Ward Connerly once envisioned sponsoring ballot referenda to end racial preferences in five states this November, just as he has done previously in California, Michigan, and Washington

National Review, June 2, 2008

Ward Connerly once envisioned sponsoring ballot referenda to end racial preferences in five states this November, just as he has done previously in California, Michigan, and Washington. Then he bumped into Oklahoma's tough qualifying laws and his goal dropped to four. In early May, it shrank to three when Missourians failed to collect enough signatures.

They were hobbled by Robin Carnahan, the Democratic secretary of state, who tried to rewrite the ballot language in ways hostile to supporters. A judge eventually ruled in Connerly's favor, but the delay proved costly because organizers were trying to beat a cutoff date. Blocking these initiatives from the ballot is probably the only way supporters of racial preferences can prevail: Voters tend to believe in equal opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities, but not in the enforcing of equal outcomes. The good news is that the Colorado Civil Rights Initiative is set to go up for a vote. Arizona and Nebraska, the other two states targeted for 2008, have qualifying deadlines in July. As for Oklahoma and Missouri, Connerly promises that he'll be back--we hope with three more victories under his belt.