Reform Advocate: Schieffer Pitched Candidates Easy Immigration Question
by Chad Groening and Jenni Parker
October 15, 2004
(AgapePress) - A member of a Washington, D.C.-based immigration reform think tank believes moderator Bob Schieffer should have asked tougher questions on the issue of immigration during the final U.S. presidential debate Wednesday night.Prior to this election season's third and last presidential debate, immigration reform activists had complained that the illegal alien problem and border control had not been a priority of previous moderators. But according to Jack Martin of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the American people apparently made sure Bob Schieffer would not allow the subject to be ignored this time.
"In the context in which it came up," Martin notes, "it was explained that there had been more messages to Schieffer from members of the public on that subject -- on the subject of immigration -- than there had been on any other subject, urging that an immigration question be put to the two candidates."
However, the border control advocate says FAIR wanted Schieffer to ask a harder question -- one that addressed more directly both candidates' views -- some held in opposition to the will of the majority of the American public -- concerning guest-worker initiatives, amnesty, immigration enforcement and border security issues. But what the moderator actually asked the candidates was, in Martin's estimation, a slow pitch right across the plate.
Schieffer began by citing the fact that some 8,000 people cross America's borders illegally every day. "Some people believe this is a security issue, as you know," he continued. "Some believe it's an economic issue. Some see it as a human-rights issue. How do you see it? And what we need to do about it?"
FAIR's spokesman feels Schieffer's immigration query failed to really challenge either Bush or Kerry. "I mean, that is simply a reality check," Martin says. "It is unfortunate, I think, that the question that was served up was kind of a softball question that just allowed both of the candidates to simply restate previous positions that they'd taken."
The immigration reform activist says FAIR was pushing for a much tougher question. For instance, he says he would have liked to hear each candidate address, "Why is it that you think it's appropriate to disregard the views of a majority of the American public in adopting the positions you have on immigration?"
Martin finds it interesting that Schieffer said he had received more e-mail messages requesting discussion of the topic of immigration than any other subject. The FAIR representative says he only wishes the final debate's moderator had chosen a more exacting question -- one that might have made the candidates "squirm a little bit more" in coming up with their answers.
