Affirmative action on ballot in some U.S. states

Keith Coffman - Analysis

DENVER (Reuters) - When voters in Colorado select a new U.S. president on November 4, they will also be asked whether to eliminate policies that give preference in government hiring to women and blacks.

It is just one of about 150 ballot initiatives in 35 states that will coincide with the White House race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

The Colorado initiative and a similar one in Nebraska are the latest skirmishes in America's ongoing debate over "affirmative action" -- policies aimed at redressing racism by giving minorities preference in hiring, college admissions and other areas such as government contracts.

They are policies that are slowly being rolled back and that no longer follow the partisan script of liberal Democrats supporting them and conservative Republicans opposed.

That fact is underscored in Colorado by polls that show that Obama, who would be the first black president, will likely take the state -- a closely contested battleground -- but the measure, known as Amendment 46, will likely pass.

Neither presidential candidate has made the issue a centerpiece of his campaign, another indication the issue is losing its partisan edge, unlike abortion or gay marriage, which energizes both parties' core voters.

The Colorado initiative is led by the Colorado Civil Rights Initiative, an offshoot of the American Civil Rights Institute. The latter has led successful efforts in recent years to pass similar measures in California, Washington and Michigan -- all liberal-leaning states, which highlights Democratic divisions on the issue.

"I think affirmative action generally has lost its appeal and the Democratic Party has always been divided on the issue between its working-class union base and its upscale professional side," said Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Polls in recent years show that many Americans support the rationale for such programs but still see them as unfair.

DECEPTIVE WORDING?

Critics of the measures say they are worded deceptively and helps to explain their success even in liberal states.

"They are deceptively written because they talk about eliminating discrimination," said Kristina Wilfore, the executive director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.

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

Floyd Ciruli, a Denver-based independent pollster and analyst, said the measure appealed to an American sense of fairness and desire for a "color-blind" society -- and Obama's own campaign has tried to move beyond issues of race.

"Obama will win the state and Amendment 46 will pass. ... It's a reflection of the national disposition. It passes everywhere. California is even more liberal than Colorado and it passed there," he said.

Opponents of the measure in Colorado include the state's Democratic governor, Bill Ritter, and a coalition of chambers of commerce, including the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Asian Chamber of Commerce and the Black Chamber of Commerce.

The chambers of commerce in Colorado have said a diverse workforce is needed in a global economy, although, if passed, the amendment would not apply to the private sector directly.

Supporters of affirmative action also point to persistent income and other disparities that still exist between black and white Americans and other minorities as well as gender inequalities.

Colorado for example is about 4 percent black and 20 percent Hispanic, according to U.S. census data, which also shows that only 1.5 percent of firms in the state are black-owned and only about 5 percent Hispanic-owned.

But Shawn Coleman, 30, an African-American Democratic precinct captain and Obama supporter who also strongly supports Amendment 46, says racial preferences do not take into account economic circumstances.

"I do believe if you are willing to work hard and get by on merit, then you can succeed here in Colorado," he said.

"Preference programs are putting a band-aid on it. Regardless of your race or gender, if you come from a low-income background that is going to be your biggest challenge in regards to education and employment," he told Reuters by phone.

Obama has said he supports affirmative action "as a means of overcoming both historic and potentially current discrimination," but has also said minorities from affluent backgrounds like his own children might not be in need of special treatment.

McCain has said he opposes "quotas."

"This is not a partisan issue ... we have liberals, we have conservatives," said Jessica Peck Corry, the executive director of the Colorado Civil Rights Initiative.

(Writing and additional reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Eric Beech)