The Caravan of the Saints
25th October 2018
When they signal their virtue, the Democrats expose their distance from voters’ concerns about the economic, legal and cultural consequences of immigration. Of course, the Republicans are also doing little more than signaling their virtue by shouting about law and order, and sticking it to the Mexicans. But while the Democratic strategy is cynically foolish, the Republican strategy is cynically effective. The domestic politics of the migrant caravan may be a double act of inanity and cynicism, but the electorate will not applaud the actors equally. The Democrats are cueing up the Republicans’ electoral punch line.