Research Paper on Political Talk Show (Laura Ingraham)

Introduction

Laura Ingraham is a renowned political critic and commentator who uses media to present her opinions regarding different political matters affecting the American people. Ingraham has been known to provide deep insight on various political issues such as immigration, the trade war and also divergent views on the different opinions from both the Democrats and the Republicans such as the recently heated issue on the border wall in the South with Mexico. Ingraham political rhetoric has attracted both criticism and praise especially when they appear to be divisive and more supportive on one side of the political divide. However, it is important to note the vital role played by political talk shows in creating political awareness amongst Americans and creating a public debate on different matters affecting the United States of America. Thanks to the freedom of speech and media liberty to engage the public and the leaders on different political debates Ingraham has been able to make a name for herself in terms of assessing political decisions and discussions that are important to the nation. This paper will establish three political talking points that are self-evident Ingraham political shows and evaluate them politically from a research point of view to validate them or disagree based on dominant research findings as well as offer a personal position regarding the political talking points.

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Immigration

In a talk show dating back on February 13th, 2018, Ingraham establishes a conservative position on the status of immigration politics in the United States (Fox News). In the video, Ingraham is extremely offensive towards the Democrats stand on immigration based on Senator Dick Durbin argument that the immigrants take only jobs that Americans are not ready to do which is good for the economy. In this case, Senator Durbin and the Democrats seek to validate the presence of immigrants in the United States and oppose president Trump, and the republicans aggressive stance towards immigrants from South America and Africa mostly whom lack formal education and take up manual jobs in the American construction and infrastructural industries.

I agree and at the same time disagree with Ingraham on a conservative position that the argument by Durbin and the Democrats are insincere and do not represent the interests of the Americans who have put them in office to represent their needs (Fox News). Immigration has been a significant problem in America and Ingraham talk show shows how important it is for the government to take measures to reduce the influx of immigrants in the United States of America who are taking up jobs that can be done by many unemployed Americans. According to research by Constant (2014, p.2), although the immigrants have beneficial impacts on the overall economy and can be able to expand the economy the negative consequences such as the displacement of the native workers cannot be ignored. The competition for the limited openings and employment opportunities with the immigrants is undesired because the Native Americans should be given priority for the jobs which are beneficial to the economy and the society (Fox News). One economic advantage of giving jobs to the native people is that the salaries remain circulating in the economy as opposed to wages paid to immigrants which are remitted back to their home countries.

My disagreement with Ingraham conservative views on the issue of immigration is that she is completely opposed in a more extremist manner on the presence of the immigrants, and her argument is not just about American jobs but also in her tone there is extreme dislike of immigrants by depicting them as barbaric and trouble makers like in the case of Romero an illegal immigrant who causes an accident involving an ambulance which results in the death of an American boy. In such a case, Ingraham is one-sided and uses extremist remarks with no remorse towards Romero without acknowledging hundreds of accidents that occur involving Americans on the roads. Besides, in a globalized world where economies are highly integrated it is not possible to bar immigrants from American jobs because Americans are working in other countries and in such a case immigrants labor is critical towards the American economy especially in terms of infrastructure and construction manual labor employment.

Trade War

In a talk show dated August 27th, 2018 Ingraham presents her contentment with Trump administration trade war and the resulting trade deal with Mexico which has improved the overall United States benefits from the two countries trade (Fox News). Ingraham highlights the major winning on the Mexico and the US trade deal with the increase in the percentage of auto parts being produced in the country which has risen from 62% to 75% a significant increase which will increase the number of local jobs for the Americans. Besides, Ingraham highlights the increase in minimum wage for the 40% to 45% of the auto parts made in American which will be set at $16 per hour which is a significant gain by America (Fox News).

I agree with Ingraham that the Trump administration has played a significant role towards improving the overall American trade returns with Mexico and Canada by repealing the NAFTA trade deal which is considered a benefit to the American workers and the economy (Nolen). As a result, the finalized trade deal with Mexico has proposed more benefits and returns for the Americans and the economy because it will help retain jobs by ensuring that 75% of auto parts are produced in North American and an increase in the minimum wage of the American auto parts workers to $16 per hour. The trade war initiated by Trump administration seems to be making significant gains especially in the finalized deal with Mexico as the country looks forward to trading with China which is a significant exporter of goods to the US and also a significant external source of market for the American goods (Fox News). Therefore, the decision to engage drivers at the personal level is welcome which seeks to improve trading conditions and conduct of some trade partners.

The Border Wall Politics

Ingraham in a talk show dated September 11, 2018, seeks to identify the politics on building the wall which is a major contentious issue and focus by the Trump administration. Ingraham shows the Americans enthusiasm to donate towards building the wall with the focus on justifying the building the wall being based on the US spending on defending the American porous southern border (Fox News). Ingraham supports the construction of the wall based on previous government engagement in other countries issues which costs the nation more than the amount needed to build the wall in the south. Ingraham adds that the porous border remains one of the critical terrorist threats to Americans as well as illegal immigrants who are becoming a security issue (Fox News). Therefore, controlling security at the southern border should be the top priority to the American government. Ingraham is surprised that the Congress is not willing to fund the wall with most of the politicians seeking to do it after the midterm elections due to the fear of changing the Republican vote's base which can alienate many Americans who are against building the wall.

I agree with Ingraham that building the wall should be a top priority for the American government to eliminate the current problems caused by the porous border which has been a gateway to criminals and drug traffickers who are a threat to the American security. However, the existing Secure Fence Act is clear on the approaches of securing the southern border because it highlights the methods of surveillance which excludes the presence of a physical structure (Maguire 7). According to the Act, surveillance of the border should be based on unmanned aerial vehicles, radar coverage, cameras and the ground-based sensors which can improve the border patrol efficiency in manning the wall without the need of a physical wall (Maguire 3). Despite the existence of this law, immigrants and criminals have been taking advantages of technology loopholes to beat border patrol security measures to smuggle drugs and people across the border which makes it an active threat to the safety of Americans. Every government has a responsibility of putting the safety and interests of its citizens before any foreign engagements such as the war in Afghanistan and Syria which costs the American taxpayers more than the cost of erecting a physical wall on the southern border which will be more effective in eliminating potential safety threats across the border.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ingraham most positions in the political shows take a conservative point of view which puts the American interests before other interests. However, I agree with Ingraham's argument in support of more tough immigration measures and the building of the wall which will benefit millions of Americans by protecting native jobs and improving security along the southern border. The new trade deal between Mexico and US is a significant win economically for the nation because it seeks to strengthen the auto manufacturing workers standard of living and the economy by protecting local jobs through an increased production percentage of Mexican auto parts in the United States.

Works Cited

Constant, Amelie F. "Do migrants take the jobs of native workers?." IZA world of labor (2014).

Fox News. "Ingraham: Illegal Immigration and the Jobs We Can't Do." YouTube, YouTube, 13 Feb. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCjGUPwgnGY.

Fox News. "Ingraham: Time to Build the Wall." YouTube, YouTube, 11 Sept. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=D22W3CiIZWo.

Fox News. "Ingraham: Trump's Trade Triumph." YouTube, YouTube, 27 Aug. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTqruiMFDyQ.

Maguire, Patrick. "Can Trump Build a Wall? The Administrative Obstacles to the Border Wall." Retrieved from http://www.columbiaenvironmentallaw.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2017/09/Maguire-Can-Trump-Build-a-Wall.pdf

Nolen, Stephanie. "Mexico May Have Lost Most with New NAFTA Deal, but Calls It a Win." The Globe and Mail, 1 Oct. 2018, www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-mexico-may-have-lost-most-with-new-nafta-deal-but-calls-it-a-win/.