Dole Backs California Prop. 209 Denounces Affirmative Action As Election Day Approaches

Bob Dole tied his fortunes in California Monday to a controversial ballot proposal to end race- and gender-based preferences in public hiring, contracting and education - a reversal of Dole’s support for affirmative action throughout his Senate career.

“It is wrong to use quotas, set-asides and other preferences that serve only to pit American against American,” Dole told a mostly white audience of 300 people handpicked by the city’s Republican Party at the San Diego Civic Center.

Dole said California’s Proposition 209 will require two votes on Nov. 5 - one for the measure itself, and one for a president who will not undermine it. Last year, Dole switched his long-standing position on affirmative action, coming out against it. In March, he endorsed the California initiative at Gov. Pete Wilson’s behest. Since that time, he has rarely, if ever, mentioned it again.

“I changed my position,” Dole acknowledged. “You have a right to do this - not every day like the White House does.”

Dole has also spent little time this year speaking to minority groups. One notable exception was an address to the National Association of Black Journalists after he snubbed the annual convention of the National Assocation for the Advancement of Colored People. At the speech to the journalists group, Dole brought along a black woman who once worked for him, calling her an important adviser. She has not been seen with Dole since.

But as Dole makes an all-out effort to win California and its 54 electoral votes, he has extended his three-day visit here by an extra day and he has begun speaking against affirmative action, as well as illegal immigrants - two hot-buttons in this state.

According to a recent Field poll, supporters of the ballot initiative favor Dole over Clinton 50-33 percent. Opponents of the measure prefer Clinton, 61-22 percent. Polls show that voters favor the initiative 47-32 percent.

Dole cautioned that the issue of affirmative action is sensitive. “It is important for all of us to be careful, because feelings on this issue run high,” he said. “It is easy for demagogues, of either side, to play on fear and resentment.”

And though Dole opposes quotas, he said people also must be against “scapegoating and stereotyping.” But he said government programs that help minorities have become irrelevant in light of the problems of poor schools, violent crime and disappearing families.

Part of Dole’s remarks Monday and the day before at a Vietnamese festival in San Jose were clearly aimed at Asian voters. “School applications have been denied for the single reason that there is an Asian name signed at the bottom,” Dole said, asking “where is the liberal outrage?”

Dole also took Clinton to task for his position of “mend it, don’t end it,” when it comes to affirmative action programs. “In reality, the president has defended even the most indefensible forms of racial preference,” Dole said.

Dole said discrimination based on race or gender was wrong, and people should “affirmatively act” to help those who are economically disadvantaged or victimized by prejudice. But he did not elaborate how he would do that as president.

He did say that laws governing discrimination in the workplace would be vigorously enforced, and “swift justice” would be provided. And he endorsed former President John F. Kennedy’s approach to expanding opportunity, by advertising widely to fill new government jobs. “This is the kind of affirmative action I will continue to support,” he said.

At its heart, Dole said, racial discrimination is wrong. “And it is finally wrong because we should try to see one another as God sees us, each sharing in his image,” he said.