Some politicians take the high road by appealing to the desire for a fair, just and unified community. Others take the low road by appealing to the dark side of our nature, to racial and ethnic prejudice and hatred. There is political gold for a politician who can figure out how to mine the underground vein of prejudice within the present norms of political correctness, while appearing to be quite virtuous. The key is to package an appeal to prejudice inside of what appears to be a serious policy debate.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty has obviously decided to take the low-road strategy. As election season approaches, we have his proposals for Minnesota and its communities to adopt their own immigration policies and to get tough on illegal immigration.
Pawlenty is a smart guy. Gosh, he's a lawyer, so he must be smart. He knows that 50 states and thousands of communities can't have their own immigration policies. He also knows that the rich folks who send him money benefit from employing illegal immigrants who keep wage and benefit costs lower than they would otherwise be. Don't expect him to do anything significant about the very real problem of illegal immigration. Apparently Republican polling has shown that immigration is another good hot-button issue.
Pawlenty's appeal is really directed toward a target audience of xenophobes who don't care whether immigrants are legal or illegal. They just don't like the recent arrivals, regardless of whether they are American citizens or not.
Expect to see illegal immigration join the other hot-button issues in the Republican arsenal. Hot-button issues keep the public diverted from what is really going on. How can Pawlenty win re-election when his policies so clearly favor a wealthy minority at the expense of everyone else and the future of the next generation? The cynical strategy is to keep the public stirred up about abortion, gay marriage, guns, and now immigration. Will it work? It's up to you.
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John H. Burns
Willmar
