McCain backs ban on affirmative action in Arizona

[Psycho4Bud]

Presidential candidate John McCain on Sunday endorsed a proposal to ban affirmative action programs in his home state, a policy that Democratic rival Barack Obama called a disappointing embrace of divisive tactics.

In the past, McCain has criticized such ballot initiatives.

In an interview that aired Sunday, McCain was asked whether he supported an effort to get a referendum on the ballot in Arizona that would do away with race and gender-based preferences, known as affirmative action.

"Yes, I do," said McCain in an interview on ABC's "This Week." The Republican senator quickly added that he had not seen the details of the proposal. "But I've always opposed quotas."

His reversal comes as McCain seeks to tailor his policies and rhetoric to independent-minded voters who will determine the outcome of November election. Both McCain and Obama have accused each other â?? with good reason â?? of "flip-flopping," a charge that carries weight with voters seeking consistency and authenticity in their political leaders.

Speaking to a conference of minority journalists on Sunday, Obama said he was "disappointed" by McCain's position.

"I think in the past he had been opposed to these kinds of Ward Connerly referenda or initiatives as divisive. And I think he's right," Obama said, referring to a leading critic of affirmative action.

Obama also said he has little interest in an official government apology for slavery or reparations for descendants of slaves. The government's focus, he said, should be on providing jobs, education and health for people still struggling today.

The proposed referendum in Arizona involves a constitutional amendment to bar preferential treatment by public entities on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Supporters say the measure levels the playing field, giving everyone an equal chance at every job.
McCain backs ban on affirmative action in Arizona - Yahoo! News

"giving everyone an equal chance at every job"....except for "white male non-vet". Affirmative action laws had their place in the past....not anymore.

Have a good one!:s4:

Psycho4Bud Reviewed by Psycho4Bud on 07-30-2008. McCain backs ban on affirmative action in Arizona Presidential candidate John McCain on Sunday endorsed a proposal to ban affirmative action programs in his home state, a policy that Democratic rival Barack Obama called a disappointing embrace of divisive tactics. In the past, McCain has criticized such ballot initiatives. In an interview that aired Sunday, McCain was asked whether he supported an effort to get a referendum on the ballot in Arizona that would do away with race and gender-based preferences, known as affirmative action. Rating: 5

[rebgirl420]

I agree. Affirmative action did have its place in the past but for the last few years its become a joke.

So now instead of giving an equal chance to everyone, it now discriminates against white people. Colleges and jobs now have to give up seats for minorities who might not have the credentials so the government can come in and say everythings "fair and equal". Otherwise these schools and businesses lose funding.

I feel that minorities bitch and moan that things aren't "fair" and that white people are constantly pointing out their race. But then later use their race as an advantage.

Either your in or your out. Pick a side people.

(And I must point out that if a minority is indeed more superior for a job (which many are) they obviously should get it over someone who doesn't, whether they be white, black, brown, whatever.)

[ldg420]

affirmative action=reverse racism.............:stoned:

[thcbongman]

I disagree with this. Affirmative action still has it's place. Infact if anything, it should be expanded beyond race. I don't believe companies should be forced to participate in affirmative action but get tax breaks if they do.

Many jobs out there don't hire "the best person out there." They hire the best looking, their best friend, a certain personality they like. Do a salary comparison between fit people and fat people and you'll notice such a skew in salary. Fat women earn 17% less than their fit peers.

"Economists Susan Averett and Sanders Korenman studied the effects of obesity on wages, using a sample consisting of individuals aged 16-24 in 1981 who were 23-31 in 1988. They showed that women who were obese according to their Body Mass Index (BMI) in both 1981 and 1988 earned 17 percent lower wages on average than women within their recommended BMI range. However, women who became obese between those two survey years earned only slightly less than women of recommended BMI. When comparing by race, the authors found a wage penalty for obesity among white women but no significant penalty for black women. Among white men, they found a much lower wage penalty for obesity than for their white female counterparts. A small positive relationship was actually found between obese black men and wages."

The Regional Economist

Goes to show, affirmative action should be expanded.

[JaggedEdge]

I agree. Affirmative action did have its place in the past but for the last few years its become a joke.

So now instead of giving an equal chance to everyone, it now discriminates against white people. Colleges and jobs now have to give up seats for minorities who might not have the credentials so the government can come in and say everythings "fair and equal". Otherwise these schools and businesses lose funding.

It's even worse when schools lower their standards in order to accept people based on race. My girlfriend is planning on attending law school so we were looking around lsac.org at perspective schools. Southern Law, which is a predominantly black school actually accepted a black student with a 1.99 GPA and a 140 LSAT score (really low). Yet there are white students being rejected with 155 LSAT scores and 2.5 GPA's.

They also accept their own 4 year students before excepting outside students. No other law school I know of does that, but it is their "legal" way of giving the black students priority over other races.

It is complete B.S. People should be accepted into schools and jobs based on their qualifications and scores, not their race or gender.

In the case of schools, most of them accept a person with out an interview, if they just didn't ask for applicants to provide their race, no one could argue they were rejected because of their skin color.

[SnSstealth]

Affirmative action should be done away with...Just like a few others, rebgirl, ldg have said, its turned into reverse racism...I literally had an ass. manager at the hard rock I cooked at tell me they had to let me go, because they couldn't fire the black dude, and they had to let one of us go...(shit was getting slow) And they didn't wanna lawsuit...which also goes to show the irony of "affirmative action". They were not the LEAST bit worried about a lawsuit from me!!...why? because supposedly, they didnt fire me based on race...Which is exactly what they did...
ANYHOO...sorry for ranting...

Granted that was 4 years ago...but I dont see shit being much different now...
stupid people are stupid people....great workers are great workers...Qualifications should be the basis. But to be honest, it will NEVER be like that....This isn't Camelot...This country will ALWAYS be a racist country...just my :twocents: though...
:joint1:
whiskeytango

[8182KSKUSH]

I disagree with this. Affirmative action still has it's place. Infact if anything, it should be expanded beyond race. I don't believe companies should be forced to participate in affirmative action but get tax breaks if they do.

Many jobs out there don't hire "the best person out there." They hire the best looking, their best friend, a certain personality they like. Do a salary comparison between fit people and fat people and you'll notice such a skew in salary. Fat women earn 17% less than their fit peers.

"Economists Susan Averett and Sanders Korenman studied the effects of obesity on wages, using a sample consisting of individuals aged 16-24 in 1981 who were 23-31 in 1988. They showed that women who were obese according to their Body Mass Index (BMI) in both 1981 and 1988 earned 17 percent lower wages on average than women within their recommended BMI range. However, women who became obese between those two survey years earned only slightly less than women of recommended BMI. When comparing by race, the authors found a wage penalty for obesity among white women but no significant penalty for black women. Among white men, they found a much lower wage penalty for obesity than for their white female counterparts. A small positive relationship was actually found between obese black men and wages."

The Regional Economist

Goes to show, affirmative action should be expanded.

First, I totally agree with you it should not be law.
People should be free to discriminate if they choose to.

Second,
I bet all those "fatties" had "really nice personalities!"

[delusionsofNORMALity]

Goes to show, affirmative action should be expanded.

the concept of affirmative action was flawed to begin with. the intent may seem laudable, but the results have been nothing short of laughable. in an attempt to change the longstanding views of the old boys' club, it has merely strengthened the resolve of those ignorant enough to believe that "the darkies should be kept in their place" and "a woman's place is in the kitchen and the bedroom" and perpetuated the stereotype of the whining minority. the heavy hand of government is far too clumsy to succeed at such social engineering and its duty is to enforce existing rights, not to repair the people's flawed morality.

it is the people's place to adjust their own morality and delegating that responsibility to a collection of petty bureaucrats is merely another way in which we run away from our own duties. attempting to legislate morality has always led to the sort of excess shown in the above quote. there will always be those who feel they are being unfairly discriminated against and there will always be those who are willing to take up their cause.

[SnSstealth]

sooo....mccain supports the right for a state to make its own laws in direct opposition to federal law?...interesting:wtf:

be nice if he could expand that theory towards other old, pointless, expensive to enforce laws.:thumbsup:

db:smokin:

[thcbongman]

the concept of affirmative action was flawed to begin with. the intent may seem laudable, but the results have been nothing short of laughable. in an attempt to change the longstanding views of the old boys' club, it has merely strengthened the resolve of those ignorant enough to believe that "the darkies should be kept in their place" and "a woman's place is in the kitchen and the bedroom" and perpetuated the stereotype of the whining minority. the heavy hand of government is far too clumsy to succeed at such social engineering and its duty is to enforce existing rights, not to repair the people's flawed morality.

it is the people's place to adjust their own morality and delegating that responsibility to a collection of petty bureaucrats is merely another way in which we run away from our own duties. attempting to legislate morality has always led to the sort of excess shown in the above quote. there will always be those who feel they are being unfairly discriminated against and there will always be those who are willing to take up their cause.

If there wasn't demand for government, the government would have never gotten bigger and more powerful. If everyone could manage their own morality, their own behavior in ways which is respectful to all, there would be no purpose for government. People kill, people steal, people are animals. Complex and intelligent but still animals. We fight for territory, we fight for those most similar to us. What makes you think people can handle themselves in an uncontrolled environment?

I don't see how the results are laughable. The results have been pretty damn good. We don't have a joke of Affirmative Action like various countries in Europe, in which the quotas are fair. We have a large minority population that are more educated and have access to good jobs, which helps lessen the effects of racism. Racism is a natural human behavior which needs to be regulated because has been shown time and time again that most individuals can't govern themselves without affecting the lives of others.

Look at the concept "reverse-racism." Why is it even addressed in such a way? Wouldn't it just be racism? You fire someone because they exceeded a quota based on race? The majority want to be seperated from the struggles of minories. They'll always be racism in one form or another.

Without affirmative action, there would be no equal opportunity.