Left in the Lurch

Disagreeing about agreeing to disagree about ...

TimFernholz — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:18:51 EST

Let the arguments be rejoined! Courtney Martin responds here to an earlier piece of mine lambasting an earlier piece of hers and, well, that’s the internet for you. But I couldn’t resist getting back in the mix with a rebuttal to Martin’s most recent arguments.

Ward Connerly has too much free time

TimFernholz — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:11:47 EST

Campus Progress alum Dana Goldstein has a new article up on the American Prospect’s website on a subject of interest to CPers: Anti-affirmative action activist Ward Connerly is launching five more state ballot initiatives against race conscious admissions in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma during the 2008 elections, and Dana did the reporting to break down the potential results.

Connerly’s latest tactic is emphasizing his support for socio-economic affirmative action—focusing on the poor instead of marginalized racial groups—because he and other critics think affirmative action does too much to help advantaged minorities. But, as I argued in recent piece of my own, affirmative action isn’t just about giving the disadvantaged the opportunity for higher education (though that’s an important and even overlapping goal), it’s about social justice—fixing serious, continuing problems of access for ethnic groups who face discrimination. And it’s also a feminist issue, as Dana reports, and one that reaches beyond the college campus:

Linda Meric, co-chair of Colorado Unity, a labor, business, civil-rights, and religious coalition opposing the anti-affirmative action ballot initiative … stressed that white women are major beneficiaries of affirmative action. "Women still face a significant wage gap when compared to men, and we believe that Coloradans support pay equity and programs that help women and girls get into nontraditional fields such as science and engineering," she told the Prospect.

Although affirmative action is understood primarily as a policy used in college admissions, a ban against it would affect a variety of state programs, some of which wouldn't be called "affirmative action" at all. The University of Colorado at Boulder’s Simply the Best program offers after-school technology enrichment, field trips, and visits to college campuses for African American and Latina teen girls. Colorado gives special health-care training to minority and bilingual professionals, which ensures more patients have access to culturally competent care. And the Colorado Minority Business Office helps people of color understand how to apply for state contracts.

But the wording of the initiative is designed to prey on economic and other insecurities of white voters who might fear—erroneously—that affirmative action could hurt them and other whites, despite endorsements of affirmative action from religious groups, the U.S. military, businesses, and politicians on both sides of the aisle. The challenge, Dana writes, is “convincing white voters that these policies are more about helping women, people of color, and the poor than about hurting white men.”

Perhaps a larger challenge that Dana only touches on briefly in her piece is how the initiatives will affect voting patterns. In 2004, anti-gay marriage ballot initiatives brought conservative voters to the polls, hurting progressive candidates, especially in Ohio. Like gay marriage bans, anti-affirmative action ballot initiatives could serve as a get-out-the-vote mechanism for conservative voters; with it, we're likely to see success for other conservative candidates and policy proposals. But there is some hope: Dana thinks that white voters who might feel insecure enough to vote for Connerly's proposals might also support progressive economic policies and candidaes.

On the private sector

TimFernholz — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 11:16:11 EST

The best explanation for the failure of government contracts.

Foreign Policy as hyperventilation

TimFernholz — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 11:24:11 EST

What do we freak out about next?

Obama and Madrassas

TimFernholz — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:00:48 EST

Or, why reporting the news is important.

Walking away from Darfur...

TimFernholz — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 14:57:55 EST

While I hate to distract from important pro-choice activities--it's always strange walking around downtown D.C. and seeing people with weirdly placed pro-life stickers (seriously, behind your knee?)--there's been another bad development in the Darfur situation: The U.S. is doing nothing to contest Sudan from becoming the President of the African Union; that is, being put in charge of mainly AU peacekeeping force that tasked with stopping Sudan from committing genocide. And the U.S. Administration's response?

It is up to AU members to decide on a new chairman, deputy spokesman Tom Casey said...

...In defending the hands-off position of the U.S. in the upcoming election, Casey said, "The AU is an organization of sovereign states, just like the European Union, just like others. It's for them to make these decisions."

Sweet, disengagement. Right now, the situation in Sudan is so bad it's almost impossible to get any information from there, and neighboring Chad is becoming a center of violence as well. Without the token peace-keeping force, there would no information--or action--at all. Which is just how the Khartoum government, and apparently, our own, like it. If you disagree, you can write a morally worthwhile but probably futile letter to Condi Rice through the Genocide Intervention Network.

Unrelated sidenote: Now that I'm back in the States, I'm back to blogging--hi, everybody!

-- Tim

A Bad Post

TimFernholz — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 11:08:20 EDT

The Washington Post's latest Maccaca follow-up shows off some poor journalism.

Bigger than big oil?

TimFernholz — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 16:57:04 EDT

Kick the Oil Habit has a great new music video up.

College Students: The Real Terrorists

TimFernholz — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 12:38:11 EDT

Breaking: DHS uses time, resources wisely!

C-SPAN: Home of the Stars

TimFernholz — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 11:41:49 EDT

Mostly just to embarrass Elana ...

Obama v. ideologues

TimFernholz — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 13:23:57 EDT

After his blockbuster speech on faith and politics a week or so ago, we weren't sure what to expect when Senator Barack Obama graced our stage. As a keynoter, he is filling big shoes: last year's speaker was former President Bill Clinton (Though many are expecting him to fill Clinton's shoes as a political leader, as well).

What's in a name?

TimFernholz — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 10:29:16 EDT

On the fourth of July, the battling bullies of the far right renamed one of their main headquarters, the Center for the Study of Popular Culture. The new title? The David Horowitz Freedom Center.

The Raid Continues

TimFernholz — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 17:51:08 EDT

A (un)Happy 4th of July to College Students!

In Defense of TNR

TimFernholz — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:30:46 EDT

Careful with those jokes, they're antiques!

That darn MSM!

TimFernholz — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 10:26:24 EDT

Becoming what I hate...

Net Neutrality: It's on the loose!

TimFernholz — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 12:04:05 EDT

Don't you just love regulating corporations?

Behind the scenes at TBA2006

TimFernholz — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 17:26:09 EDT

An interview with Roger Hickey, the Co-Director of the Campaign for America's Future.

OBAMARAMA

TimFernholz — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 14:14:33 EDT

The man, the legend, the speech.

Always be Closing!

TimFernholz — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 13:12:33 EDT

Glengarry Glen Schakowsky?

Obamarama Preview

TimFernholz — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 10:30:37 EDT

Obama, progressivism and compromise.