If Obama is elected, will the US still need affirmative action?

The reason I ask is that I was just watching Obama speak at the Unity Conference in Chicago, and he was asked this question. And, it struck me as a good one. Of course, he didn't really answer it (kind of like he didn't really answer most of the questions posed to him by the journalists attending the event.....he's answering around them).

The basis of the question came from McCain supporting a ballot initiative in Arizona that would end affirmative action there based on race and gender and an Asian journalist asked Obama whether affirmative action would be needed if he won the presidency. The journalist also said that the person who proposed the initiative said that Obama getting to where he is actually undercuts the need for affirmative action (not sure whether I completely agree with that).

I do think that affirmative action was a good idea, initially, but now it has become more of a quota system in this country. I think it hurts now more than it helps, because it makes racial and gender divides worse....when it is used as a quota system.

So, if a black man wins the presidency, will the US still need a stringent affirmative action policy?

[edit on 27-7-2008 by skeptic1]