Marijuana proposition losing ground, poll shows

[villager]

Source: SF Gate

Marijuana proposition losing ground, poll shows

(10-20) 19:47 PDT Sacramento - --

Californians are souring on a ballot measure to legalize adult recreational use and cultivation of marijuana, according to a new poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California.

The poll found that 44 percent of likely voters support Proposition 19, the marijuana ballot measure, while 49 percent are opposed. The results are a significant decline from last month, when the same survey found Prop. 19 leading 52 to 41 percent.

Prop. 23, which would suspend the state's greenhouse gas law, lost support in the latest poll as did Prop. 24, which would overturn corporate tax breaks. Prop. 25, which would allow the Legislature to pass a budget with a simple majority vote, gained slightly, and is the only measure of those polled that is winning. Five other measures on the ballot were not polled.

"In an initiative campaign, the burden of proof is always on the 'yes' side," said Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California. "The yes side has to do a very convincing job of explaining not just why, in concept, something is good, but why it is a good law."

For Prop. 19, he noted the array of high-profile figures who have come out against the proposition, including every candidate running for statewide office, while the proponents have yet to gain such high-profile endorsements.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/20/BACB1FVDUL.DTL#ixzz12xqiur72

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Thanks, Democrats! We couldn't have all this roaring "change" without ya!

[Dawson Leery]

1. Which is why I am registered as an independent.

[EFerrari]

2. They had to come out against the one sure thing to get out the vote.

Brilliant.

[kristopher]

3. Effect of very public stance of Justice Dept against the proposition I'd say.

The "moral authority" of the Administration and the idea of a round of lawsuits by the Feds is turning it around.

[villager]

5. Which shows how brow-beaten people are - we need to pass to push back

..against our changey, hope-filled "new" administration...

[kristopher]

9. That's tempting, but no, we don't.

What we need is to protect and expand our base. With firm control achieved by getting more progressives in we will have ALL the necessary the ingredients for enacting reality based legislation.

You seem to want the spoils of battle while the war is still raging around you.

[villager]

13. You seem to imagine the war can be won by being "nice."

or by talking a lot, with words about change, while not actually, you know, delivering any.

[kristopher]

15. I just know which side I am on; f**k anything that would help the Republicans.

You obviously are in the camp that thinks we are better off if we help them regain power.

[villager]

16. You obviously don't know which camp I'm in, thank you

I plan to vote for my Democratic senator's re-election. Though I know that not standing up to Republicans -- or repudiating their policies -- seems to help them quite a bit.

[county worker]

4. If prop 25 passes the right will challenge it in court, say it is unconstitutional

and that citizens don't have the right to make this decision.

[Grown2Hate]

7. When in EVERY OTHER fucking instance, it's all about "state's rights" with that crowd.

Fucking hypocrites and sociopaths, the lot.

[defendandprotect]

6. Democrats have always come out against legalizing ... what's new? CA knows better -- don't they?

Even Schwartzenegger knows better -- !!

At this point Obama/Holder and Democrats just look foolish --

We should leave looking foolish to the Repugs -- !

[krabigirl]

8. SurveyUSA also just released a poll today, 19 is winning 48-44%

However, even there, it was noted that the "no" vote is the highest yet recorded.

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=ae46633e-2251-4fd1-86b9-75b194d1b848

[Life Long Dem]

10. I think we will see a surge of youths voting on Proposition 19.

This doesn't show up in the opinion polls beforehand. Independents show the biggest drop in this poll, along with the over 35 crowd.

[earcandle]

11. I hope this is more Faux news. We really need the revenue here, and pot is harmless and helpful in

many ways.  

[kwenu]

12. I probably could agree if:

Weed use was limited to private homes. I think it would be horrible to have to walk through clouds of smoke in public and deal with people taking weed breaks. I don't care that other people smoke, I just don't want to smell it or have it around me. It stinks like hell.

[Frank Booth]

14. This looks bad, but the polls on Prop 19 have been all over the place.

There's been speculation that some people are afraid to answer the poll-taker's questions on Prop 19 truthfully. I thought it sounded like a far-fetched theory at first, but considering that the poll results have been completely random maybe there's some truth to it.

[SemperEadem]

17. I seriously doubt that voters are souring on this matter

this is more the spin and manipulation in which the press has no problem colluding.