Really the Stem Cell bill had a 50-50 to help either side. It passed by such a small margin that it only barely helped the Democrats. I’m sure proponents wouldn’t call it a wedge, though. They’ll probably state that it was a viable and necessary bill. It was a wedge issue, though, no different then gay marriage amendments. I think that an affirmative action bill will help the Democrats more than Republicans. Assuming that Obama gets the nod, a bill like that will only solidfy their turnout as well as other younger liberals that would cling to affirmative action as a good thing. It won’t rouse much support from whites or conservatives as much as it will get negative reation from the opposition. To me, this wedge issue just solidifies Obamas status in key states. And people thought the Dems can’t play the game like Karl Rove.

The minimum wage increase helped democrats more that than stem cell.

Of course it will be a wedge issue. So will the stem cell/anti-cloning initiative. The initiative that supposedly “protects our paychecks” (which makes it sound like an end to overseas outsourcing) falls in the same category.

When it comes to things like university admissions, it’s pretty hard to argue that Obama’s kids or any kids from a rich black family deserve preference over white kids who come from modest means. It is time to revise affirmative action. I have no problem with granting preferences based on income, opportunity, etc—but I think affirmative action based on race and sex should be a thing of the past.

Nixon’s folks should be very concerned about this issue. It really puts Nixon in a box in dealing with his core constituencies.

Let’s hope its not on the ballot. The petition gatherers have to go through St. Louis or Kansas City to meet all of their requirements, so they’ll have to dupe a significant # of people into thinking that the bill actually supports “civil rights” in order to get it certified. http://firedupmissouri.com/mcri_wolves_in_sheet_clothing

Adam is essentially conceding that it wins if it makes the ballot.

There is a lot of worry in conservative pro-MCRI circles that McCain being at the top of the ticket will depress conservative turnout and thus MCRI votes. However, I don’t so worry — MCRI won in Michigan in 2006, the same day Granholm and Stabenow, both lib Dems, won re-election for Gov and Sen. This means that there were lots of Michigan voters who voted for MCRI and for anti-MCRI Dems. (Most MI Republicans were anti-MCRI as well). The CRIs in the five states will win even with the votes of white Democrats.

I hope I can find someone to sign the petition. Ferrarro said Obama got where he was because he is black. Blacks say that is nonsense. Okay - well let’s put that to the test. Let’s use Obama and Oprah as examples of blacks that can make it in this racist country on their own. Time to put your money where your mouth is. Let’s level the playing field. Let’s reach out to the underprivileged with foundation money to pay their educational expenses based on need and ability and not just their race or color. A white person can’t help that they are white and they shouldn’t be discriminated against anymore than a black person. Diversity is clearly a positive thing as long as that diversity is based on ability and not just a color chart.

NOT A CENTRIST, have you and you “anti-affirmative action” buddies washed your white sheets lately? Perhaps you haven’t been following the recent decisions of the USSc where it held a voluntary desegregation program illegal because it didn’t pass 14th Amendment muster? Or the MI admissions policies which were narrowly upheld just before that and pretty much tossed out in the case previously mentioned.

Where does this problem exist in Missouri? It’s just like the Straw Man arguments Sen. Kitty Drunk (remember his insane outburst on TV?) keeps using to support voter ID laws to prevent non-existent voter fraud. This whole think is cut from the same cloth as any other Karl Rove KKK campaign tactic!