An Idea Stolen From Ann Coulter: On Pandering.
Ann Coulter said that republicans are foolish to pander to liberal special interest groups because such pandering, at best, will placate. The CEO of NOW is not going to vote Bush no matter what he does. The President of NAMBL will not vote Bush, even if he lowers the age of consent to 8. Nor will MECHA members suddenly support Bush, even if he gives amenesty to every illegal immigrant in the country. Couler said that Reagan ran on a platform of principles, even when some argued that those principles would offend many special intersts. But he won. Twice. Republicans who run on a platform of pandering may well lose because those to whom they pandered will still not vote republican.

Let's apply this principle to Bush's plan to liberalize (literally and politically) immigration. [Note: I am not saying Ann Coulter would make this argument.]

Such liberalization would please the National Council of La Raza (literally, "the race"). It would please business owners who seek to exploit cheap labor. CATO will also be pleased. But the move will anger rank-and-file republicans. This move is stupid. Here is why.

No one in La Raza will vote for Bush, even post immigration changes. No one in business who regularly exploits unskilled workers (this category of people presumably already votes republican) will change his vote based on this move. The republicans are good for business; was, is, always will be. Thus, Bush will see no net gain in votes from these categories of people based on legalizing the illegals.

But the rank-and-file, the farmer in Iowa, the mother in Nebraska, the person who cares about culture in Calfornia, may change their votes based on this move.

Bush is mistaken to think that hispanics will suddenly vote Bush because of this move. But a great many people may vote for a strong 3rd party candidate with truly conservative ideals. Did we forget about Ross Perot?

Aha! But since there is no such 3rd party candidate, Bush will pander. Why not pander (or "experiment") when he will not likely suffer an adverse consequeces at the ballot box?

In other words, absent this candidate, conservatives lose. Where is this person? Can we amend the Constitution in time for Margaret Thatcher to run?