Dr. Pitney on Immigration and '08

From Steve Geissinger’s article in the San Jose Mercury News:

“Much of the debate has been about ‘Gotcha!’ instead of substance,” said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College.

“On immigration, Republicans spend a great deal of time with such matters as the illegals who worked on Romney’s mansion. On Iraq, Democrats talk about who really opposed the war at what time in the past.

“Many voters are more interested in what the candidates would do if they got to be president.”

See also his comments on Border Line, blog of the Austin American-Statesman and from this article in the Palm Beach Post:

John J. Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College in California, predicted that Republicans will keep stressing immigration during the nomination campaign but that they will take a more cautious stance in the general election.

“They know that it could backfire if they overdo it,” he said. “Ads that seem nativist could turn off moderate voters and alienate the dwindling number of Latinos who still consider voting Republican.”