KING: Immigration: Republicans lost a conservative vote for governor

By D.A. King, Macon Telegraph, October 23, 2014

Summary:

In a state with more illegal aliens than Arizona, Deal’s response brings up some inconvenient facts this forever-independent voter’s Republican friends don’t want to hear. Including that the Chamber of Commerce-financed, leftward lurch of former Democrat Nathan Deal on the crime of illegal immigration has apparently pulled the state Republican Party along behind it.

So, did you see the candidate’s response to questions about illegal immigration in Sunday’s gubernatorial debate? No? That is because there were no such questions.

From someone who has long watched the inside politics of the issue, please accept my word that “what about illegal immigration ...” isn’t a question the majority-liberal Georgia media will ask a candidate who has chosen silence. It’s a “let sleeping dogs lie” thing.

But, in a Q&A meeting last week, the editorial board of the Marietta Daily Journal newspaper did ask Gov. Nathan Deal, who is seeking re-election about his silence on that crime.

For those who measure crime in monetary concepts, the last estimate heard from Deal was that illegal immigration was costing Georgia taxpayers upward of $2 billion annually.

Georgia, where English is optional, is a prime destination for people -- from all over the world -- who are right now illegally crossing our border without inspection. Probably the majority of them don’t have a dangerous disease. Most of them are likely not terrorists.

Georgia officially ranks No. 7 in the nation in its population of victims of borders. The Republican governor’s response when asked last week why he has remained tight-lipped on illegal immigration was that we should remember his voting record in Congress -- but that now the immigration topic is too “polarizing.”

And, he said “there are those in our population for whom these issues are considered divisive. They consider us even talking about it as being anti-Hispanic.”

Not exactly a profile in courage vignette, but apparent evidence that 5,000 screaming wanna-be Democrat-voter illegal aliens repeatedly marching on the state Capitol has affected Republican-controlled Georgia politics.

Those with a four-year memory span may remember that when Deal had to run against conservative, pro-enforcement Republicans in the 2010 primary he boasted continuously -- and quite voluntarily -- of his strong immigration enforcement conservatism.

Apparently, Georgia’s Republican voting base could not be trusted to accept an “it’s too polarizing” approach to illegal immigration way back then.

Deal volunteered his position on the issue of in-state tuition for the illegals now attending public-funded schools in the University System of Georgia (he is against it). Left unsaid was the fact that he had made a campaign promise in 2010 to use the power of the governor’s office to keep all illegals out of all USG schools. In-state tuition or not.

But there is something larger being avoided here, Deal made a point of telling the Daily Journal “the law is clear ... If you’re not lawfully in this country, then you’re not generally entitled to the benefits this country offers.”

The reality is that illegal aliens who have been illegally granted deferral from deportation by President Obama have been issued Georgia driver’s licenses and other public benefits in Georgia since 2012. And that Deal refused to help with 2014 legislation that would have ended that practice and prevented the same access for the estimated 5 to 6 million additional illegal aliens to whom Obama has said he will soon expand the illegal unilateral amnesty.

Imagine any candidate for governor four years ago tacitly affirming the concept that illegal aliens should have a driver’s license in Georgia.

More? Georgia voters will note several questions when they cast their ballot. Not among them is one that would have asked, “Shall the state Constitution be amended to make English the official language of Georgia government?”

That question is not on the ballot because in March, in the GOP-controlled state Capitol, the Georgia business lobby killed the legislation that would have allowed us to vote on it. While Republican Gov. Nathan Deal remained silent. Too polarizing.

Having already cast my ballot, this pro-enforcement, conservative Georgia voter couldn’t vote for any of the candidates for governor. That space was left blank.

King is president of the Georgia-based Dustin Inman Society. He is not a member of any political party.

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