Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories MADGE busts alleged meth lab Antarctica a 'giant novel' locked in ice Food for the hungry Law enforcement probes White City firm LBJ sequel, musical topped OSF choices for 2014 season Crime, Courts and Emergency Services MADGE busts alleged meth lab Woman charged with burning her 3-year-old Morning fire damages rear of Medford home Emergency services Victims' families recount pain, loss as drunken driver sentenced to 15 years Politics and Elections Buckley again named Ways and Means Committee co-chairman Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Granlund cartoon: GOP wrecking balls Ballot measures played little role in mobilizing voters in state Senate race 'Euphoria' over pot initiative Education Good news for SOU: Enrollment's up Mom gives school lobby a makeover Crater students present play about Thoreau's night in jail Half of Oregon's community college enrollees need remedial classes Marketta Gregory: Stretch yourself for God Environment Birders sought for bird counts Grow 'em before you plant 'em Since You Asked: Biomass One makes steam-generated power Organic squash creates a bountiful harvest for ACCESS Prospect-area cow death likely not a wolf kill State News Washington to sue over nuclear site's tank vapors Oregon population up 1 percent in year Unauthorized immigrant numbers grow in Idaho Oregon cities plan to seek legislative OK for pot taxes Police shoot robbery suspect in Klamath Falls Nation - World Obituaries Jason Lee Manthe Perry Charles Card Robert E. Johnson Tennie Lee Sutton Cletta Marie Yocham Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Raiders gear up for College of Ozarks Ducks look for better crowd Grasu says he’ll be back this season Local Flavor Oregon’s running in place Varsity 541 College Sports Raiders gear up for College of Ozarks Ducks look for better crowd Grasu says he’ll be back this season Local Flavor Oregon’s running in place Pro Sports Bryant's 28 carries Lakers to second victory Steelers release unhappy running back Blount Gray on center stage with Patriots Love thinks Ryder Cup is too crowded Woods irked by Jenkins parody Community Sports Results / Standings Business Latest Stories Blog: Medford Center no longer a "forgotten child" Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Medford Center up for a makeover by new buyer Lawsuit seeks to overturn Jackson County's GMO ban or net $4.2 million for farms Real Estate News Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Financial webinars offered for veterans and their families Home prices rise across Jackson County New I-5 interchange puts south Medford on fast lane to fast food People In Business People in Business, Nov. 18 People in Business, Nov. 8 Transportation Medford airport passenger counts sky high in October Erickson reports third quarter profit Lithia reports $34.5 million third-quarter profit Agriculture Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Lawsuit seeks to overturn Jackson County's GMO ban or net $4.2 million for farms Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Revenue rises for Harry & David's parent company Where do all those leaves go? Opinion Latest Jim Brock: Some Americans really like bullies Granlund cartoon: Bill Cosby scandal Letters to the editor, Nov. 19 Court ruling may envelope Cover Oregon Granlund cartoon: Adrian Peterson suspended Editorials Court ruling may envelope Cover Oregon Our View: Kicking the can down the road Our View: Wyden's O&C bill may be the answer, or not Other Views: A chastened Kitzhaber must tend to business Our View: Cheers and Jeers Letters to the Editor Letters to the editor, Nov. 19 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 18 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 17 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 16 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 14 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: County voters rebuffed judicial appointment process Fix health care reform, don't scrap it Reflections on the election in Oregon and beyond Measure 89 provides equality for women Eagle Point needs public transportation Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Gratitude Expressed Through Giving To Others Aids Health Mortgage insurance: Your questions answered Go Ask Alice: We’d be lost without her Dave Ramsey: Mother-in-law needs a push toward financial independence Kitchen Call: Corn pudding is perfect for Thanksgiving Food Kitchen Call: Corn pudding is perfect for Thanksgiving Keep it simple with Thanksgiving wines Homes for the holidays Community blog: Bourbon-bacon pie crust perfect with pumpkin Food for Thought: Embark on a culinary trip around the world Home and Garden Mortgage insurance: Your questions answered Home Help: Spruce up your home with quick DIY painting projects Beyond curb appeal: When it pays to stand out Use the hidden meaning of color to enhance your home 17 things you never knew about turkeys Health Community blog: Gratitude Expressed Through Giving To Others Aids Health Community blog: Lazy Able-Bodied People Could Live Here Here's a hand up you can use Community blog: Happy Holidays? Surviving and Even Thriving in the Dark Times Dr. Murray Feingold: ‘Grief is the price we pay for love’ Hiking Biking Faith Religion news: Seattle-based mega-church dissolves Religion Briefs 'Walk the talk' Religion briefs Christ Unity Church shows 'Gen Silent' Milestones and Achievements Local farmers need more products in grocery stores Ashland honey festival draws swarm of visitors Fundraiser to benefit Medford Senior Center New Arrivals The meaning behind Veterans Day Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Clayfolk Show set for this weekend at Medford Armory Caleb Klauder Band and The Steel Wheels play the Unitarian Fellowship 'It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Thanksgiving comes early at Taprock Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon to perform two shows Theater 'It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre 'Red Noses' a romp through slapstick and pathos SOU presents 'The Drunken City' The power of human spirit Music Caleb Klauder Band and The Steel Wheels play the Unitarian Fellowship Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon to perform two shows The Farr Side: CMA telecast was a disappointment Hawaiian slack-key guitarist Makana plays the Unitarian Rogue World Ensemble presents 'Gather 'Round' Community Events Clayfolk Show set for this weekend at Medford Armory Review: Randall Theatre's 'Secret Garden' still enchanting Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Spookadelic Halloween Funktacular promises a lively dance party Puss 'N' Boots Costume Ball and Auction Dining Thanksgiving comes early at Taprock Word of Mouth: Brunch at Brothers' Restaurant Blue Toba is a cultural experience Back Porch Bar & Grill Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW LBJ sequel, musical topped OSF choices for 2014 season ... Woman charged with burning her 3-year-old ... Morning fire damages rear of Medford home ... LBJ sequel, musical topped OSF choices for 2014 season ... Woman charged with burning her 3-year-old ... Morning fire damages rear of Medford home ... ANOTHER VIEW Dana Miolbank: Obama's big immigration mistake MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 9, 2014 @ 12:01 am Posted Nov. 9, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News Back in July, when President Obama was deciding whether to take executive action on immigration before the midterm elections, I got into one of those cable-news debates that offer the president unsolicited advice from the unqualified. I argued that the move would boost Hispanic turnout and rally a depressed Democratic base. Yes, it might hurt some vulnerable Democratic candidates, but it would cement Hispanic loyalty to the party in the long run: "It's a question of, whose interest is he looking out for?" My opposite, Bloomberg News' Mark Halperin, countered against "inflaming" the Republican base. "There's almost no competitive races where the Hispanic vote is going to be decisive," he argued, and "there are a lot of Democratic strategists who say, 'This will hurt our chances in the midterms. Why not wait until November to do it?'" "So," asked the host, "why are they even considering it?" Replied Halperin: "My sources and I, we can't figure it out." Maybe they can now. The president declined to act on immigration before the election. But all the Democratic Senate incumbents in red states whom he was trying to protect lost anyway. There's evidence that the combination of low Hispanic turnout and lower Hispanic margins for Democrats doomed some Democratic candidates, including Charlie Crist, who lost his gubernatorial race in Florida, and perhaps Sen. Mark Udall, who lost his re-election bid in Colorado. Worse, the fading ardor Latinos showed for Democrats raises the possibility that this reliable constituency — crucial to the party's prospects in 2016 and beyond — is slipping away. Now Obama, to avoid even more trouble with Latinos, has vowed to take unilateral action on immigration by year-end, even though GOP leaders say that will "poison the well" with the congressional majority. As the NBC News political team speculated: "Given the current situation, we think the White House wishes it went ahead and issued that executive action back in the summer." There is a lesson here that goes beyond immigration: Obama would have been better off if he had done what he thought was right and let the politics take care of themselves. When Halperin, co-author of the best-seller "Game Change," and Democrat strategists called for postponing executive action, they were looking at politics as a game, moving pieces to maximize numbers after the next election. But politics is not just always a game of winning the next election. It's about doing, as Obama belatedly remembered on Wednesday, "what I think is best for the country." Instead, his political calculation turned out to be too clever by half, and he wound up setting back a worthy cause without helping Democrats at the polls. "You repress the vote in the Latino community and what did you come up with?" Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., asked rhetorically during a news conference in Chicago Wednesday, according to an account in Politico. He called the loss an "indication about what happens when you try to toy with your principles and your beliefs." In Florida, the Hispanic share of voters dropped to 13 percent from 17 percent two years ago. Because Latinos favored Crist over Republican Gov. Rick Scott by 20 percentage points, that was likely enough to cost Crist victory in a close race. In Colorado, where Republican Sen.-elect Cory Gardner made a big play for Latino votes and Democratic incumbent Udall did little until the last minute, a Wall Street Journal analysis found that of the 21 counties in the state where Hispanics are at least one-fifth of the electorate, Gardner did better than the 2010 Republican Senate nominee in 20 of them. That year, Latino voters were credited with Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet's narrow win in the state. Nationally, Hispanic turnout slipped to 8 percent of the electorate from 10 percent in 2012 and level with 2010, despite the exploding Latino population. Democrats got 62 percent of the Hispanic vote, better than a dreadful 2010 showing but well below the 71 percent Obama got in 2012. In the Texas governor's race, Republican Greg Abbott got 44 percent of the Hispanic vote, and in the Georgia governor's race, Republican Nathan Deal got 47 percent. In Kansas, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback won the Latino vote, 47 percent to 46 percent, exit polls show. This doesn't necessarily mean that Obama's delayed action on immigration caused Democrats' problems with Latinos, nor does it mean Tuesday's results would have been dramatically different if he had acted sooner. But it does make a case for worrying more about what's right than about what's expedient. Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 9, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501