Playing It Dangerously Safe

… Although poll data does not specifically link Romney’s vacillation on immigration to the lack of enthusiasm for his bid, it is virtually certain that a reluctance to take a stand is not an effective tool for building voter intensity. Romney’s stance – or lack thereof – speaks in part to his character, but more significantly it speaks to the slow-motion struggle within the Republican Party about coming to terms with the fact that its white base is shrinking while Hispanics, as a proportion of the electorate, are steadily gaining traction. [cont.]

Thomas Edsall, Columbia U. (NYT)