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Bipartisan Support Elusive in Immigration Reform

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

In a State of the Union interview on CNN's "Sunday Morning", White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod discussed the difficulties in passing comprehensive immigration reform in the midst of the 2010 election year. President Barack Obama has been criticized for accusing Republicans of being unwilling to move forward on the issue, comparing them to joy-riding teenagers who should not be given the keys back. Axelrod emphasized that the president needs bipartisan support to pass comprehensive immigration reform, citing the 11 Republicans who supported a similar effort in the Senate.

The conversation touched on the Arizona immigration law, with Axelrod stating that the people of Arizona are calling on the federal government to live up to its responsibilities. Axelrod also acknowledged a decline in support among independents, from 56 percent in July 2009 to 38 percent in a recent Gallup poll. He attributed this decline to the tough economic times and the Republican strategy of saying no to everything.

A key point of contention was the tone of the president's administration, with Axelrod defending the president's efforts to reach out to Republicans. He noted that the president has spent more time meeting with members of the other party than most presidents and that the Republican strategy has been to say no to everything.

Key Takeaways:

  • The White House is struggling to pass comprehensive immigration reform due to the lack of bipartisan support.
  • President Obama has been criticized for comparing Republicans to joy-riding teenagers who should not be given the keys back.
  • Axelrod emphasized the importance of bipartisan support in passing comprehensive immigration reform.
  • 11 Republicans supported a similar effort in the Senate.
  • The Arizona immigration law has become a contentious issue, with the people of Arizona calling on the federal government to live up to its responsibilities.
  • Axelrod acknowledged a decline in support among independents from 56 percent in July 2009 to 38 percent in a recent Gallup poll.
  • He attributed the decline to the tough economic times and the Republican strategy of saying no to everything.
  • Axelrod defended the president's efforts to reach out to Republicans, noting that the president has spent more time meeting with members of the other party than most presidents.

Statistics:

  • 56 percent of independents supported the president in July 2009 (Gallup poll).
  • 38 percent of independents supported the president in a recent Gallup poll.
  • 11 Republicans supported a similar effort in the Senate.
  • The recovery Act was met with opposition from Republicans in 2009.
  • The economy shrank by 6.7 percent in the first quarter of 2009.
  • The economy has experienced six straight months of private sector job growth.
  • The hole that was dug in the economy took a decade to dig.

Sources:

  • Federal News Service, Inc. (2010) - State of the Union interview with David Axelrod.
  • Gallup (2010) - Poll on support among independents.
  • The New York Times (2010) - Interview with Senator McConnell.
  • CNN (2010) - State of the Union interview with David Axelrod.

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