Alex Massie Alex Massie

Bush and Reagan on Immigration

The times they change but the questions remain the same. It’s the Republican party that has changed. A candidate who talked about (illegal)immigration the way Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush did in this 1980 debate would receive pelters. Now, in part that reflects the fact that 30 years on the problem remains unsolved and I suppose you could argue the Reagan amnesty made matters worse still. Nevertheless the difference in tone is striking:

[Hat-tip: Alex Knapp]

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