CA: Prop 54: Text of Ward Connerly's Presentation at Conference

Proposition 54 Press Conference: Sacramento, CA ^ | 09-08-03 | Ward Connerly

[pogo101]

He seems to be saying, "Dangit, don't blame me when it fails."

[B Knotts]

So, you think it's good that Schwarzenegger is opposing this?

[pogo101]

No.

[Alia]

lol. um. No. He's not saying that...

[So Cal Rocket]

McClintock is the only major candidate on the correct side of this issue.

[ambrose]

I am disgusted that a Republican candidate for governor who wants to wear the crown of Ronald Reagan and considers himself a disciple of Milton Friedman would support government intrusion into private lives by categorizing human beings on the basis of skin color and other physical traits. No true disciple of Friedman supports this kind of activity.

[Russell Scott]

Won't be any racial problems in Christ's Kingdom. Everybody will be clothed with Christ's glory. When man fell he became naked, and at the tower of Babel we became divided by skin color and language. All will be gone, gone, gone when the curse is lifted from the human race. Soon, and very soon, this world and all its misery and suffering will be like a faint bad dream.

[ambrose]

I am disgusted that a Republican candidate for governor who wants to wear the crown of Ronald Reagan and considers himself a disciple of Milton Friedman would support government intrusion into private lives by categorizing human beings on the basis of skin color and other physical traits. No true disciple of Friedman supports this kind of activity.

[pabianice]

He's a good writer/speech maker. Nicely done. Too bad the point of no return has been reached in CA. It's all about what I can get for me.

Whomever the next governor is, he's dead meat and will be recorded by history as a collosal failure as CA goes into bankruptcy and all its different racial groups "explode with justifiable rage."

Let Bustamante have it!

[pogo101]

Well, if he's not saying that, it's something related to that. For this statement is hardly the sort of optimistic-sounding battle cry that is par for the political course even for measures, or candidates, trailing rather markedly in the polls. Last I checked, Prop 54 was running about 50/50. I think it is brilliant -- or at least I heartily agree that it is impossible to define "races" objectively, so we should bar the government from making decisions based upon it openly (Prop 209) and covertly, through race-box-checking (Prop 54).

[B Knotts]

I admit to being baffled by Schwarzenegger's opposition to Prop. 54. It just makes no sense.

[pogo101]

At the very least Arnold could announce his support for the principle that the government should not be asking us to "check a race box" on applications seeking governmental dispensation, such as a college application, license application, etc. ... and that (I am supposing) the only reason Arnold is voting "No" on this version of such a law is that he has some concerns about its exceptions for data collection. Or whatever his problem with it is.

[B Knotts]

I understand, but the drafters did create a specific procedure for addressing any reasonable exceptions that were left out.

I think he's afraid of the race-baiters, but they already oppose him.

[daviddennis]

Knotts, sadly, I believe you're right.

A very moving statement by Ward. He must feel terrible about his cause being hijacked by the recall.

But let's face it, Bustamante's behaviour is much worse than Arnold's.

Common Tator, has Bustamante really raised only $4 million for this race? I can't help but think that despite the polls, he's dead in the water with that little funding. Surely if more people believed in him and his prospects, he'd be awash in money by now?

D

[Clara Lou]

Ward Connerly is so impressive-- and so right. What a man!

[concentric circles]

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr.

[cyborg]

I agree with you

[rdf]

from John Miller at NRO

ARNOLD & PROP. 54 [John J. Miller]


Yesterday I named three things Arnold S. could to do to appeal to conservatives. I neglected to mention a fourth: Endorse Proposition 54, Ward Connerly's latest initiative, which would ban the state from collecting information about the race and ethnicity of its citizens. For a couple of weeks, AS has said he's studying Prop. 54 and would announce his decision before Election Day. Last night, however, Connerly emailed to say AS has come out against Prop. 54. The candidate also added this little flourish: "And if the right-wing crazies have a problem with that, so be it." It is becoming increasingly clear that there is no conservative case to be made for Schwartzenegger. The man has given us "right-wing crazies" almost nothing except the hope that he might win. Friends, this is the definition of a Pyrrhic victory.

A man who insults us like this doesn't deserve our votes.

Period.

Cheers,

Richard F.

[tophat9000]

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