who give us victory, or defeat, away.

I don't want a Republican President in 2016, and I don't believe anyone here does either. We need to take a minute and catch our breaths. Because we are gambling with the future of this party for the next decade if we're wrong.