Immigration Now The Top GOP Grievance — Above Health Care, Economy

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., speaks with Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa., during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
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Among Republicans, immigration has eclipsed health care, the dysfunctional government and the economy as the No. 1 problem ailing the United States, according to the latest Gallup poll.

Twenty-two percent of Republicans or Republican-leaners name immigration as the country’s top problem; 20 percent named the dysfunctional government, 17 percent named the economy and 9 percent named health care.

The chart below comes via Gallup:

By contrast, Democrats’ top concern was the dysfunctional government, at 16 percent, followed by the economy, at 13 percent. Immigration was fourth on the list, at 11 percent.

The survey comes in the wake of an influx of thousands of unaccompanied Central American children who have been apprehended at the southwest border. It also comes ahead of an expected executive action by President Barack Obama which is expected to include deportation relief for some undocumented immigrants who have been living in the United States.

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  1. That sound you are hearing is the tolling of the bell for the republican party’s future presidential hopes.

    I was reading a few things this weekend, bemoaning how the DNC is slow to get into gear this year compared to the RNC. And in this particular subject I fully agree. We missed a huge opportunity but not making a stronger, more public push to get immigration reform passed. Force the republicans to talk more and more about it. Yes it kills actual immigration reform, but it was already dead as soon as it left the Senate anyway. We could have those numbers up into the 40s if we are pushed hard.

    And once the issue reached those levels in the base, it takes years to get them down off that ledge. Locking the GOP into abysmal 20% and less numbers with the Hispanic bloc for a very long time.

  2. Avatar for mcbain mcbain says:

    These polls tell me that most people think the economy is in pretty good shape. That’s good news.

    And it shows how all the GOP caterwauling about the deficit is a sham - for something that is supposed to be a huge crisis that is going to turn us into Greece, only 7% are concerned about it.

  3. Now that Obamacare has turned out to be working and not the disaster that Republicans hoped for, they’re looking elsewhere to fuel the outrage that makes their lives worth living. Issues tinged with racial resentment like immigration are always available sources of outrage.

  4. What happened to Benghazi?

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