Republican's love to run on racism. It seems to work.

[dumpdabaggers]

This Arizona illegal immigration law is going to be what they think will lead them back to the majority. Remember, this is just the kind of white trash issue that brings em out. Who better than Palin to attack this?

This is how Pete Wilson defeated Diane Feinstien in California in 1990. There was this big ballot intuitive on illegal immigration. It carried him over the finish line.

59% of the public support what is happening in Arizona. I am afraid all of this Resistance to it is going to backfire on the Democrats. Remember, we depend on the votes of the blue collar types. Nothing gets them to vote Republican quicker than when they get scared by the right over gays, guns, or illegals.

The story about tyhe basketball team was taken up early today on FIX News. Now it is filtered on to Palin.

[begin_within]

1. They run on anything involving a "bogeyman" that they will protect you from

Whether it's

Commies
Liberals
Socialists
Feminazis
Bureaucrats
Hippies
Immigrants
Non-white people
The Gays
Terrorists
Anyone unlike them in any way
etc.

It doesn't really matter who it is, or even whether they pose a threat or not. It's just someone to FEAR and they will be the ones to PROTECT you, and of course the Democrats not only will fail to protect you, they will actually pal around with the bogeyman and aid and abet them. That's their basic premise that they have been using for decades and it usually works for them.

[Jennicut]

5. Conservative types have been doing it since they existed.

This goes back forever. Fear does work, sometimes. Then they go overboard and get the backlash from the public. Endless cycle.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Bring it on.

The last time the racist fuckers tried this they lost in the biggest Congressional landslide in history.

[TomCADem]

3. Smear and Fear. Rince and Repeat.

The problem is that if you do not draw a line, then the right wing just gets more and more extreme. The Bush years were scary following 9/11. We get bent out of shape because President Obama wants to set some parameters on the public safety exception with legislation.

Well, under Bush, the question would not even be asked. Bush would simply do it, then call anyone who raised question unpatriotic. Remember Valeria Plame?

We need to draw the line on such race baiting.

[DrToast]

4. It's a long-term losing strategy and they know it

That's why the smarter Republicans are opposed to what's going on in Arizona.

[classysassy]

6. " Its been a long time coming "

but most thinking people,the ones that don't depend on hate radio or fox news to tell them what to think,are beginning to see the light,they realize the republicans( the southern wing ) are experts at playing the race card,but there are many, many that have peeped their hole card.The ill informed will continue to be used by the evil thugs,but their days are numbered.

[niceypoo]

7. Lowest common denominator

[political_Dem]

8. It's called the Southern Strategy.

They can always bet that some of the white poor, über-rich and suburbanites will always vote to keep white privilege and supremacy in tact.

The RW creates a Willie Horton type of figure (newly arrived undocumented immigrants, "black criminals" or the "black poor"), applies a few racist dog-whistles attached to such personification ("quotas", "illegals", "welfare queens") and continues to associate these memes with fear and hatred.

And presto! The conservatives have these groups shaking in their boots.

And they do it so easy because they pander to the petty prejudices one group has against those who aren't like them. Sadly, this aspect can be used again and again because there are folks who want to shut the gate and keep it tightly closed so that no others have what the first group has.

It is sad enough that the GOP plays this same game repeatedly. It succeeds because there are a group of citizens in America who are in deep denial about their racism and other petty hatred. Politicians and legislation supporting this particular brand of exclusionism only continues to perpetuate the utter ignorance and self-centered nature of these folks to the point of denial. And if these aspects are attached to virulent extremist groups, that part gets overlooked too as long as measures are passed to keep other groups at bay.

It's a crying shame.

[pampango]

9. The repubs are indeed good at finding emotional issues (particularly if fear of nonwhites -

like Islamic terrorists - can be worked into their message) which they try to ride to electoral success. They're terrible at governing but pretty good at identifying and politicizing wedge issues to run on.

Rather than let the republicans run in 2010 on support for Arizona's law and avoiding the bigger picture, perhaps Democrats should take advantage of the equal popularity of comprehensive immigration reform as evidenced in this poll - http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/05/a_new_poll_says... .

"...nearly 70 percent of likely Ohio voters would support a plan that brings illegal immigrants out of the shadows and makes them tax-paying citizens. Ohioans rated a "path to citizenship" as a higher priority than border security and other get-tough measures that are widely perceived as politically safe."

This would pressure republicans to play on our turf rather than us playing on theirs.