By Mary Anna Mancuso
Clash Daily Guest Contributor
The current border crisis is a direct result of President Obama’s haphazard immigration policies and refusal to act. At the current time, President Obama isn’t worried about fixing immigration rather his main concern is the political fallout of the Democrats in 2014.
The problem has reached epic proportions, and the administration has turned a blind eye until now. Detention centers are overflowing, children are getting lost in the bureaucratic shuffle, and thousands of unaccompanied minors crossing over daily into the United States. The administration is feeling the pressure to act or risk losing big in 2014.
Immigration is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and it’s no surprise since Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing voter base in America. Currently, about 28.2 million Hispanics will be eligible to vote in the 2016 presidential race, an increase of about 17 percent, according to an analysis of census data by the Center for American Progress, a research group.
A pattern has been established with the current administration and decisive action isn’t taken until the 11th hour on most matters. The Obama White House has made a habit of reacting to crises rather than being proactive and preventing them. Republicans are poised to take back the Senate in November causing Obama to employ the only campaign strategy he knows; create a problem and then demand action from Congress.
In June 2012, Obama employed this strategy on immigration when he created Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, allowing over 500,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the country as kids to file with the government to avoid deportation. The creation of DACA was an election time move to court Hispanic voters, and now two years later President Obama is at it again.
Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson, was ordered by President Obama to conduct a systemwide review of the deportation practices to see how things could be done “more humanely.” The findings will be released in the next few weeks as a way to energize Hispanics to turn out and vote in November.
Given the current polling numbers, and Obama’s dismal approval rating it is not surprising the President would try and turn the focus of the upcoming election on immigration. Looking over the past 19 months of Obama’s second term, DC has crumbled under his lack of leadership and is only getting worse as the days wane on.
While some may argue the lack of action in Washington is a result of Congress’ inability to pass an immigration bill, I would argue the opposite. Congress will not pass an immigration bill this session because Republicans don’t trust Obama to carry out laws as passed.
The American people are slowly losing trust in the President’s efficacy as a leader and his bleak approval numbers paint an even more dismal picture which spells trouble for Democrats running for reelection in November. At this rate, immigration is the only issue Democrats could possibly run on in 2014, but even my Magic 8ball says the outlook isn’t so good.
Originally Published on Political Hype
Mary Anna Mancuso was Deputy Communications Director for Congressman Connie Mack’s U.S. Senate race in 2012.
After innovating several successful social media campaigns, she was named one of Florida’s up and coming conservatives by the top political blog in Florida, “The Shark Tank.” Today, Mancuso hosts a lecture series called “Politics 3.0” which focuses on how social media has changed the political landscape.
After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Brockport College, Mancuso obtained a Master’s degree in Political Science with a dual concentration in American Politics and International Relations from Long Island University. Her background is in communications with a focus on online social media. Previously she has worked at the New York Bureau of Fox News, NBC-Universal, and as the Deputy Communications Director for the Republican Party of Virginia.
