In a commentary published by CNN.com, CNN contributor Ruben Navarrette Jr. plays the race card against the Republican Party. Here is how he begins his commentary:
Did you think the Republican Party had cornered the market on racism, nativism and ethnic demagoguery? If so, think again.
That is the GOP’s modus operandi when it comes to the immigration issue. In an ugly trend that started in the Southwest in the 1990s but has now moved on to the South and Midwest, Republicans have learned to scare up votes by exploiting fear of changing demographics and the anxiety that many Americans have about an “invasion” of illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border.
But this fear of foreigners has proven just effective enough that Democrats are now borrowing the GOP’s playbook to advance their own causes.
Navarrette’s use of the race card against the Republican Party should not be surprising to anyone who has read his previous commentaries. Navarrette’s own modus operandi is to use a straw-man argument against people who speak out against illegal immigration. It is common for Navarrette to equate opposition to illegal immigration with opposition to all immigration.
Contrary to what Navarrette claims, the Republican Party doesn’t promote fear of foreigners. Instead, the Party promotes the rule of law.
In his commentary, Navarrette says that a certain group of Democrats should be ashamed for engaging in race-baiting. What about being ashamed when one makes a false charge of racism?
