Republican political analysts, including a leading Republican Latina, are chalking up a victory for President Barack Obama in last night’s debate with former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, his Republican opponent. Some attribute Obama’s victory to Romney’s pproach to immigration.
Republican Latina political analyst Ana Navarro said at CNN.com, “These debates have become analogous to playoff games. Right now the score is one to one. The first debate was a blow-out victory for Romney. The second debate was a narrow victory for Obama.”
John Avlon, a former speechwriter for Republican Rudy Guiliani, opined that “Mitt Romney followed a great first debate with a fail.” He added, “The flip-flops came fast and furious, from new support for Pell Grants to the Dream Act, to name just a few.”
Governor Romney was asked what he would do with undocumented immigrants living here, as reported by NBCLatino.com. Governor Romney said he “does not want more illegal immigrants,” and said that he would not support amnesty, nor would he give undocumented immigrants drivers’ licenses. Romney also said he had not called Arizona a model for the nation, saying he meant e-verify was the model.
President Obama countered Romney’s statement saying Romney had indeed called Arizona a model, proof being that SB1070 author Kris Kobach was one of his campaign advisors, and said Romney called for ‘self-deportation.’ Governor Romney then answered the question on self-deportation, calling it a ‘choice” and an act of ‘free will,’ comments which elicited a scathing criticism from Latino Democrats.
“You’re going to give people a “choice” to self-deport?” said Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez. “That is an insult to tell people who are suffering in this country,” says Velazquez.
Northern Arizona University political scientist Stephen Nuno said, “it was about time the debates addressed the immigration issue,” then adds that “the difference between the two on their commitments to address the issue of undocumented immigrants couldn’t be more stark, and Romney’s plan is an illustration of how far out of touch the core of Republicans are on the issue.”
CNN report on the debate
Image (c) CNN
