Gutierrez: immigration reform, or we stay home

Rep. Luis Gutierrez is right:

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) member has strongly criticized the administration’s policy on deportation and questioned its commitment to far-reaching reform.

Some Democrats have felt little urgency in pursuing the controversial issue, partly because they see no risk that Hispanic voters will bolt the party for the GOP. But Gutierrez says they are missing the real political consequence of inaction.

“We can stay home,” Gutierrez said in an interview with The Hill. “We can say, ‘You know what? There is a third option: We can refuse to participate.’ ”

Democrats are suffering from an intensity gap, and it can ill afford to have one of its key constituencies stay home because the party welched on a key campaign promise.

In our last weekly State of the Nation poll, we found that Democrats still faced a disturbing intensity gap:

In the 2010 Congressional elections will you definitely vote, vote, not likely vote, or definitely will not vote?

     Def      Vote   Not Lik   Def Not  Not Sure

REP   31       38       12        3       16
DEM   27       34       23        4       12

Among Latinos:

     Def      Vote   Not Lik   Def Not  Not Sure

      20       27       23        7       23

If Democrats fail to make a push for immigration reform, not only will those "not sure" slot in under the non-voters, but we'll lose a chunk of the 47 percent of still say they will vote. And in a close election, where getting Democrats to the polls will mean the difference between massive losses and holding our ground, we can't afford to lose any of our base.