Is it the thinking of GOP amnesty doves that, we're screwed no matter what when it comes to Hispanics and the immigration debate, we can pretty much just lump them in with the various other demographic units culturally predisposed to dislike and distrust us, but maybe if we give on amnesty something of use can be salvaged from this ruin? Often sounds that way - and I'm not saying they're necessarily wrong because, even if it's true that conservatives can pretty much write off Latinos, there's still the Asian vote which may be getable at some point in the not too distant future. Problem is with holding nose and accepting amnesty, what maybe you gain in Hispanic trust you're gonna lose in a disgruntled and disheartened base who simply opt out of the electoral process believing that the country is now doomed to be driven relentlessly towards the cliff by a never ending series of Obama clones. But even worse than that sort of Romney effect though, by giving on amnesty you enrage the base which leads to intemperate talk which of course, like the night follows the day, inevitably leads to Obama and his media cohorts rousing themselves into a frenzy of 'Republicans are racists' demagoguery - and then you lose both Asians and Hispanics [which is why I'm guessing this is Obama's preferred outcome].
[and let's not forget that amnesty is a two for one deal because if it makes the youth unemployment problem worse and permanent you're essentially creating two new groups of people who view a massive welfare state as a good and necessary thing]
So, yeah, conservatives are pretty much screwed no matter what here - and if it's a question of picking your poison all that's left to decide is which one offers the best chance of maybe surviving the ordeal. My opinion, you say no deal on amnesty until all other immigration needs are taken care of, including of course border security - when that's done, then we'll talk amnesty - and maybe to take the sting out of the inevitable backlash you offer, when the amnesty debate is revisited, to significantly reduce the penalties and wait times now on the table [yes, of course Obama et al are planning to abridge or entirely ignore those penalties etc regardless - still, optics wise, you gotta sweeten the pot in some way]. Of course that does nothing to solve the inherent demographics problem of amnesty if you believe there is an inherent demographics problem with amnesty - but it is at least better than what is currently being discussed. Possibly. And it buys you time - time for the GOP to get its act together and maybe nominate someone in 2016 who can actually win and what's more has the political skills to form a workable consensus on a reasonable way forward and then at least if there is to be amnesty the credit doesn't go to Obama and the ruinous ideology he represents but rather to a Rubio or a Christie and we all get to live happily ever after. Possibly.
