Earth to Chris, Come in Chris

On the heels of the third immigration focused mailer I've received from Chocola in the last week (sorry Chris I voted this morning, and it wasn't for you) I found this article interesting.

Just 24 percent of voters name immigration as a key election issue, compared with 51 percent who cite Iraq and 37 percent who cite terrorism, according to the poll.

"It matters a great deal to a small minority of voters, but it is not a top-tier issue for a majority of voters," said Pew's associate director, Carroll Doherty.

With the scandal surrounding former Rep. Mark Foley dominating the national political discussion, it remains to be seen what impact immigration - or, for that matter, any other issue - will have on voters.

Even among Republicans only 32% identified it as a top issue. Those aren't good odds for a Congressman trying to avoid talking about Iraq and Mark Foley. And once people start learning the details of the vote authorizing the 700 mile long security fence (like the fact that the money can be transfered to pay for other homeland security projects) I'm not sure if it really is going to be a point of strength.