It’s grossly implausible that the rallies against making it a felony to be in this country without permission were some sort of three-carom plot by Hugo Chavez to generate an anti-immigrant backlash in order to elect Lopez Obrador to the Mexican Presidency. But if imagining such things amuses Glenn and his readers, I suppose there’s nothing really wrong with it.
But if Lopez Obrador really wanted to play the anti-American card, Reynolds has given him a fine opening by quoting some lunatic’s line about “the invasion and annexation of Mexico.” If Lopez Obrador were as unprincipled as, say, Glenn Reynolds, he would seize on what Reynolds’s source probably meant as hyperbole and say “The famous American website Instapundit has proposed the invasion and annexation of Mexico.”
Of course it’s ridiculous to pretend that one post on a website, even a well-read one, or a few speeches at a rally, or an obscure thirty-year-old document endorsed by an organization some politician belonged to as a college student, represents any serious body of opinion. But Glenn and his nativist allies do it all the time. Turnabout is fair play.
Fortunately, so far there’s no indication so far that Lopez Obrador shares Reynolds’s taste for the rhetorical gutter. But American invasions of Mexico really aren’t a joking matter — at least they aren’t from the Mexican side — and Reynolds should know better.
Look for your blog post to be excerpted by the ever vigilant Glenn Reynolds–at least the part about "the famous american web site Instapundit…"
aimai
I assume you meant to write "The famous North American website Instapundit has proposed the invasion and annexation of Mexico." or The famous Yanqui website Instapundit has proposed the invasion and annexation of Mexico." or "The famous statunitense Instapundit has proposed the invasion and annexation of Mexico."
Very un pc to use "American" to mean "in the USA."
Now as to paranoia, how about Tancredo was trying to get Lopez Obrador elected and, therefore, convinced his colleagues in the House to pass the bill that could bring Pancho Villa back to life thus making it conceivably possible that Tancredo will become Senator Tancredo or … I shudder to think.
Now that's a tinfoil hat I'd like to try on for size.
Uh, we already invaded and annexed 1/2 of Mexico.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_American_War
That's not what Reynolds is saying though. The text quoted is saying that ANSWER may hope the protests will cause a blacklash that could help elect Lopez Obrador. Which doesn't strike me as that impractical.