As the last election and a multitude of polls have shown, the Republicans are on the wrong end of a lot of issues -- at least as far as the majority of voters are concerned. The congressional GOP wants to cut benefits and raise the qualifying age for both Social Security and Medicare, cuts funds for a cleaner environment, cut funds for education, cut funds for food stamps, deny women the right to control their own bodies, oppose equal rights for same-sex marriages, and want to give corporations and the rich new tax cuts. A majority of Americans oppose the GOP on all these positions.And there is at least one more issue where the Republicans are out of step with most voters -- immigration. President Obama has supported a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and an even quicker and easier path to permanent status for young immigrants who go to college or serve in the U.S. military -- and the White House has said he will push hard for these initiatives in his second term. But the Republicans have made it very clear that they oppose both.
Now another poll has come out that shows most American voters support the position the president has taken. The Politico/George Washington University Poll, taken of 1,000 random "likely" voters between December 2nd and 6th, makes this very clear. Here are the public's views on immigration reform:
WOULD YOU SUPPORT OR OPPOSE IMMIGRATION REFORM THAT ALLOWS UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS TO EARN CITIZENSHIP OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS?
Approve...............62%
Oppose...............35%
Unsure...............4%
WOULD YOU SUPPORT OR OPPOSE IMMIGRATION REFORM THAT ALLOWS THE CHILDREN OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS TO EARN THE RIGHT TO STAY HERE PERMANENTLY IF THEY COMPLETE A COLLEGE DEGREE OR SERVE IN THE MILITARY?
Approve...............77%
Oppose...............19%
Unsure...............4%
The president has said he is going to travel around the country and take this issue to the people to win support. If this poll is correct (and I believe it is), then he won't have much convincing to do. I expect the Republicans will continue to fight against reasonable immigration reform though. They seem intent on electoral suicide recently.
