There was a time, not that long ago, when it paid political dividends for both Republicans and Democrats to love a wall — or at least to advocate for the building of a “fence” on the nation’s southern border.

For instance, take a guess about the identity of this apparent U.S. hardliner, discoursing on the need to counter spiraling illegal immigration:

It makes sense that no great nation can be in a position where they can’t control their borders. It matters how you control your borders ... not just for immigration, but for drugs, terror, a whole range of other things.... I have been arguing for more protection at the borders.... You have to have a significant increase in security at the border, including limited elements where you actually have a fence. 

Pretty tough chauvinist, eh? Of course, being a politician, he did equivocate a bit — dealing with the fencing by hedging — saying he was not for “a fence that runs for 3,000 miles like some folks are talking about, but there are certain places — you can go over and under a fence, but you can’t take 100 kilos of cocaine over and under a fence. And, when you have limited places where fences are in populated areas, you force these drug dealers and others around, making it easier to apprehend.”

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