Who should Americans fear more — immigrants, or those trying to keep them out?

SAN DIEGO >> On immigration, President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump have more in common than their supporters will acknowledge.

To begin with, while running for president, they both made promises that they wound up breaking. Biden did not repeal all of Trump's immigration policies or adhere to his pledge not to build “another foot” of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump did not build a “big, beautiful wall” on the border and then send Mexico the bill.

Now both Biden and Trump have decided to put immigration front and center. Each is feverishly tossing supporters slabs of red meat in the hope of convincing voters that he alone can crack down on immigrants and refugees.

That makes sense. When you're reapplying for a job that would make you the most powerful person in the world, what better way to prove your worthiness than to step on the powerless? Such big and impressive men.

Maybe it's an age thing. Biden, 81, and Trump, 77, haven't just been around the block. They've walked all over town. Pundits take aim at Biden's memory or Trump's verbal gaffes. But maybe what should really concern us voters is whether each of these candidates is capable of approaching a divisive issue like immigration with fresh new thinking.

Doesn't look like it. Biden and Trump have gone back in time and started up a retro dance that was popular 30 years ago.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton was worried that Republicans in California — who were championing a ballot initiative, known as Proposition 187, that punished undocumented immigrants — were going to portray him and other Democrats as soft on illegal immigration. So Clinton beat the GOP to the punch by militarizing the border south of San Diego with Operation Gatekeeper. Structures were built, lights were installed, and more Border Patrol agents were deployed.

Thousands of migrants who had been headed to California changed course and instead attempted to cross through the Arizona desert. In the summer heat, many of the migrants died. Rather than be seen as weak on the border, Democrats opted for cruelty.

I was living in Los Angeles at the time, co-hosting a nightly radio show where immigration was a frequent topic of conversation — and heated argument. This much I remember: Ultimately, Clinton's strategy didn't work. California voters approved Proposition 187 by a wide margin, only to see the measure struck down as unconstitutional by a federal judge.

When it all shook out, here in California, Republicans had a reputation for being hard cases on illegal immigration and Democrats got tagged as being soft.

Just to set the record straight, the idea that Republicans are hard on immigration is just goofy. You want soft? There is no one softer on illegal immigrants than pro-business Republican lawmakers who take campaign contributions from companies that employ the undocumented and then — even as they are breathing fire at the immigrants — give employers a pass.

The 2024 Election is all about choosing the lesser of two evils, and how difficult that can be when we can't agree on what is the greater evil. The matchup even comes with its own slogan: “Pick me. The other guy is worse.”

Inspiring stuff, isn't it?

At this point, Biden supporters have a lot invested in despising Trump, whom they accuse of threatening democracy. Trump supporters feel the same way about Biden, who they insist has destroyed the country.

Meanwhile, polls show that as much as 70 percent of Americans don't want to have to suffer through a rematch between these two candidates.