Voters Oppose Open Borders, and More

The 20+ Democrats seeking their party's nomination to run for president in 2020 favor decriminalizing unauthorized border crossing. And all are on record as favoring free health care for illegal immigrants. President Trump doesn't favor either. One has to ask, are their views widely shared, or are his?

The Week reports the results of an NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist poll asking Americans if they (a) approved of decriminalizing people entering the country without official permission, and (b) approved giving illegal immigrants free health care. Both NPR and PBS are progressive, they have to hate the results their poll found. Here are the results The Week posts.

Is decriminalizing border crossings a good idea/bad idea:
Registered Voters: 27/67
Democrats: 45/47
Republicans: 10/87
Independents: 24/68
Moderate Dems: 34/58
Progressive Dems: 54/37
Whites: 26/68
Non-Whites: 28/63
Millennials/Gen-Z: 31/59

Is free healthcare for illegal immigrants a good idea/bad idea:
Registered Voters: 32/62
Democrats: 60/32
Republicans: 6/93
Independents: 27/67
Moderate Democrats: 43/47
Whites: 28/68
Non-whites: 43/51
Millennials/Gen-Z: 45/51

First, a few sweeping generalities. Roughly two-thirds of all registered voters call both decriminalization and free health care for illegals a "bad idea." Nearly 9 of 10 Republicans and 2/3 of Independents agree. A bare plurality of Democrats call decriminalization a "bad idea" while a majority find free health care a "good idea."

With many Democrat voters concentrated in a few large states, and these two policy prescriptions not at all popular with Republicans and Independents, it isn't clear how the 20 or so Democrats who would run against Trump plan to get a majority in enough states to carry the electoral college.

Their dilemma is that, if they now take positions that most voters agree with, they'll never win the primaries where mainly progressives will bother to vote. Ms. Rock, may I introduce Mr. Hard Place. Hat tip to Drudge Report for the link.