How to Effectively Tie Immigration to the Economy
1. New Data: Yes, You Can Message on the Economy and Immigration
The Winning Jobs Narrative (WJN) Project released the results of a new message test where the WJN architecture was employed to frame immigration. In case you may have missed our earlier piece, the WJN Project provides a “blueprint for successful messaging on issues relating to jobs and the economy.”
Here are some of the key findings:
Messages which broadly link immigration to the health and growth of our economy, working people, and contribution performed best. Immigration is at the nexus of economic, culture, and security concerns. Not only is it a false choice to say that people have to choose between Economic or Social Issues, but on many topics that distinction itself is a false construct.
One of the top 10 effective messages included the frame of "extreme Republicans" when referring to the GOP. Referring to the GOP as "MAGA Republicans" is slightly less effective.
Here are two of our favorite messages for Democrats that performed the best with swing voters:
Democrats are supporting policies to grow our economy that lower the costs of healthcare, energy, and education for hardworking families and rebuild our supply chains here in America. They’re also working to fix our immigration system. Immigrants contribute to and invest in local communities— and an orderly and functional immigration system is an important part of building a healthy and growing economy for us all.
Immigration is important for a healthy, growing economy. Immigrants contribute to local communities, and farmers and small businesses depend on them for essential jobs. Like everyone, immigrant families pay taxes— contributing $500 billion a year in federal and state taxes. We should be able to agree on an immigration system that’s orderly and functional. That’s good for our economy, and good for all of us.
Dig deep and check out the Winning Jobs Narrative’s other recommendations for top immigration issues.
2. GOP Extremism: The Replacement Theory is on Display Ahead of Election
Despite the direct connection to multiple domestic terrorists, the GOP has fully embraced the invasion and replacement conspiracies.
At a Trump rally in Mesa, Arizona, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) peddled the white replacement lie, saying, “Biden’s five million illegal aliens are on the verge of replacing you.” Nor is Greene fringe inside the GOP— she was brought because of her rhetoric, not in spite of it, and she expects to play a leading role if Republicans take the House.
This weekend, Trump is taking the white nationalist circus to Texas where he will bring Tom Homan, the progenitor of family separation and prominent pusher of the racist “invasion” conspiracy, and Brandon Judd, the president of the Border Patrol union, who has pushed the replacement theory.
Meanwhile, when asked directly about his role in echoing the replacement and invasion conspiracies on the debate stage, Republican Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance demurred. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) has the dubious distinction of being the only Senate candidate to parrot these white nationalist talking points from the debate stage.
As noted in prior newsletters, embracing white supremacy is a deal breaker for the majority while even more voters want to hear elected leaders denounce this vile bigotry. This is especially true for Latino voters. As a BSP poll found just a few months ago, 78% of battleground Latino voters have serious concern about Republicans' “use of hateful attacks on immigrants that encourage white nationalists and other domestic terrorists, putting all Americans at risk of violence.” But there is a real question as to whether Republicans are being held to account for what they and their allies say to their base.
Got a question or request for any messaging research? Email us at info@datatodisrupt.org.
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