Politically liberal California rejects affirmative action
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)SAN FRANCISCO – The campaign to reinstate affirmative action in overwhelmingly Democratic California had money, momentum and big-name backers, including Black celebrities Issa Rae and Ava DuVernay, but voters in the most populated state rejected the measure. The measure was passing in Los Angeles and five San Francisco Bay Area counties that are liberal and losing everywhere else. California was founded as a free state but sanctioned ownership of Black people. Lawmakers figured the time was right with an electorate that is less Republican and more diverse than in 1996, when California voters banned affirmative action through a ballot measure pushed by then-Gov. Supporters raised $31 million and included chambers of commerce, tech companies, sports teams and Democratic leaders who said affirmative action programs are critical to undoing generations of systemic racism and sexism.
Californians to vote on racial, gender preference programs
Jesse Jackson asks a crowd for donations to the advertising fund to stop Proposition 209 during a rally in the Westwood section of Los Angeles. The U.S. Supreme Court has long outlawed racial quotas, but it has ruled that universities may use tailored programs to promote diversity. Opponents include Ward Connerly, an African American businessman and former University of California regent who pushed for the 1996 ban. They say government should never discriminate by race or gender, and the only way to stop discrimination is to end it. The numbers of Latino and Asian American residents — and voters — have grown, although likely voters are still disproportionately white.
Climate change largely missing from campaign as fires rage
And for Biden, the spreading fires are a reminder to the party's progressive base that he doesn't embrace some of the most liberal elements of the Green New Deal, the grand plan for tackling climate change. “The Biden campaign understands that a full embrace of an aggressive climate change agenda could create problems for them in Upper Midwest,” said Dan Schnur, who served as an adviser to former California Gov. For young people across the board, but especially young Latinos, we also care very deeply about climate change, not just like immigration,” said Christian Arana, policy director for the California-based Latino Community Foundation. Fire scientists say climate change, not forest management, is a driving factor behind the state’s fires becoming worse and more deadly. Trump visited California in November 2018 after Paradise was ravaged by the most deadly wildfire in state history.
Climate change largely missing from campaign as fires rage
And for Biden, the spreading fires are a reminder to the party's progressive base that he doesn't embrace some of the most liberal elements of the Green New Deal, the grand plan for tackling climate change. “The Biden campaign understands that a full embrace of an aggressive climate change agenda could create problems for them in Upper Midwest,” said Dan Schnur, who served as an adviser to former California Gov. For young people across the board, but especially young Latinos, we also care very deeply about climate change, not just like immigration,” said Christian Arana, policy director for the California-based Latino Community Foundation. Fire scientists say climate change, not forest management, is a driving factor behind the state’s fires becoming worse and more deadly. Trump visited California in November 2018 after Paradise was ravaged by the most deadly wildfire in state history.
Trump zeroes in on base to overcome reelection obstacles
With his rhetorical turn, Trump is feeding red meat issues to a base that helped spur his upset victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016. The reality is this is a different election than 2016 was, said Symone Sanders, a senior adviser to the Biden campaign. In 2016, a lot of voters went to the polls asking what kind of president Trump would be. Indeed, while many national and battleground polls show Trump trailing Biden, surveys have suggested that some of the former vice presidents support is lukewarm. 3 is a big day, Trump told attendees at a Students for Trump event in Phoenix.