Maybe There's Some Hope Civilization Isn't Halfway To The Crapper
Pat Nolan writes at the AmSpec:

California's voters overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 16, which would have allowed the State to openly discriminate in favor of the "aggrieved" groups liberals pander to -- which of course works to the detriment of people that are more qualified.

Here's the back story. In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 209 to amend the state constitution to prohibit racial and gender discrimination and preferences in California state and local government contracting, employment, and education. This outright ban on discrimination has rankled the liberals ever since it passed. It stifled their efforts to "affirmatively" discriminate against people outside their preferred groups of victims. The Democrats plotted to overturn the ban of race-based affirmative action ever since it passed.

They bided their time waiting for an election where everything lined up to ensure that the Democrats could dominate the electorate. Twenty-twenty seemed like the perfect year to ask the voters to once again allow discrimination that has been prohibited by Prop. 209.

A funny thing happened in the voting booths. Californians just don't like discrimination, no matter whom it is intended to help. The voters surprised the liberal elites and rejected Proposition 16 by a huge, 2.4 million vote margin, 57 to 43 percent.

The radical Left was stunned. They had been certain Prop. 16 was a sure winner. After all, it was backed not only by unions but by more than 100 influential organizations, including the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Business Roundtable, the UC Board of Regents, the League of Women Voters; the usual lineup of Democrats, including Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris; and all of the Bay Area's "woke" professional sports teams -- the Warriors, 49ers, Giants, Athletics, Sharks, Earthquakes, and Oakland Roots.

The campaign for Prop. 16 was lavishly funded by California's billionaire elite. Over $10 million was donated by a group of far-left northern California billionaires, including Quinn Delaney, wife of prominent Oakland landlord Wayne Jordan, Patricia Quillin, wife of Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and George Soros's Open Society Foundations.

...The anti-Prop. 16 troops were a diverse coalition led by Ward Connerly, a former UC Regent and long-time opponent of quotas. He was joined by a dynamic, largely Asian network of grassroots opponents of quotas.

The coalition also had a secret weapon in its strategist, Arnold Steinberg, a political consultant known for taking on "impossible" campaigns and winning them. Steinberg crafted the strategy and messaging for the opposition to Prop. 16.

Though largely unknown to the general public, Arnie is considered a rock star among political professionals. When conservative journalist Ken Grubbs read on Facebook that Arnie was the brains behind messaging and strategy for the successful campaign, he posted, "I should have known."

Ending racial and gender discrimination has long been one of Arnie's passions. In 1996, he teamed up with Connerly to enact Prop. 209, the original ban on quotas in California. People dismissed that effort as a sure loser just as they did Prop. 16. Despite being outspent, it passed by a convincing 55 to 45 percent.

I actually find this less heartening -- that there was a political superhero behind this.

And then again, Nolan broadens that from the person to the ideas:

Arnie Steinberg has proved that we can win the votes of Independents and Democrats by being innovative and creative.

Political messaging is not a science dictated by polls and focus groups. Yes, those numbers are important, but to win we must draw insights from them and couple those numbers with an understanding of what motivates voters to look beyond their regular voting habits. To accomplish that requires wisdom and brilliance, with a good dose of humility.

It is that combination of insight, wisdom, brilliance, and humility that Arnie applied to the task of developing a winning message that would defeat Prop. 16. He prevented the Left from painting the anti-quota campaign as right-wing, racist, angry white males. Instead, Steinberg and his team presented a nonpartisan, multi-racial coalition of Republicans, Independents, and Democrats. The main theme Arnie developed for the "No on 16" campaign was "Don't divide us." He gave the voters a simple explanation of what race preferences would mean in education: "Prop. 16 would use race to decide which school or class your child could attend."

Meanwhile, in other current idiotthink...

I have roof over my head, Indoor plumbing, a fridge, a comfy mattress, & modern meds to keep me from suffering, & I try to spend as much time as I can muster daily to write books and a column that people tell me make a difference in their lives. It doesn't get more damn awesome! https://t.co/8uxfAIKMBy

— Amy Alkon (@amyalkon) December 19, 2020