When you look at Steve Poizner's attack ad on Meg Whitman's immigration policy, that's the only conclusion you can draw:
Without even considering the merits of the policy, here are some things Poizner already knows: Meg Whitman supports a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. So does Barack Obama. However, Poizner does not seem to know that Californians also support a path to citizenship. Or that Californians overwhelmingly voted for Obama less than two years ago. But here's the biggest shocker of all: Republicans in California support a path to citizenship, too!
OK, that last one is only partially true. An August 2008 Public Policy Institute of California survey asked people, "If you had to choose, what do you think should happen to illegal immigrants who have lived and worked in the United States for at least two years?"
49% of Republicans choose "They should be given the chance to keep their jobs and eventually apply for legal status," while 45% said "They should be deported to back to their native country."
The "legal status" choice was also chosen by 77% of Democrats and 63% of Independents. I recall reading a more recent public opinion survey that produced similar results. So, at best, the immigration position Poizner is staking out is a wash within his own party. At worst, it's a slight loser in his party, and a HUGE loser statewide.
What kind of politicians pays money to portray his policies as so extreme that even his own party's voters disagree with him? To paraphrase Poizner's own ad: "They're called, losers."
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