This morning, I conveyed the unfortunate news that Arizona won’t have an anti-racial-preferences initiative on the ballot in November, due to a lack of signatures. Ward Connerly emails:
With “friendly” commentaries such as this, John, the ACLU and NAACP have no need to oppose us. Brevity without explanations disserves the cause. Arizona is very close and we are sending five people there on Sunday to see if enough signatures can be “rehabilitated” to still qualify. Missouri didn’t “drop out.” We decided not to turn in signatures and to wait until after this November to resume the campaign. Your column really casts a very negative pall over our entire effort.
Let’s set aside the semantic issue here–this bit about Missouri strikes me as a distinction without a difference. With respect to Arizona, I wish Ward every success and hope to be blogging about an amazing comeback effort there. Right now, however, I remain skeptical.
Meanwhile, here’s the good news, as of this afternoon: The Nebraska initiative will go forward. (Quick, someone get Ben Nelson on the record!) So Connerly will have at least two initiatives to push this fall.