Queue The Immigrants

For John, BLUF:  Not all immigrants are left leaning, Democratic Party voting, drones.  Some absorb the American myth♠ and vote like they believe it.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Progressives Have an Immigration Problem

Here is the sub-headline:

Actually, they have two.

From Commonweal Magazine, by Book Reviewer Tom Deignan, 7 December 2020.

Here is the lede plus two:

Tucker Carlson, of course, was outraged.

Disorder and chaos were again coursing through the streets of an American city, this time in southern Wisconsin, during the long, hot summer of 2020.  “The mob descended on Kenosha,” Carlson intoned ominously on his highly rated Fox News show.  “Joe Biden’s voters really are a threat to you and your family.”  Carlson then made a point of distinguishing one constituency from the hordes of revolutionary Bidenites.  “[Kenosha] is home to a sizable Hispanic immigrant population.  There’s no evidence they participated in any of this.  They weren’t in the street yelling about the police or BLM.  They’re just here to work.”

Which is quite a statement coming from a pundit—semi-seriously mentioned as a 2024 presidential candidate—who has spent years preaching to the “Build the Wall” choir.  But it’s all the more reason to acknowledge that Carlson’s comments—like the outcomes of both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections—point to an immigration dilemma for progressives in post-Trump America.  Two, as a matter of fact.

. . .

• Which brings us to progressives’ first immigration problem.  In 2020, Republicans are doing just fine, thanks in no small part to yesterday’s immigrants.  Joe Biden and Kamala Harris managed to woo enough of these “white ethnic” voters to take the White House.  Nevertheless, while MAGA-merica is typically depicted as the tumbleweed states in the middle of the country, the last two presidential elections actually came down to districts outside of urban areas that were once immigrant hubs.
• Which brings us to progressives’ second immigrant problem:  despite all manner of right-wing anti-immigrant bile, some residents of ethnic enclaves are apparently quite willing to dip their toes into more conservative waters.  In 2020, Donald Trump “confounded expectations” by “adding a substantial number of votes in areas with a lot of Hispanic residents,” according to the New York Times, which also reported that Muslim voters “confounded Democratic strategists with their support for Mr. Trump reaching 35 percent.”

I think the author makes good points here.  An article worth the skimming.

The statistics cited by Mr Deignan suggest there is a lot yet to learn about the 2020 election, and about America.  I am looking forward to it unwinding.

Oh, and I like Talk Show Host Tucker Carlson.  He seems a serious person in perilous times.  Yes, he is sometimes a bit over the top, but he is a Talk Show Host.  Few can pull it off being low key and deadpan.  Most do it by being outrageous.  Mr Tucker Carlson seems relatively calm amongst the crowd.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  The American myth is that people came here for freedom and a chance to better themselves.  It included the idea that anyone who worked hard could succeed and it incorporated the idea that we, the Citizens, run the government or elect those who do.  Yes, add the usual caveats and exceptions and other stuff, but you are better off here than in most countries.