The first Republican debate is long over, and Donald Trump is monopolizing all of the oxygen in the room, but he is a calamity waiting to happen to the Republican Party.
It is clear already that the best ticket the GOP could offer the American people, in November 2016, would be to nominate Ohio Governor John Kasich for President and Florida Senator Marco Rubio for Vice President.
This would offer the American people a 64 year old Congressional veteran, with 18 years in the House of Representatives and 6 years as Ohio Governor—a man who is a clear cut conservative but centrist in nature, accepting Medicaid; accepting gay marriage as established and tolerant of gays and lesbians; having an element of compassion toward the poor working class, drug offenders, and mentally ill people; great experience in balancing budgets as head of the House Budget Committee; great communications ability, including six years as a talk show host on Fox News Channel; a very popular Governor of the crucial state for any Republican to win the White House; who has accepted that climate change exists; has supported gun regulation in the past; has supported criminal justice reform; is open minded on illegal immigration and eventual citizenship; and has an enlightened view of Christianity and its doctrines, so that recently he has been called a Pope Francis type personality.
However, others have said that Kasich has a “prickly” personality; that he has a “hair trigger” temper; that he is condescending, arrogant, and manipulative, which is, of course, quite disturbing. It also has been pointed out that he has weakened labor unions in Ohio, and has undermined public education in Ohio, in favor of charter schools. So, as with any candidate, he has definite shortcomings, but there is also the reality that, in comparison to his rivals, he stands out as having more potential as a candidate, and to have some, if not all, of the proper character traits, with no one having all, unfortunately.
So it is clear that Kasich is not preferable to a Democratic nominee, any of them in reality, but he comes across as the best person in the race on the Republican side at this writing.
At the same time, Marco Rubio, at age 45 in 2016, might be the best choice for Vice President. He has charisma; good looks; is Hispanic (Cuban American); represents another swing state like Ohio is, but Florida is the largest state to be a swing state; and while he is much more conservative than Kasich, he has potential for growth and maturity in his views over time. Rubio would not be thrilled to be Vice President, but it is a stepping stone to the Presidency when he is older and more seasoned. Besides, he has given up his chance to hold his Senate seat, so it would be more enticing for him to accept the Vice Presidency if he fails to win the Presidential nomination of his party.
This would be a team that would easily give the Republican Party their best shot at winning, but if they do not appeal to women, African Americans, Hispanics, the young, and to working class Americans, they have no chance of winning, so they need to moderate their image.
This team of Kasich and Rubio could accomplish what no other combination would be able to do–win the White House for the Republicans! Having said that, the odds for the Democrats to keep the White House are excellent, and if Trump runs as an independent or third party candidate, it is guaranteed that the Democrats will win, and likely be certain to regain the Senate, and possibly,. even the House of Representative!
What does “is open minded on illegal immigration and eventual citizenship” mean? I am puzzled here. Does it mean that we as a nation have to accept illegal immigration as a fact that is always going to happen massively? That there is nothing we can do about it? Personally I think it is not fair to rewards those who overstay our visa or cross the border illegal.
Very hard to decide which Republican is the craziest. Scott Walker wants to build a wall at the Canadian border and Chris Christie wants to track immigrants with microchips.
Ariel, “open minded” means the reality that we cannot deport 11 million people, and that most of them, while coming in illegally, have not been engaged in criminal activities, and many are children.
Rustbelt Democrat, most of the Republican candidates are “crazy” in their statements, but hopefully a sane one will be the nominee and give the party a chance at winning, which is still a long shot in the Electoral College.
I was thinking more along the line of the future in the sense that it seems we just must accept that we will always have millions of illegal aliens either overstaying their visa or crossing the border illegally for decades to come if not forever.
I always hear on TV, on school campus, and practically everywhere that they are hardworking and pay their own way. And that it would be wrong to deport them. I understand. So given that “reality” maybe we can agree to let any illegal immigrant who works hard and pays his own way stay. Because if they work hard and pay their own way, as I constantly hear and read, then by definition they will never cross the path of any government organization/agency and won’t burden honest Americans financially. If that is the case, then I don’t have an issue. So in light of that “reality”, let’s consider the following solution: any illegal immigrant who costs the U.S. money and who interacts with a branch of government – local, state, or federal – will be immediately deported.
With that policy, only illegals who are costing honest Americans money and who interact with the government need live in fear of deportation. And of course since the majority pay their own way this will only affect a tiny minority and thus it can be done. None of the hardworking, pay-their-own-way illegals will ever lose a night’s sleep over the possibility of being ejected from this land they love so much.
Also, an illegal immigrant who drives up medical costs for Americans by getting free care at hospitals would get his immediate problem treated but then would find himself back in his home country’s medical care system which in all likelihood would be better than ours because it is government run. Of course, if a private charity paid the medical bills, then the illegal immigrant would be safe. Given the great love many politicians, journalists and Hollywood stars have for illegals immigrants, it’s clear that they would be glad to donate their own money – not the money earned by others and collected as taxes – to pay for the health care of illegals immigrants. I can just see Jorge Ramos coughing up hundreds of thousands in donations. But since we’re told that free medical care for illegals doesn’t impact the health care costs of honest citizens – many of whom are legal immigrants – there can’t be many illegals who will fall into this situation, and there wouldn’t be a need for much charity on the part of wealthy politicians, journalists and Hollywood actors to keep that tiny group in the U.S. And of course, those illegals who commit crimes would also find themselves back in the penal systems of their home countries. Even if the U.S. had to subsidize the cost of imprisoning these folks back in wherever they came from, it would be cheaper than incarcerating them here and would have the added benefit of discouraging crimes by illegals immigrants who think U.S. prisons are resorts compared to what they face back home. Once again, since we’re told that few, if any, illegals commit crimes, only a tiny fraction of the millions of illegals in this country would be impacted by this particular exception, thus the cost would not be much. And the good news is that all those illegals who drive down wages for unskilled workers, which by the way is racist since it mostly impacts blacks who suffer from a lack of skills due to the horrible inner-city public schools, would be safe, since they don’t interact with the government. Companies that want to exploit workers by driving down wages by using illegals would also be safe. The only victims would be the honest business owners who pay a fair day’s wages for a fair day’s work, but who cares about them, after all? Correct? Can we all agree on this scheme that would only affect a tiny fraction of all the 11 million illegal immigrant population, since as we are told the vast majority of them pay their way?
I understand what you are saying, Ariel, but what about someone stopped for a speeding ticket or a moving violation, something like going through a stop sign, the kind of thing that can happen to anyone?
And what about those who are hurt in accidents, or whose kids go to public schools, as that is government too!
In reality, what you suggest, including exploiting workers who do not complain, is not about to become reality.
Those illegals immigrants whose children receive a free education at the expense of hardworking Americans would of course be immediately deported, since public schools are paid for by tax dollars. However, since the vast majority of illegal immigrants, we are told, are hardworking and pay their own way, they must either attend private schools – undoubtedly funded by scholarships provided by wealthy politicians, journalist, media corporations and Hollywood stars – or home-school. Clearly, any illegal immigrant who competed with honest Americans for limited low-cost in-state college tuition couldn’t be counted among those who pay their own way, since he, or his parents, is not paying the taxes that support those low tuition. On the plus side, those who desire to limit the ejection of illegals immigrants would support minimal government interaction with both private schools and home-schoolers, lest some “self-supporting” illegal immigrant end up being accidentally deported. Of course, given that we are told by politicians and the media that illegal immigrants are not a major financial impact on our school systems – and therefore don’t contribute to the problems in black American school districts, which are, according to politicians, underfunded – few illegal immigrants will be impacted by this limitation on allowing illegal immigrants to stay. As for the case of the ticket, well if they are paying their own way then I would imagine they pay for their own ticket, don’t you? And with respect to illegal immigrants who do not complain, I believe that is a current reality and my proposal is to not burden them with deportation. Thus, can’t we agree that those illegals immigrants who aren’t:
a) stealing opportunities from American children by getting taxpayer-funded educations, b) forcing hardworking American families into choosing between health care and paying rising energy bills by getting free health care, or c) committing crimes and endangering honest Americans
should be allowed to stay in the country they so clearly love? After all as Jeb Bush so poetically put it, the violation of our immigration laws is an act of love, is it not?
There’s absolutely nothing in this policy for those who favor illegal immigration to object to, so it should enjoy bipartisan support.
And once this issue is solved we can all get Trump out of the way and discuss more serious issues, like assessing whether Planned Parenthood is getting sufficient taxpayer dollars or whether they are undercharging for a heart, kidney, liver or eyeball.
A sensible path to citizenship is what is needed but you won’t get that from the GOP.
Amen to that, Pragmatic!
Ariel, you are entitled to your opinion, and to expound it, but what you propose will not happen as a general government policy.
Whether you or I like it, we are not going to deport millions of immigrants!
Ronald: I am not talking about millions. Are you implying that there are millions of illegal immigrant who do not work hard and pay their own way? I don’t know why you say millions? Are you also implying that there are millions of criminals who are also illegal immigrants? I am confused. I thought these were just a tiny minority. My idea was not to deport millions. But you seem to think that millions do fall into this deportable category I proposed. Oh well…I guess they are not a tiny minority after all.
Ariel, I was NOT saying millions who were criminal, simply the fact that there are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in America.
But I am sure many of our own ancestors may have come in “illegally” to escape war, poverty, and discrimination. As long as they do not commit crimes, I have no issue with them.
Pragmatic: I am interested in your opinion regarding the future millions of illegal immigrants that we will undoubtedly either overstay their visa or cross the border illegally over the next decade. Should they also in the year 2025 have a pathway to citizenship? Is that the policy we should have from here on to eternity? Grant pathway to citizenship every 10 yrs to the millions who violate our immigration laws? If so, then why should we have a border in the first place? Seems to me we might as well have an open border policy. Don’t you agree? I mean I have personally spoken to people who really do want an open border policy. Their argument is that if we have free trade, that is open border for goods then why not for people? That way we end this endless debate and stop pretending we have a border and that we respect our laws. It would be healthier and more honest. Some should just start an open border policy movement.
Ronald: Ok,so you don’t mind if they actually are not paying their own way and working hard. As long as they do not commit crimes then it doesn’t matter. Ok got it. I was of the idea that it was only a small percentage of those illegal immigrants that were not paying their way and receiving taxpayer funds, and that such a small minority would be negligible, but apparently I am wrong, according to you they are millions.
Ariel, you are distorting what I said, and I am not about to get into semantics with you.
Do you realize how many poor whites receive government funding, and do not pay taxes because they are poor? Do you propose to deport them even though they are citizens?
Most immigrants, whether legal or illegal, are law abiding, and work hard every day, much harder than most of us work in our lifetime, but they struggle to get by, and do not need constant attack. They add to our Social Security system,and pay taxes, despite the right wing propaganda that claims otherwise.
I do not intend to allow you to drag this into a fight, as I am starting to think you are a troll looking for a fight. So I will ignore any further comments if they are confrontational in nature, as it is destructive of civil discourse.
Maybe I was misunderstood and I am not trying to be confrontational. But I am curious why you mention poor whites and bring up race? I never mentioned race at all.
I think that amnesty is not only the best solution to our immigration problem, it is the only feasible solution.
I am not bringing up race except to say there are many more poor whites and they often do not pay taxes, but we are not about to deport them.
Most immigrants, however they came to be here, do pay taxes and work very hard and do not need constant attack, but instead be encouraged as earlier generations of immigrants were, to become part of the middle class.
In America, there are poor of every race, as there are middle class and rich of every race imaginable. And there are illegal immigrants as well as legal immigrants of every race imaginable. And yes, whites too, whether they come from Eastern Europe or countries like Argentina or Uruguay which are mostly whites, and they come and overstay their visa. So to me this is and never has been about race. That is why I do not understand why you bring up the white poor when I never mention any race at all. In my view you either obey the laws and rules or you don’t. And if you don’t then you should not be rewarded no matter what your race. So yes, there are poor Americans, of every race by the way, who also pay into Social Security and pay taxes (or not) but nonetheless receive more from government ( that is from us the taxpayers) than what they contribute. Why? Because they are unskilled and have low paying jobs. I know that already. And you also know that taxpayers subsidize the poor in America. But they are Americans. Now you are going to tell me that the vast majority of illegal immigrants have good paying jobs and contribute more in taxes than they receive in benefits? That they are not low skilled and low wage earners? This is what I don’t get. On the one hand , everyone says they are poor,unskilled and have it tough here. But on the other hand they also claim that they contribute more than they receive? How could that be if they are poor? Anyway, not trying to be controversial here. Just asking, that’s all.
Ariel, they are working poor, whether white or minority, but they get some services, and I have no issue with that, as that is the American way. We can afford to do it, but we do need those most fortunate, who received massive tax cuts in the past, to start paying more.
For their income, the working poor are contributing the best they can, and if one has any religious values, no matter what religion, we should not fault them, and instead give them a lift without anger.
I am not faulting the illegal immigrants at all, but our politicians (from both parties) that send the implicit message that if you risk your life , travel thousands of miles, and in the process get raped ( it is so bad that women who decide to make the journey take contraceptives because they know they will be raped by the smugglers) and get here, nothing will happen and then you will eventually have a pathway to citizenship. I find this incentive not at all humanitarian or moral,. But now it is clear by what you say that most of them are working poor, that they do not pay their own way and that they contribute the best they can and do receive more in form of government aid, just like working poor Americans and legal residents. So now, those taxpayers (working middle class included) whose income is taken to redistribute among the working poor Americans and legal residents also have to subsidize the working poor illegal immigrants because of religious values. And not only that but we are adding competition to the working poor American and legal resident. I think I summed it up pretty well. I just have a few minor observations and my intent is not at all to be controversial or pick a fight. First, I would really appreciate it if those politicians (from both parties) , journalists and Hollywood stars that support amnesty (and in some instances open borders) were just as honest as you and stop saying that illegal immigrants pay their way, do not impact our budgets (state and federal) and that somehow we as a society are indebted to them. And second, why are you invoking religious values and morals in government policy? Isn’t there a separation of church and state? Are we not told that no one can impose their morals and religious values via government policy on society? Isn’t that the argument thrown at those who oppose abortion on demand or changing the definition of marriage? Are they not told to keep their morals and religious values private and out of government policy? Where are the religious values and morals when it comes to funding Planned Parenthood and their abortion/organ harvest mills?
Ariel, what I am pointing out is the hypocrisy of many who invoke religion when it is beneficial to them to promote prejudice and hatred, and ignore it when they are out to attack immigration, women’s rights, labor rights, environmental protection, and gay rights. Christianity as promoted by the Right is not following the teachings of Jesus, who promoted tolerance and open mindedness.
Religion should not be part of government policy in any form ideally!
Ronald, fair enough but why point it out to me when I have not attacked immigrants? Nor did I attack women, gays, labor or the environment.
I second that Rustbelt. The millions of illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States are overwhelmingly law-abiding, tax-paying, and hardworking. Grant them amnesty and let them continue to make America a better place.
Professor – I second the suspicion that he/she is trolling.
Southern Liberal & Princess Leia: I am also curious about your opinions regarding future illegal immigrants. Should we also grant amnesty 10 , 15 yrs from now to those millions who will either overstay their visa or cross the border illegally in the future?
Ariel, you are much too defensive.
I was simply pointing out hypocrisy that exists among so called “religious” people, not referring to you.
Ok, I understand. How about the question I asked Southern Liberal? What is your take on it? What should we do about future millions of illegal immigrants?
The compassionate thing to do would be to evaluate them as refugee status.