海角大神

Hillary Clinton sets immigration trap, Republicans don't fall for it (yet)

Setting political traps is a time-honored Washington tradition, and Hillary Clinton is trying to force Republican presidential candidates to take a hard-line position on immigration.

鈥淪etting a trap.鈥�聽A common strategy in which a politician adopts a position intended to force rivals into taking the opposite 鈥� and less defensible 鈥� stance.

Star Wars fans will recognize Hillary Clinton鈥檚 latest tactics. Toward the end of 鈥淩eturn of the Jedi,鈥� as the climatic space battle scene ramps up, Admiral Ackbar about the Imperial defense around the dreaded Death Star. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a trap!鈥� bellows the Rebel Alliance commander 鈥� presciently, it turns out.

That鈥檚 what many are now saying about Mrs. Clinton鈥檚 recent move on immigration. In Nevada recently, she went further than President Obama in calling for a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants living in the country illegally. It was a to goad her Republican rivals into espousing hard-line immigration policies that play well with their party鈥檚 conservative base, but are objectionable to the increasingly diverse electorate.

鈥淭here鈥檚 this theory that Hillary Clinton went to Nevada and set a trap for the Republicans,鈥� NPR鈥檚 White House correspondent Tamara Keith on CNN鈥檚 鈥淣ew Day.鈥� 鈥淪he went to Nevada and talked about immigration, went to the left of President Obama and was essentially saying, 鈥業 dare you to say something that will make Latino voters not like you.鈥� 鈥�

Steve McMahon, CEO and founding partner of the communications firm Purple Strategies, on CNN鈥檚 鈥淪tate of the Union鈥� that Clinton鈥檚 campaign is trying to get the GOP field to define itself as conservative so that the party鈥檚 eventual nominee has trouble later courting moderates. 鈥淭he Clinton campaign is tactically very smart; they are setting a trap,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he Republicans will overreach because they always do and they'll define themselves with most voters in a way that is negative.鈥�

But much of the Republican field is wise to Clinton. Leading candidates such as ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and his one-time prot茅g茅, Sen. Marco Rubio, talking about her policy ideas. And the GOP candidates have been mindful of potential media-baited traps.

Supporters of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker spotted one earlier this year when he said in an interview that he whether Mr. Obama is a 海角大神. A , unsubtly titled 鈥淭he Dangerous Candidacy of Scott Walker,鈥� drew conservative derision. The right-wing site Breitbart.com the piece 鈥渁 frustrated shriek through clenched teeth about how that wascally wabbit from Wisconsin slipped through the 鈥榞otcha鈥� trap.鈥�

Obama himself has been accused of trap-setting 鈥� often as he with opponents. And many Democrats viewed House Speaker John Boehner鈥檚 recent invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress in March, right before Mr. Netanyahu鈥檚 reelection, as a trap. They accused Mr. Boehner of wanting any Democrats who boycotted Netanyahu鈥檚 speech to be seen as insufficiently supportive of Israel.

鈥淚 know one thing about politics: When you know that your opponent is setting a trap, avoid the trap,鈥� New York Democratic Rep. Steve Israel 鈥� whose name seemingly lends itself to a close association with the Middle East ally 鈥� MSNBC. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to the speech. I have been to Israel more times than John Boehner has been to a golf course, and I will not allow him to define my relationship with Israel or the perception of my relationship with Israel.鈥�