You knew it was coming. The ever effective wedge issue. It worked in 2000 with abortion. It worked in 04' with gay marriage. So when personal slander doesn't work and the polls aren't budging, pull out the big gun and play the ole' reverse racism card.
Funny that this is the same Johnny B. Good who used to support affirmative action.
John McCain's comments on affirmative action led Obama to charge that he "flipped" his position.I've said it here repeatedly, and I'll say it again: affirmative action may not be fair, but it's necessary. Affirmative action is not the same as racial quotas, which aren't even legal. But of course, most people still associate AA with giving an unqualified Black the job that a white person supposedly earned.
Obama accused McCain on Sunday of flip-flopping on affirmative action after McCain said he supports a measure in Arizona that would dismantle race- and gender-based preference programs.
Obama pointed to McCain's past opposition to similar proposals, like one in Arizona in 1998 that McCain called "divisive."
But McCain didn't say at the time that he opposed the measure.
In an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC's "This Week," host George Stephanopoulos asked McCain if he supports a referendum on the ballot in Arizona "that would do away with affirmative action."
McCain said he backed the measure, which is described by supporters as something that will give "the people of Arizona the opportunity to end preferential treatment based on race, sex, ethnicity or national origin by state or local governments."
McCain said he had not seen the details of the proposal, "but I've always opposed quotas."
Obama on Sunday said equal opportunity can't be achieved by quotas alone, but must also factor in other variables.
The really, really funny thing is that not only are white women the biggest beneficiaries of affirmative action, but Johnny Mac is a well known recipient himself. Don't forget, this cat essentially got into the US Naval Academy on legacy points, which happen to be the oldest form of AA this side of pure unadulterated nepotism. You could argue that he screwed a more qualified candidate out of that slot. And you might be right, considering the fact that dude finished 894th out of his class of 899. That's right, 5th from last.
I wonder if the Conservative judges Johnny Mac hopes to elevate to the Supreme Court plan on getting rid of legacy points too. Unlikely.
None of this matters of course. All that matters is that your wedge issue is out there, giving skeptical whites one more very real reason to not pull the lever for Barry. Because who the hell wants to lose a job to an inadequate Black male in this economy?
They should just go ahead and remix the old Jesse Helms "hands" commercial, already.
Question: Do you think McCain's drive to eliminate affirmative action will be an effective wedge issue in the Fall?
Candidates oppose quotas, but offer no fix for affirmative action [CNN]
