Ward Connerly brings his righteous campaign to end racial preferences to Arizona

At first blush, and to the uninitiated, the Republic’s article titled, Pushing against affirmative action, appears to be a favorable overview, beginning with: A Conservative, Black Republican makes his case, racks up wins. On closer inspection, it becomes clear the words Black and Conservative are incompatible within the framework of the newspaper.

Viewpoints editor Joe Garcia conducts a vintage Q & A with Connerly after first defining him: “Connerly has made a name for himself — and some would say a lucrative career in the process –as a Black man at the forefront of the battle to end racial and gender preference in the workplace and on campus.”

 By the article’s third sentence, Garcia was able to make use of the descriptive words “battle” and “war.”

Ward Connerly heads up the Arizona Civil Rights Initiative, with Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, serving as the state’s honorary chairman and Max McPhail the executive director of the effort. It’s an interesting mix of supporters for the initiative. Connerly is Black, Thomas‘s wife is Hispanic, and McPhail is Asian, adopted by White American parents.

Syndicated columnist, Michelle Malkin, of Filipino heritage, has written glowingly of Connerly’s efforts against racial preferences.

The Initiative has racked up successes in California, Michigan Washington state and was signed into law in Florida. Colorado and Nebraska have pending measures.

The wording of the ballot measure is simple:

“The state shall not discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting. “

One would think it would be difficult to take exception to that sentence. But Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D – Dist.15) a former Green party candidate, who advocates on behalf of illegal aliens, and was the recipient of the Stonewall Democrats Legislator of the Year award, calls these words “unfair and deceptive tactics,” claiming that passage would end “equal opportunity.” Her dissenting opinion, Initiative bad for Arizona, is juxtaposed alongside Connerly’s interview.