We’ve been discussing the implications of the decline and fall of the California Republican Party here at Calitics in recent days – they have made themselves unelectable because their base hates 21st century reality, demanding white supremacy and destruction of the public sector despite the fact that a diverse population wants neither. Because of this, the CA GOP will struggle to win statewide elections, leading the corporate elite to bypass the GOP and forcing progressives to step up and ensure that Democratic majorities deliver for the base.
The most likely outcome of this is a state politics that looks like SF or LA, where statewide elections are contested between the left and a pro-corporate center, with the right-wing at the fringes of statewide politics, winning some races at the local and legislative/Congressional level but nothing more.
So how is the right-wing going to deal with their impending marginalization? By coming back to reality, embracing the diversity of 21st century California and the public’s desire to have strong public services?
Heh, no, don’t be ridiculous. Instead they plan to construct a 21st century Jim Crow, stemming the demographic tide that is swamping their movement by undermining the Constitution:
As one of its first acts, the new Congress will consider denying citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants who are born in the United States.
…The idea has a growing list of supporters, including Republican Reps. Tom McClintock of Elk Grove and Dan Lungren of Gold River, but it has aroused intense opposition, as well.
This is a straightforward violation of the 14th Amendment, which explicitly states that anyone born in the United States is a citizen. These right-wingers are claiming they can violate the Constitution because, somehow, children born to undocumented immigrants aren’t “subject to the jurisdiction” of the US. I’m guessing that means McClintock and Lungren also believe that the undocumented aren’t subject to other federal laws, including deportation?
The attack on the 14th Amendment is motivated by a desire to prevent more Latinos from becoming citizens, and therefore give the California right a chance at avoiding permanent marginalization. It’s especially offensive when you realize why the 14th Amendment was enacted in the first place.
At the end of the Civil War, with the abolition of slavery, the Democratic Party in the South sought to cling to power by preventing the African-American population from exercising their right to vote – where that right was exercised, Republicans were elected to govern Southern states. So Democrats struck back with laws declaring the ex-slaves to not be US citizens, and therefore ineligible to vote or enjoy other legal protections.
The US Congress, controlled by the Republicans, were outraged at this and passed a Civil Rights Act in 1866 to forbid these practices, including protections for birthright citizenship, ensuring the ex-slaves and their descendants would be citizens and preventing a second-class status from being conferred on Southern blacks. Concerned that the Supreme Court might overturn this, the Congress wrote it into the Constitution as the 14th Amendment.
So California Republicans – along with their right-wing allies around the country – want to undermine a core element of American Civil Rights in order to implement the Jim Crow policies that protect their power that the 14th Amendment was designed to prevent. The target this time is Latinos and not African Americans, but the overall intent is the same – make elections safe for the right.
And they wonder why they can’t get elected in California any longer.
It’s way too late for that plan, the California diversity train has left the station, and most of us like it that way just fine.
After all, they’re proposing to amend the Constitution, which is a legal (if not always moral) procedure. In addition, they’re proposing to reverse a previous amendment, which was done when the 21st Amendment repealed the 18th and ended Prohibition in 1933. Finally, the 14th Amendment is a crucial cornerstone of American freedom, but it’s not part of the original Bill of Rights. Conservatives regard the “original” Constitution with a reverence that borders on biblical infallibility. Most Americans share a tempered version of that feeling, but anything after the 10th Amendment must stand on its own merits.
These arguments, I think, would sound reasonable to an undecided moderate. So I prefer to argue the consequences of repeal: The creation of a permanent, multi-generational, underclass of second-class citizen within our borders.
We can point to South Africa’s history and Israel’s continuing struggles, and ask, “Is that what we want here?”
Non-hispanic whites are already a minority in California. Eventually we will be nationwide. This was almost inevitable in our multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, melting-pot society. It’s actually a pretty common trend in any country that has any significant immigration. And I think it will make the world a more interesting place. Maybe even more united. But it seems to terrify some who counted on their genetic makeup to feel superior.
As it becomes increasingly clear that white men can no longer hope to hold on to their top-of-the-tree position forever–after all, we do have a half-black president–they’re panicked. They’d even rather have Sarah Palin in the White House because she does, after all, support policies that suppress minorities–even women. And she espouses red-blooded American values like killing animals and people. So they’d feel safer with her there. Of course, so would corporations, polluters, defense contractors, and other despoilers of the planet.
This is just the latest attempt to maintain their death grip on the levers of power. It is a predictable backlash to a world where the Chinese and Indians are quickly outpacing the “sole global superpower.” Where they feel threatened and outnumbered. It’s sort of sad really.
It’s interesting to see the Republicans playing to their base
It worked for Gov. Pete ‘White Power’ Wilson in 1994
But, it put a permanent dent in Latino support for the GOP
I hope they go ahead with this initiative and with the Arizona law initiative
Both will fail
But, both will Energize Latinos and cement their support for Democrats. I wonder what the Lation turnout will be in 2012
I wonder how these initiatives will play in the Asian-American communities
There are many immigrants among them, too
I think It was to get Far Right Democrats to switch to the Republican party, Just for votes, Now they’ve taken over the party completely or very nearly. The anti tax rhetoric keys into the fact of people being ignorant and over extended on their finances, My sister in law has a $130,000 mortgage that fixed up Her house, It’s a show place now and so She now resents paying 33% of income to taxes(Her words), She wants the same services for less money and She makes nearly $50,000 to $60,000 a year from what I hear, But then She’s also trying fill up Her 401K too, So that She can retire sooner rather than later. And I think most in CA who are republicans are this way, They don’t know that a State Job does not pay as good as they think. My Dad worked as a toll taker on the Vincent Thomas Bridge for a few Years just to get a pension to help His Social Security out as It wasn’t enough to live on as a renter in California, But then that was a few years back as He no longer collects anything anymore as He’s deceased now. He did get a non-monetary bonus though, He met the late Lloyd Bridges while on duty while taking the tolls.