A Chance for Moderation?

Tamar Jacoby of the Manhattan Institute argues in today’s Washington Post that the delay on the immigration bill might not be such a bad thing.  Although the writer urges that we “get a border deal done,” Jacoby does not think that the House proposition to debate the issue further is necessarily a bad thing:

The debate won’t, of course, convince the angriest voters — the ones who want to seal the border and deport or drive out illegal immigrants. That 20 to 25 percent of the public — and poll after poll shows that’s how strong they are, no more, no less — is probably not open to persuasion. But what the discussion could do is energize some of the other 75 percent: voters who, most surveys show, are more pragmatic — including being willing to legalize the 12 million — though generally less intense in their beliefs and less likely to voice or vote on them.

For the full op-ed, click here.  Given the state of both bills, it is clear that a moderating influence would be a good thing.  I am perhaps less sanguine than Jacoby that moderation is what will come out of the House-led discussion of the immigration issue, but only time will tell.

-jmc