LA Times Poll: In California, Voters Stay in Kerry's Corner

[question everything]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-poll23sep23,1,432239.story?coll=la-headlines-california

THE TIMES POLL

Bush's popularity is up nationwide, but a state survey finds Democrat has a 15-point lead.
By Michael Finnegan
Times Staff Writer

September 23, 2004

California voters remain strongly in favor of ousting President Bush and replacing him with Sen. John F. Kerry despite Bush's recent gains in popularity nationwide, a new Los Angeles Times poll has found.

Voters likely to cast ballots in the Nov. 2 election support the Democratic nominee and his running mate, Sen. John Edwards, over Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney by 55% to 40%, the poll found. Just 5% are undecided. Most recent national polls have the Republican ticket leading by varying margins.

With independent Ralph Nader in the race, Kerry's margin of victory narrows slightly, but he still beats Bush in a 53%-to-40% romp, with 2% of likely voters favoring the former consumer advocate. Nader, who won nearly 4% of the California vote in 2000, will not appear on the state's ballot this time, but supporters are trying to qualify him as a write-in candidate.

On the Iraq war, terrorism and the economy, Bush's ratings in California have edged downward since spring, the survey found.

Overall, Bush's popularity among California voters hovers near the lowest level of his presidency: 43% approve of his job performance, and 55% disapprove. By comparison, 67% approve of Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's job performance, according to the poll.

(snip)

[cthrumatrix]

1. good news.... now fire Arnold

[Carla in Ca]

8. Oh, my thoughts exactly!

n/t

[Cha]

2. What the groper is giving a pull for

bush inc? I don't believe that poll that says bush is up Nationwide, either?

[llmart]

3. More good news to make my day!

Go California!!!

[yellowcanine]

4. And I suspect those nationwide gains are a bit overstated - think about it

Californians are not some unique species - they have pretty much the same mix of population groups as anywhere else, excepting maybe a few more Hispanics - and possibly they don't have as many right wing nut jobs - but they were always in the Bush camp so they are a non factor as far as any trends go.

[calimary]

5. Arnold will NOT be able to deliver California to the bushies.

NO WAY. It's not even close enough to steal out here. The rare bush stickers I see on cars out here are outnumbered, maybe three-to-one, by Kerry stickers. Unscientific survey, yes, but telltale nonetheless. California is KERRY territory.

The ONLY reason Arnold was even a "viable" candidate out here is because he's one of those rare, nearly-extinct-species MODERATE republi-CONS. Those are the only kinds of republi-CONS that can win, statewide, here in California. That's why bill simon failed against Gray Davis, AND against Arnold in the recall. That's why you have liberal Dems as mayors in the two most prominent cities (LA and SFO). That's why you have moderate/liberals in the Senate. A few knuckledraggers do get into Congress, but those are generally localized aberrations and don't have appeal, statewide. The neanderthal darrel issa (whose big bucks financed the recall, and then got the rug pulled out from under him by upper-level party manipulators) is another example. And you do NOT see (nor WILL you) complete horse's asses like dana rohrabacher successfully moving up, either. He'll have to settle for being an Orange County congressman for the foreseeable (and increasingly shaky) future.

[question everything]

6. LA Daily News: Arnold's poll numbers dip

Los Angeles Daily News

Arnold's poll numbers dip

Latest survey finds drop in popularity among Democrats, independents

By Steve Geissinger and Harrison Sheppard
Sacramento Bureau

Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - Amid partisan moves on the state budget and other issues, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's popularity among Democrats has dropped 10 points in the past month, according to a poll released today.

Analysts and lawmakers said the Public Policy Institute of California survey follows Schwarzenegger's speech at the Republican National Convention, taking positions on ballot initiatives, campaigning for GOP legislative candidates and 11th-hour legislative moves on urban gambling and highway funds that surprised Democrats.

(snip)

Among Democrats, the governor's job approval rating fell 10 points since an August poll, from 57 percent to 47 percent; and three points, from 66 percent to 63 percent, among independent voters. Among all likely voters, Schwarzenegger took only a five-point hit, helped by a slight increase in support from GOP voters.

(snip)

Lawmakers and analysts said his treatment of some Democratic legislation -- such as vetoing a minimum-wage hike Saturday -- could figure in the poll numbers... The latest telephone poll was conducted among 2,003 respondents. Its margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Steve Geissinger, [phone] [e-mail]

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20954~2419822,00.html#

[calimary]

7. The bloom will be off his rose soon enough.