December 23, 2005

WHERE WERE THE MINUTEMEN?:

Mexicans Head North to Snare Holiday Bargains: The annual border crush illustrates growing social and economic ties in the San Diego-Tijuana region. (Richard Marosi, December 23, 2005, LA Times)

The pedestrian lane at the San Ysidro port of entry backed up nearly a quarter-mile into Mexico, weaving past the churro vendors, discount drugstores and tin-shack candy booths.

Gloria Escobar, standing near a display of Santa Claus pinatas, already had waited half an hour to cross into California. Only one more hour left, she hoped.

"It's worth the sacrifice," Escobar said one morning this week. "In San Diego, the stores are better than Tijuana…. Everyone in this line is going for Christmas shopping."

The annual holiday season crush at the border reached its height this week as Dodger Stadium-size crowds from Mexico headed north in search of bargains at swap meets, outlet stores and suburban shopping malls.

They endured extra-long waits in the pedestrian and vehicle lanes, which were already jammed with thousands of Mexicans who commute regularly to jobs in the San Diego area.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 23, 2005 8:25 AM
Comments

Where are the Minutemen? They're preparing the campaigns to win House seats.

Posted by: Paul Cella at December 23, 2005 9:38 AM

Preparing to help Democrats win House seats, which will spike immigration limits for good.

Posted by: oj at December 23, 2005 9:40 AM

Because mass immigration is such a popular issue, and opposing it so politically damaging? Right.

Posted by: Paul Cella at December 23, 2005 9:59 AM

No, because they'll split the vote on the Right.

Posted by: oj at December 23, 2005 10:16 AM

Because mass immigration is popular on the Right, and opposing it damaging to right-wing politicians?

Posted by: Paul Cella at December 23, 2005 10:24 AM

No, because they'll be running against regular Republicans and splitting the vote.

Posted by: oj at December 23, 2005 10:34 AM

Paul: Anti-immigrationism has always been a vote loser.

Posted by: David Cohen at December 23, 2005 11:41 AM

Don't you understand? They'll have demonstrated their purity on the issue, and that really matters. Everyone knows that's better to give the loaf to your opponents when the best you can get is only two-third of it. All or nothing, and tbe sure to hrow a tantrum first.

It's counter-productive behavior like this that makes the Stupid Party so endearing.

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at December 23, 2005 11:53 AM

Win House seats! Funny, Paul.

The collection of misfits and idiots calling themselves "minutemen" will only get to the US House of Representatives with a pass to the gallery.

Posted by: Bob at December 23, 2005 12:47 PM

Come on, Bob! The minuteman with the most name recognition won nearly 25% of the vote in the most friendly territory possible! Less well-known minutemen in less friendly territory could get as much as 10%! And as long as there are 10 other candidates pulling similar numbers, who's to say they couldn't pick up a few?

Posted by: Timothy at December 23, 2005 12:50 PM

Open borders have cost the Republicans California's 55 electoral college votes but that's OK and yet were all supposed to care because some Republican Congressman somewhere might lose a house seat for refusing to align with the beliefs of the overwhelming majority of his voters.

Posted by: Carter at December 23, 2005 3:45 PM

OJ, why should the Minutemen be there? That's legal immigration, while they're concerned with illegal immigration. I know you like to ignore the legal/illegal distinction, but come on, it's not difficult.

Posted by: PapayaSF at December 23, 2005 8:26 PM

Why would I be familiar with the distinction? No one in our family immigrated legally.

Posted by: oj at December 23, 2005 8:30 PM

Carter: Actually, anti-immigration cost the Republicans California.

Posted by: David Cohen at December 23, 2005 8:50 PM

The correlation between Repbublican sucess in California and demographics is obvious:

http://ucdata.berkeley.edu:7101/new_web/ldb/table7_2.JPG

Mass immigration drove out Republican voters.

Posted by: Carter at December 23, 2005 10:43 PM

Yes? So extend the analysis.

Posted by: oj at December 23, 2005 11:56 PM
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