Referring to immigrants who are in the United States illegally as "illegals" is "derogatory" and "coded" language, even if it is true, MSNBC's newest daytime host Alex Wagner complained in a panel discussion on her noon Eastern program Now with Alex Wagner.
The remark came in the middle of a discussion about former Gov. Mitt Romney's chances of defeating President Obama next year should Romney be the nominee. Liberal panelist Alicia Menendez had groused about Republican primary candidates' "crazy anti-immigrant comments," prompting Wagner to interrupt, "Illegals, I think the repetitive reference to illegals."
"But if we're talking about semiotics, and you're also looking to win the Hispanic population, you go out there, and, the term illegals, I think, is coded," Wagner insisted. "It's in a way derogatory, it may be factual, but I think he's going to have to pivot off of that kind of rhetoric and then say to Hispanic Americans I will represent you too."
In other words, yes, illegal immigration may be a real issue, but Wagner and the liberal media are going to do their darned best to conflate that concern with outright xenophobia in order to damage the Republicans' chances of taking the White House.
