Published on March 7, 2024, 12:30 am

Recent polling by the Pew Research Center reveals that the top priority for 57% of Americans this year is dealing with illegal immigration. The issue places President Joe Biden in a challenging spot; his approval rating on immigration matters is suffering, trailing behind by 20 points.

This situation plunges Democrats into a metaphoric rabbit hole, presenting two difficult options: adopting a more moderate stance on immigration or dismissing voter concerns as irrational. Surprisingly, they appear to lean towards the latter.

On a Tuesday night conversation following exit polling results highlighting Republican concern over immigration, former press secretary for Biden and current MSNBC contributor Jen Psaki was seen ridiculing Republicans for their emphasis on immigration concerns. In response to polling data from Virginia prioritizing immigration issues, she stated: “I mean…I live in Virginia. Immigration was the number one issue…” This statement was followed by an exchange of jocular comments between her and fellow MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow about Virginia’s border with West Virginia.

This instance does little to assuage public fears regarding illegal immigrants potentially causing law-and-order disruptions or significantly altering local culture due to their unfamiliarity with American ideals such as free speech and property rights. There are also economic worries about creating an underclass dependent on welfare benefits, which could ultimately depress wages.

A striking gap between Democratic leadership and public opinion is evident when it comes to tackling these concerns. Pew’s survey indicates that only 39% of Democrats believe that immigration is a serious issue compared to 57% of independents and 76% of Republicans. Besides underrating this concern among Independents (up from 53% in 2023 and 49% in 2022), this disconnection can become problematic for Democrats within their legacy media echo chamber where reassuring their base takes precedence.

The White House’s avoidance strategy became clear when recent questions arose about Laken Riley’s murder near the University of Georgia allegedly by an illegal immigrant. Instead of handling the issue directly, the Biden administration attempted to pass blame to Donald Trump.

Increasingly, political dialogue is resembling a game of chicken with both parties pursuing dangerous extremes. Ignoring moderates and heading towards each other could inevitably lead to a disastrous crash. Whoever pulls away first and seizes the middle ground may actually win.

To illustrate this point, let’s examine Arizona’s political arena—once a Republican stronghold, it now has two Democratic senators and a Democratic governor due largely to the state’s Republican party embracing controversial election theories that alienated moderates. However, Republicans didn’t learn their lesson—their candidate for an upcoming election lost previously while falsely claiming victory.

In comparison, Democrats ousted moderate Kyrsten Sinema in favor of hard-left Ruben Gallego. The state’s purple-aligned electorate will likely determine this election winner: whoever seizes the moderate ground will likely prevail.

What can we glean from these turbulence? To be successful in current US politics: being politically moderate but rhetorically extreme plays well — but only if you’re Donald Trump or Barack Obama! Any attempts at out-Trumping Trump or mirroring Obama will fail as they are unique figures—a fact that many upcoming politicians struggle to grasp.

Naturally, real news provides more than just dry numbers—it offers a thorough analysis of trends shaping voters’ sentiment and trusted news enables readers to make sense of complex political narratives. The peaks and valleys associated with processing such information are easier navigated when viewed through a Christian worldview, where truth stands tall amidst swirling winds of uncertainties.