No President has aggressively implemented pro-immigrant policies during their 1st term as President [View all]

[pampango]

Written by DeeDee Garcia Blasé (Tequila Party): Many of us liked Ronald Reagan and some of the policies he implemented regarding immigration … but we are now coming to a time during the contentious Presidential election cycle where we have to evaluate the history of American Presidents and their immigrant-friendly stances.

The Republican Party has indeed changed from the Party of Abraham Lincoln, the Party of Ronald Reagan and certainly from the Party of Harrison.

Ronald Reagan was a President that Latinos warmed up to because he gave amnesty; however, the Republican Party (no thanks to the likes of Russell Pearce, Joe Arpaio and Mitt Romney) has veered off into a protectionist, isolationist and Dixiecrat direction. I especially have a bone to pick with Mitt Romney because I systematically watched him move Senator John McCain far to the right on matters affecting immigration during the 2008 GOP Presidential Republican primaries. If it had not been for Mitt Romney, Latinos may have felt more comfortable in voting for John McCain. Romney’s divisiveness during 2007 and 2008 was a time in which he pulled out all stops. ... On the other hand, one can never predict Romney and his power-hungry agenda as he seems to embrace the epitome of crony Capitalism. Of course it does not help Romney with Latinos when he decided to align himself with Kris Kobach who is the architect of anti-immigrant legislation across the United States.

The last pro immigrant friendly Republican President that took bold immigrant steps (before Ronald Reagan) via Ellis Island was former President Benjamin Harrison (our 23rd President of the United States). (This was in the 1890's. Republican presidents after him went for restrictive immigration legislation, notably in 1921 and 1924, until Reagan.) President Harrison is also recognized for the advocating for federal education funding and legislation to protect voting rights for African Americans.

People say we can learn from American history. The last President I am aware of that promoted immigration efforts was Benjamin Harrison and he did not get re-elected. Ronald Reagan did not address immigrant amnesty until he won his second term as President, and finally … even President George W. Bush waited until after he was re-elected before attempting to change immigration.

Where will Latinos place their “chips” during the 2012 Presidential election cycle? Do you believe they will vote for a second term President? Or do you think the majority of Latinos will gamble away their vote on someone like Mitt Romney who made a deal with the anti-immigrant devil via Kris Kobach as he attempts to enter his first term?

http://tucsoncitizen.com/hispanic-politico/2012/04/23/no-president-has-aggressively-implemented-pro-immigrant-policies-during-their-1st-term-as-president/

Written by DeeDee Garcia Blase is the foundress of the largest Hispanic Republican group in the nation that began in Arizona and later grew out of crisis during an anti-immigrant fevered pitch era. She dropped her Republican registered voter affiliation, stepped down as the President of SOMOS REPUBLICANS and switched to the Independent Party and is now the Co-President of a non partisan National Tequila Party Movement. Leadership consists of Democrats, Independents and Republicans with a mission of getting out the Latino Vote for the purpose of promoting immigrant friendly politicians. The Tequila Party is a FEMALE-LED counter movement to extreme Tea Party Republicans. The Tequila Party hopes to provide pro-immigrant political covering to politicians in high Hispanic populated states and key Presidential election swing states.

Sounds like the author still has a fond memories of Reagan and possibly McCain, but she certainly seem to distain Romney both for his positions of immigration in the current campaign and for the effect he had on the republican nominating process in 2008. She is not a Democrat but her view of Romney from an ex-republican perspective is interesting.