New poll confirms who liked--and opposed--Prop 8 on same-sex marriage

The Public Policy Institute of California has a new poll out confirming a lot of what was known -- or might have been suspected--about the Nov. 4 election.

For instance, Proposition 8, the state ballot measure banning same-sex marriage, drew its strongest support from evangelical Christians and Republicans, while Democrats were overwhelmingly opposed.

Backers of GOP presidential nominee John McCain were much more likely to support the measure, approved by 52% of Californians, than were supporters of Democrat Barack Obama.

Perhaps the most interesting finding was a stand-alone question dealing with the issue of same-sex marriage. Of those polled, 47% were in favor, 48% were opposed and 5% were unsure. Which suggests -- happily for political consultants, political reporters and other members of the political-media-industrial complex -- that campaigns matter.

"The events in court, people getting married between court decisions and those kinds of events didn't seem to matter as much as the campaign in terms of persuading enough people who were undecided or ambivalent to vote 'yes,' " said Mark Baldassare, the survey director and head of the policy institute. ("Yes" amounted to a "no" vote on same-sex marriage, in the circuitous way the question was worded.)

Among other findings of the nonpartisan survey:

-- More than 6 in 10 Latino voters backed Proposition 4, the measure requiring parental notification before a minor can have an abortion. The finding will surely be cited as further proof by those who maintain that Latinos are cultural conservatives who therefore should vote Republican.

-- Nearly 8 in 10 Latinos voted for Obama, despite widespread speculation about black-brown tensions that, theoretically, were going to dampen support for the nation’s first African American presidential nominee.

-- In a further sign of Californians' affection for do-it-yourself democracy, two-thirds of respondents were generally satisfied with the initiative process and expressed more trust in their fellow citizens than in elected officials to make public policy.

Click this link to see the full survey.

-- Mark Z. Barabak

Speaking of money, which we weren't, you don't need any to register here for cellphone alerts on each new Ticket item. RSS feeds are also available here at the same price.

Photo: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Don Jackson]

70% of blacks voted against gay marriage.

They are mostly democrats, mostly voted for Obama, and seem to be ignored by this study/article.

[Alisa]

What about the Muslim vote? Or do they fear that the pro-prop 8 people might actually show some courage and protest at a mosque or two?

[Nick Byram]

If I only read the LA Times' blog entry on this poll, I would be left with the impression that the proposition passed solely on the strength of Christian and Republican votes in California, and we all know that just isn't right. And the LA times wonders why circulation continues to fall.

[N Waff]

======================================
=
= homosexual crown on a mission to
= bully and attack Christians
=
= demostrating theiry hypocracy when it comes to
= tolerance
=
=========================================
We've all been hoodwinked into thinking homosexuals support tolerance and diversity. They've proven in their recent Prop 8 protests that they support their own agenda and have no problem with bullying, harrassing Christians.

[Dan]

What I find comical with this survey is how some people are misinterpreting it. On some sites, I've seen people opposed to Proposition 8 claiming people are changing their minds because 8% are no longer opposed to same-sex marriage.

I'm not sure how, but somehow they read the 8% of those who oppose same-sex marriage but still voted no as changing their minds. Instead, it's the 11% who once said they would vote no but did not who changed their minds.

And I agree with N Waff, the gay and lesbian community has proven that they support tolerance of their own ideas, but are anything but tolerant when they don't get their way. Their leaders are pretty hypocritical.

[Terry Leftgoff]

In response to one of the previous posts, there was a separate independent poll conducted by SurveyUSA on 11-19-08, approx 2 weeks after the election. It appears from this poll there has already been a sudden shift in opinion.

8% of those who voted YES would switch their vote to NO when asked, 'Have the protesters changed your opinion on Prop 8?'

From: SurveyUSA News Poll Conducted 11-19-08
Sponsored by KFSN-TV Fresno

[saint74]

"We've all been hoodwinked into thinking homosexuals support tolerance and diversity. They've proven in their recent Prop 8 protests that they support their own agenda and have no problem with bullying, harrassing Christians."

We've all been hookwinked into thinking that "homosexuals" are their own class of species that don't deserve the same status and protections as the rest of us. Actually, only some of us have been hoodwinked, as the rest of us know that homosexuals are PEOPLE, and they are also Black, Latino, Asian, Republicans, and OH MY... Christians. As a straight human being, considering that the few gay people I know are also devout Christians and Republicans at that, I find the mutually exclusive, dehumanizing narrative on this subject ignorant and repulsive.

[Noella]

Perhaps someone can tell me how voting in California goes. It would appear that for the second time, the people voted down gay marriage but the gay advocates keep going to court to try and overturn it. So, do we just keep voting until we finally vote their way and then they will stop? If proposition 8 had not passed and the people who wanted it to were doing some of the hateful and shameful things the gays are doing like that protest that Bash Back conducted in Michigan, we would never hear the end of them complaining about the "hate filled homophobes" but they can disrupt church services, push around and spit on little old ladies, get people fired, print the names of supporters on the web for the sole purpose of making trouble for them and that's alright. Well I think we are seeing who the REAL haters are. And if laws like this will keep groups like NAMBLA from marching down the streets with banners saying, we're here, we're queer and we're coming to get your sons, which is what they did in a town near me, then so be it. The gays are out of control and I am GLAD there will be no gay marriages.

[D. Jones]

I have yet to meet ONE Muslim that voted no on Prop 8. Are there any protest planned for the Mosques?

[Kallie]

First of all, the Muslims are not the religious right who swayed the vote toward Bush. The religious right has a much larger impact on voters than do Muslims.

Second of all, homosexuals don't hate Christians. They hate when Christians allow their Bible to dictate laws.

Regardless of what the Bible may or may not say, gays are not second class citizens and deserve rights as do we all. The arguments currently being used to oppress gays were the same arguments used to justify slavery and inequality to women. Historically and currently, these arguements are backed by the BIBLE.

This is why there are protests at churches instead of mosques.

[noella]

Second of all, homosexuals don't hate Christians. They hate when Christians allow their Bible to dictate laws.

No, they only hate the Bible because it speaks against their lifestyle.

Regardless of what the Bible may or may not say, gays are not second class citizens and deserve rights as do we all. The arguments currently being used to oppress gays were the same arguments used to justify slavery and inequality to women. Historically and currently, these arguements are backed by the BIBLE.

Everyone makes the slavery point but it is obvious by your explanation or lack thereof, that you have not truly read the Bible's position on slavery. God said you can pick your slaves from among the heathen. In other words, if you don't worship Him or if you worship false gods, then slavery is one the curses He said would befall you and if you made a slave of anyone else, you had to let them go after 7 years with enough money and goods to put them back on their feet. You cannot grant special rights to people based on sexual orientation. No one is suggesting that Homosexuals are second class citizens. The same God that made me, made them. But His position is very clear on Homosexuality. Not only did He declare it an abomination, but He attached a death sentence to it. You can get as upset about this as you like but don't shoot the messenger. It is irresponsible in the extreme to allow gays to marry and to create laws allowing them special rights based on their "gayness". That is a direct violation of God's law and you'd better be very careful trying to tell people that it's okay to be gay when God said it is not. Jesus said that he who obeys the law and teaches other to do the same will be thought of as great in the kingdom, but he who does not obey the law and teaches other to do the same will be thought of as least in the kingdom. It's time for responsible people to put a stop to it.

[Abu B.]

Allah, pbwh, declares homesxuality an abomination....we will not be swayed in our goal for Sharia law.

[informed1*]

It truly saddens me that some of you are posting your regrets over voting against Prop 8, citing being turned off by post-election protests and "blacklisting" of Prop 8 supporters.

Did you consider that: After Prop 22 was overturned, MANY news reports documented anti-gay-marriage protesters disrupting these types of marriages by showing up at churches and other venues with signs saying, "You're going to HELL", "God doesn't love you", etc? After Prop 8 passed, news reports bore witness to Prop 8 proponents tearing down signs and physically attacking No on 8 protesters?

Did you know that: Decades prior to Prop 8, companies -- Such as, Disney, Pepsi, Ford, etc. -- supporting gay rights were boycotted by the same entities promoting Prop 8? Or that Prop 8 proponents sent pre-election-day letters to No on 8 donors threatening to expose their identities, unless they agreed to contribute equally to the Yes on 8 campaign?

Alternately, have you noticed: The lack of reports regarding same-sex marriage proponent tearing down anti-gay-marriage protester signs and/or physically attacking protesters for disrupting marriage ceremonies? Lack of reports about No on 8 campaigners sending post-election-day threatening letters to Yes on 8 contributors?

It is truly heartbreakingly sad when good people are duped into letting truth take a back seat to a continuing propaganda of lies. The fair-minded would acknowledge, given all the facts, that contrary to what Prop 8 proponents would have us believe, both sides have behaved badly. One having done so for a much, much longer time than the other and, apparently, getting away with it again, too, without scrutiny. Sad. Really, unspeakably sad.