Ghosts of California’s Past (or the Three Stooges?): California Rep Candidates For Governor Duke It Out on Immigration, Point to Pete Wilson

As described on this L.A. Times blog, the Republicans are duking it out down and dirty on immigration in the California gubernatorial campaign. In ad after ad,Steve Poizner has criticized Meg Whitman for being soft on immigration.  As the race has tightened, Whitman released a radio ad, which has played on XM/Sirius and many other radio stations, featuring former Governror Pete Wilson, chair of the Whitman campaign and champion of the anti-immigrant landmark Proposition 187 which he rode to re-election in 1994 (and later political oblivion).  To put it mildly, Wilson, who effectively has been exiled from California politics for 15+ years, is none too popular among Latinos.  In the ad, Wilson says that  Whitman will be tough on immigration; she chimes in saying that she opposes driver’s licenses for illegals, no amnesty, etc.

Now, Poizner is featuring the recent Wilson spot in a Spanish-language radio ad of his own, attempting to poison Whitman with Latinos because of her association with Wilson.

What fun immigration politics can be!  It seems to me that, given both of their attempts to play the immigration/race card, neither Repiblican candidate should count on many Latino votes in the general election.

KJ