Backlash

This could be potentially giant news:

Two Latino radio hosts credited for mobilizing hundreds of thousands this year in pro-immigrant protests said on Friday they would join the drive to increase the Hispanic and immigrant vote in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

Los Angeles disc jockeys Piolin (Tweetybird) and El Cucuy (the Bogeyman) said they will work with the National Council of La Raza and other organizations to push Latino immigrants living in the United States to become U.S. citizens and register to vote in time to cast ballots in 2008 [...]

National Council of La Raza president Janet Murguia said Spanish-language radio DJs could help add at least another 3 million Latino voters to the 7.5 million who cast ballots in 2004, helping to elect more pro-immigration politicians.

"With the huge march on March 25, the Los Angeles DJs showed the power to mobilize the community," said El Cucuy, whose real name is Renan Almendarez Coello, referring to the 500,000 marchers who rallied in Los Angeles on March 25 in what is believed to be the nation's largest pro-immigrant protest.

"The big difference now is that we are united and fighting for the same objective," said Piolin, also known as Eddie Sotelo.

It makes sense to demonize brown people if there aren't any consequences. 3 million extra voters=consequences. If the Republicans want to make immigration their signature issue in the midterms, those on the opposite side of the debate have the right and the duty to mobilize. It's been a long time, since the glory days of unions, since the Democratic Party had such a mobilized base at their fingertips.

I don't think Karl Rove wanted to push his party in this direction, considering that if you look at demographics it could lead to a long-lasting minority in the same way the Civil Rights Act of 1965 did for Democrats. But the hardcore Republican base wasn't interested in thinking more than one step ahead. Fighting for their political survival, the Tancredo faction may have signed their party's death warrant.