Democrats and Republicans on Affirmative Action

What do the Democratic Party and the Republican Party have to say about affirmative action? Well, in general, majority of the Democrats support affirmative action, while Republicans tend to oppose it. The Democratic Party is in favor of reaching racial diversity and promoting equal opportunities for women and minorities. The Republican Party, on the other hand, believes that everyone should work for their success and that affirmative action goes against meritocracy, progress based on ability and talent rather than on class privilege or wealth. However, they support economic-based affirmative action. Then again, there are always some shades of gray. One will find a Democrat following Republican ideals and vice versa.



On April 19, 2011, this is what Ron Paul had to say about affirmative action,

"Governments have notoriously written laws that segregated people whether by race, gender or sexual orientation. This practice was common from the time of slavery until the policy was replaced with affirmative action and forced association in private affairs, thus substituting one set of violations of individual rights with another. Voluntary associations are better. Quotas and affirmative action programs are based on certain groups qualifying for special privileges. Reversing the discrimination hasn't brought people together. Resentment remains in many areas but not where character and talent are the tests of one's ability. Even more appalling is the presumption that wherever blacks and whites and others associate freely, it is due solely to government laws that have forced the issue. The idea here is that if people are left to their own devices, they will always and everywhere choose homogeneity in their social associations. I can't imagine a stranger view of the human condition."

In 2009, Barack Obama supported affirmative action by saying, 

"I support affirmative action. When there is strong evidence of prolonged and systemic discrimination by organizations, affirmative action may be the only meaningful remedy available. Given the dearth of black and Latino Ph.D. candidates in mathematics and the sciences, for example, a scholarship program for minorities interested in getting advanced degrees in these fields won't keep white students out of such programs, but can broaden the pool of talent that we need to prosper in the new economy. We shouldn't ignore that race continues to matter: To suggest that our racial attitudes play no part in the socio-economic disparities that we often observe turns a blind eye to both our history and our experience - and relieves us of the responsibility to make things right."

Statistics show, according to Pew Research Center, Among self-described Democrats and independents who "lean" Democratic, majorities of African Americans (60%) and Hispanics (57%) say every effort should be made to improve the position of minorities, even if it means giving them preferential treatment. By contrast, just 31% of white Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents favor blacks and other minorities getting preferential treatment, while 66% are opposed.

The opinions of white Democrats on this issue are closer to those of white Republicans than they are to those of non-white Democrats. Just 12% of white Republicans favor giving minorities preferential treatment to improve their condition.

Sally Kern's words on blacks and women created a great stir in Oklahoma. In less than 24 hours, she made a formal apology to the public. The Republican Party refused to reprimand Kern. Republican Paul Wesselhoft was harshly critical of the reprimand. He said that it " flies in the face of every Sunday school lesson I've ever had. Kern issued a sincere apology. My faith teaches me that I'm to forgive." 

On the other hand, the Democratic Party was not too willing to let Kern of the hook easily. The party took the opportunity to condemn the Republican Party by saying, "Rep. Sally Kern's comments on the House Floor this evening in regards to SJR 15 shows that discrimination is far from dead and affirmative action is still necessary in our great state."