Ross Douthat had a column yesterday about why the parties are moving apart on immigration. The key passage: “the cycle started with a gap between the elite consensus on immigration — unabashedly in favor — and the public’s more conflicted attitudes, which differ depending on the day’s headlines and the wording of the polling questions. Across the first 15 years of the 21st century, too many Beltway attempts to simply impose the elite consensus set the stage for backlash, populism, Trump.” Then Trump implemented cruel and ineffective policies, and Democrats reacted against them. The later part seems right–the Democratic presidential candidates are competing to show how strongly they oppose Trump. But the part I quoted seems wrong in two ways. CONT.
David Weakliem, U. of Connecticut
Recent polls: Immigration