Here’s the whole problem with immigration reform and the gang of eight bill - even if I trust Rubio et al, trust that they got the best deal they could, trust that they had always the best interests of the country at heart and felt they were thoroughly in the right, trust that they negotiated with eyes wide open - even if I allow them all that trust I still distrust Obama and his merry men more - I don’t believe for one second that the democrats would sign onto any agreement unless they thought it was a win win for them - a win if it passes and swells the ranks of liberals and devotion to liberalism in general and forever and irretrievably moves the country to the left, a win if the house turns it down and the left gets to endlessly demagogue how racist and intolerant the right is.
Thinking this way, I have no option but to believe republicans in the gang of eight are getting played, yes? Possibly there’s some secret info out there that makes sense of everything they’re doing, polls or whatever, studies - and I certainly hope that’s the case - but absent something like that I gotta believe they’re being played for fools because everyone knows that any bill that doesn’t absolutely guarantee border security before anything else and even with that that doesn’t make a path to citizenship a steep climb is virtually certain to be rejected by the house - so why even enter into negotiations without those two things being the bare minimum you're willing to bargain down to since we all know how toxic the talking points are gonna be if the house says no? You answer that the democrats would never agree to something like that? Ok, but isn't that the point? If the democrats are dictating terms that produce a win for them no matter what happens and losses for republicans no matter what happens, how can it make any sense to negotiate with them? Are you saying that for all intents and purposes the GOP is doomed regardless so might as well try and get the best deal possible and then pray for salvation? That at least would be an explanation I could understand.
Again, I hope there’s something going on beneath the surface that makes sense of all this, something I'm missing or don't know about, something the people who virulently oppose the bill are chauvinistically ignoring - otherwise at the moment I have no choice but to believe republicans are getting played for fools.
