Forget the other issues for the moment. If you’re one of those Americans who believes borders should mean something, that tens of millions of illegal aliens will deport themselves if the rule of law prevails, and that at least one viable candidate for president should represent those views–you’re in for a long four, possibly eight year trip through the wilderness.

Unless Mitt Romney can resurrect himself–something which looks increasingly unlikely–the American electorate will be left will three presidential candidates–Clinton, Obama, and McCain–each of whom is more than willing to capitulate to the open border, amnesty-by-another-name crowd.

Only two scenarios might derail the machinations of these majority-be-damned candidates. Unfortunately, one of them would be damaging–and the other would be catastrophic.

Damaging? A recession severe enough to put real pressure on employment. A substantial number of Americans competing with illegal immigrants for jobs might force these apologists to wonder how risky such an illegal-friendly position would be in the general election. It’s easy to appeal to “downtrodden” Americans when it’s all talk. But if the “jobs Americans refuse to do” become the only alternative to no job at all?

Catastrophe? Another domestic terror attack committed by someone who snuck across the border. Thousands of dead Americans would make a complete mockery of the idea that we must “accommodate” law-breaking on a massive scale. And while I am not even remotely a conspiracy theorist, the bet here is the immigration status of the perps would not be made public until after the 2008 election–even if an attack happened tomorrow.

There’s an election to be won–and possibly a country to be lost in the process.

atahlert@comcast.net

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