The second Presidential debate provided us with a lot to chew on. From binders full of women (there's already a fun meme for that one) to requests for transcripts, political pundits and comedians alike have enough material to last them for a long time. One thing that gave us pause was Mitt Romney's mention of his father's Mexican birth when answering a question about immigration. Here's what he said:
But first of all, this is a nation of immigrants. We welcome people coming to this country as immigrants. My dad was born in Mexico of American parents; Ann’s dad was born in Wales and is a first-generation American. We welcome legal immigrants into this country.
Though a nice sentiment, his insistence on linking his father's Mexican birth to the immigrant experience was jarring to many. George W. Romney may have been born in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico, but children born abroad to American citizens are granted citizenship at birth.
Romney's strange timing in mentioning his father's place of birth raised many questions for us: Can the experience of an American citizen born abroad be compared to that of an immigrant coming to the U.S? Is the Presidential candidate mention of this an attempt to connect with Latino voters?
Above, we've rounded up some of the reactions from our Twitter family to his comment and then a few from further out in the Twittersphere. Let us know what you think in the comments. Is Romney misunderstanding the definition of "immigrant" when he mentions his father's Mexican birth? Is mentioning it an attempt to pander to Latino voters? What do you think?
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