Walker On Immigration, Late Night TV Secrets, Wisconsin Survey On The Economy

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The state of the economy is a popular political talking point, and the Wisconsin Survey asked voters how they felt about the issue both in the state, and across the country. We discuss the results. We also learn about the inner-workings of late night television and look at why Governor Walker is getting a lot of attention for his comments on legal immigration.

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  • Political Analyst Says Walker's Recent Immigration Policy Comments Are 'Not A Smart Move'

    Gov. Scott Walker’s recent comments on conservative talk-radio host Glenn Beck’s program that suggested the U.S. might want to consider cutting back on legal immigration “is not a smart move” for a potential presidential candidate seeking the Republican nomination, according to political analyst Harry Enten.

    Two years ago, Walker argued for offering undocumented immigrants a pathway towards citizenship. However, last month on Fox News, Walker said that he has since changed his stance on issue.

    Walker took the issue a step further in comments that he made while talking to Beck.

    “The next president and the next Congress need to make decisions about a legal immigration system that’s based on first and foremost protecting American workers and American wages,” Walker told Beck.

    Enten, who is a senior political writer and analyst for FiveThirtyEight, said he thinks the position could potentially alienate Walker in his likely Republican primary because many GOP donors, including key donors David and Charles Koch, as well as politicians and right-leaning voters, say they support legal immigration.

    “To Beck’s audience, Walker is making a lot of sense,” Enten said. “If you look at polls that indicate that the people most likely to be against legal immigration are those independents who lean Republican. Of course, however, they don’t make up the majority of the Republican Party. And that’s a big problem for Walker because it turns out that most Republican voters simply do not want to decrease the amount of legal immigration.”

    With a crowded field of Republican candidates likely to compete in the Iowa caucus, Enten suspects Walker is making the political calculation that courting voters far to the right of Republican moderates will pay off.

    “So, if you only need 20 to 25 percent to win, then Walker might be making the bet that in order to appeal to that most conservative part of the electorate and the most likely to turn out, that these types of positions on immigration will be beneficial to him,” Enten said.

    But, Enten argued that it may be a near-sighted position in a race that’s all about the end game.

    “I don’t believe that’s very good calculus because even if you win in Iowa, usually the winner in Iowa doesn’t win the entire primary. You have to go to New Hampshire, which is more moderate, and then South Carolina, which is kind of inbetween the two of them. For me it’s just not a wise position,” he said.

    Watch Walker’s interview on Glenn Beck’s radio program below:

  • Walker Suggests Legal Immigration May Hurt American Workers

    Governor Scott Walker is getting a lot of attention for his suggestion this week that the United States may want to consider cutting back on legal immigration.

    Walker admitted last month on Fox News that he has changed his stance on undocumented immigrants. Two years ago he argued for offering them a way to become citizens, but said in the interview that he no longer supports that idea.

    He now seems to be taking his stance on immigration a step further in comments that he made while talking to conservative radio host Glenn Beck.

    This stance is potentially problematic for him in his likely Republican primary, because many Republican donors – including David and Charles Koch – support legal immigration for business reasons.

  • What Makes America Laugh Before Bed?

    Late night TV has shaped America’s cultural and political conversations for more than half a century. A veteran of The Tonight Show lifts the curtain on the surprisingly wide influence of late night shows and shares a few insider jokes in the process.

  • The Wisconsin Survey: Gauging Attitudes About The Economy

    We continue our discussion on the results of the Wisconsin Survey that came out this week. We look at how survey respondents feel about the country’s economic outlook, Wisconsin’s economy and more.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Galen Druke Producer
  • Marika Suval Producer
  • Harry Enten Guest
  • Jon Macks Guest
  • Kevin Quinn Guest