I'm surprised that running on a platform of deporting as many as 20 million people would win so decisively.
The problem with refusing to take reasonable measures to remedy a problem is that it often opens a path to -- or even necessitates -- taking radical measures.
I've griped for a long time about the failure of the Gang of 8 bill in 2013. You know what killed that bipartisan bill? Border triggers. In other words, that the border had to be secured first before any of the bill's provisions regarding immigrants who are already here could take effect.
Marco Rubio pledged going into it that these had to be in the bill. But he got steamrolled by the other 7. They wouldn't include them -- so they passed the bill without them. Sen. Cornyn made a last ditch effort to get them amended back in. But....nope. And Rubio, stupidly, voted for it anyway. And the bill died in the House because it lacked the one thing immigration hawks had asked for.
Had that bill become law, with the triggers in place, it's conceivable that there's no Donald Trump in 2016. Because he has flogged the hell out of the insecurity of the border. And people have been demanding something be done about it for decades. But the arrogant political establishment (both D and R) has steadfastly refused to do much about it.
So, Ohio, I would implore you to NOT be surprised that people voted for mass deportations. There's a history here. We didn't get here overnight. And the single biggest reason we got here is because the people who call the shots in this country have refused to do anything about the border.
I've never advocated or a do-nothing approach to immigration. And for what it's worth Democrats have all acknowledged something needs to be done too.
OK, but what is "something"??
Dems worked with Sen. Lankford to put together a bipartisan bill in the Senate, right? And guess what....it allowed for up to 5000 encounters a day before it required "emergency measures" to shut down the border.
Oh, really? So, if it's possible to shut down the border once 5000 migrants have gotten across, why isn't it possible to just have those measures in place all the time? Can anybody answer that question?
The real answer, IMO, is this: they don't want to shut it down. But they also don't want to tell us they don't want to shut it down. That's why they come up with bills like that one and say "See....we're for securing the border!"
I think both Democrats and Republicans already agree the southern border needs to be more secure. I actually agree with a lot of your last paragraph. I'm just not sure how the application of all that occurs. I don't trust that the Trump administration won't handle it hamfistedly and f*@k it up.
All the more reason the normal, responsible politicians should be absolutely roasted for failing to do it themselves. Right?
If you don't want Trump, then take care of the things he's used to gain political power. It's not rocket science.