The Gutsy Decision that Saved Harry Reid's Career and Made Him a Hero to Latinos

[pnwmom]

http://www.vox.com/2015/3/27/8301387/harry-reid-dream-act

In September 2010, in the toughest re-election campaign of his career, then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did something his own polling told him not to do. He decided to bring the DREAM Act, allowing young unauthorized immigrants to get eventual citizenship, up for a vote in the Senate, and — after its failure — promised to bring it up again.

It paid off tremendously. Reid surprised everyone by winning reelection by a decent margin over Republican challenger Sharron Angle, and he credited his victory to Latino turnout. And the race changed the conventional wisdom about immigration politics — turning Democrats from a party ambivalent about the issue out of fear of losing white voters, to one willing to embrace it for the purpose of winning Latino votes.

But it's easy to forget just how big the shift was — and how surprising Reid's decision was at the time.

Latinos weren't expected to turn out to vote in 2010. Sure, they'd made a strong showing to elect Barack Obama in 2008, but that was a presidential election, not a midterm one. And enthusiasm around Obama had dissipated quickly after the president had not only failed to introduce the immigration-reform bill he promised, but then deported 400,000 immigrants a year.

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[Wellstone ruled]

1. And in 2014

Harry dumped on those who made this happen. AWOL,and today he is all supportive of the best of the best to replace him. Karma is truly a bitch and our state is in a Rethug nightmare. But what the hell,Adelson,Wynn an Katz are making out like bandits. Their getting 8 bucks for every 1buck spent to defeat the Dems.