California voters are known for their poor taste in politicians, but also a few surprises when it comes to ballot propositions. On Tuesday, Californians overwhelmingly voted against a proposition that would have brought affirmative action back to the Golden State.
Race discrimination by government institutions was outlawed by state voters in 1996 with the passage of Proposition 209. But Proposition 16 on Tuesday's ballot sought to bring back race discrimination as a determining factor for public employment, public contracting, and public education. The proposition was supported by vice-presidential candidate and California Sen. Kamala Harris.
The Associated Press notes that California's Proposition 16 had big money and big-names behind it, including the usual celebrity endorsements that typically accompany leftist policies. Still, Californians rejected it soundly.
(Via the AP)
Supporters of Proposition 16 signaled before Election Day that the race would be tight, saying they didn’t have enough time to sway voters on the touchy topic of government granting preferences in public hiring, contracting and college admissions based on race, ethnicity or gender even during a national reckoning on race.
The measure was passing in Los Angeles and five San Francisco Bay Area counties that are liberal and losing everywhere else. With more than 11 million votes tallied, 56% opposed Proposition 16 as of Wednesday.
James Taylor, a political science professor at the University of San Francisco, said the proposition suffered from several factors: the coronavirus pandemic and racial justice protests that have left voters stressed and uncertain ... and younger voters who may not know much about the issue.
Then again, the vote is in keeping with a state that has welcomed cheap labor of all colors but then demanded they “go back” when no longer needed, Taylor said. California was founded as a free state but sanctioned ownership of Black people.
California gives illegal aliens sanctuary, education, health care, stimulus checks, housing, and other taxpayer-funded goodies, so what is the professor talking about? There's no winning with these people. Welcome the immigrants in, you're a racist. Don't welcome them in, you're also a racist.
As conservatives have long argued, the best way to stop discriminating on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race. Good to know a majority of California voters still agree.