courtesy of Talk Radio News Service
Throughout his Presidential campaign, Mitt Romney has expressed his disapproval of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.A. However, he has talked about policies for immigrants that would include granting more visas to immigrants who have educational degrees, preferably in science andmath. It seems as if his interest in granting immigrants an opportunity to legalize their situation in the country would be based on holding a certain socio-economic status i.e. certain educational degrees. His attacks against undocumented immigrants have been open and exploited in speeches. However, suddenly, a strange twist has taken place in his campaign; his anti-immigrant tone has softened, making statements that lead us to believe that, “Young undocumented immigrants who receive work permits from a new Barack Obama administration initiative could remain in the country under a Mitt Romney administration.”
It was clear at the start that Mitt Romney was against the presence of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., so it is interesting to see this sudden change of attitude. Based on the statements Romney has made, it is clear that he “would not interfere with immigrants who had applied for and received work permits.” This means that he will, in one way or another, respect those who have already obtained their permits. Of course, it would be unfair for these individuals to have this right taken away from them anyway. From this new statement from Romney, one can even say that he has his morals straight because he is being “considerate.” But, something we all know when it comes to politics is that promises are hard to keep.
In an ideal world, Romney would keep his word, and at least those who have their permits would be safe, for now at least. But, what happens to the rest of undocumented immigrants? What happens to those who have not yet applied for the permits? Lately, that topic has not been openly discussed. It is good to see him showing some compassion towards some undocumented immigrants but in the end, it is important to remember that it is all about a political campaign aiming to win as many votes as possible, the Latino vote is desirable. No doubt about it. In the end, we should always consider all of the options and what can or may end up happening.
Immigration Talk 
As much as Mitt Romney is trying to win over more of the Latino vote, I believe there is truth behind his statements. I think he is telling the truth when he says he would not take away something that has been purchased in Obama’s administration. Mitt Romney is not that heartless. I do believe when the work visas are expired there must be a new immigration bill in congress or passed. Whether or not it will be Romney’s or Obama’s immigration reform I do not know. I do not think that we can accuse of Romney for any promises he makes because we do not know whether or not he will keep them. Obama made promises four years ago about immigration reform that he did not keep in his first term.
It is very unfortunate that the line between sincerity and political motives has become so blurred when it comes to presidential elections. It is as if nowadays, candidates, like Romney, make promises at the last minute to try to rake up as many votes as possible from those who have forgotten where they truly stand on important issues such as immigration. I believe that there’s a distinct difference between strategically reiterating a position on the issues during the political campaign and suddenly changing sides as the elections creep up and voter support appears to be low. This confuses the constituents mostly affected by the issue at hand and often leads to disappointment when the candidate does not fulfill the promises he/she made, so I hope immigrants think twice about to whom they give their vote in these upcoming elections.
I have to agree that Mitt Romney’s sudden change in opinion is a bit worrisome. Though in a way his change in opinion in comforting, it’s also a clear example of the instability of politics. Rather than trying to find the best solution for everyone, Romney seems to be more concerned with getting votes. In my opinion, a good leader is firm and clear in their beliefs, because well-grounded beliefs show a person with a well thought out plan. Of course there is still the importance of a leader who is willing to compromise; without compromise very few things can get done. In my perspective however, Romney’s sudden change in opinion is not so much an example of compromise, but rather a final desperate attempt for the latino vote.