News
2008-09-19
Field Poll:
California Marriage Ban Trails by 17 Points
Support for
Proposition 8 wanes in California, according to a new Field
Poll.
A consti
A constitutional
amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in California
trails by a 17-point margin, reports TheSacramento Bee.
According to a
Field Poll, 55% of likely voters say they will vote
against Proposition 8, while 38% support the ballot measure.
The latest figures indicate an increase in opposition
for the ban since July, when the measure trailed by
nine points. After reports broke early Tuesday morning
that showed the Yes on 8 campaign had raised $16 million,
compared to $11 million for the No on 8 campaign, word
of two notable donations in recent days has motivated
the opposition. Brad Pitt announced on Wednesday that
he's giving $100,000 to the campaign to beat the
ballot initiative. In July, WordPerfect cofounder Bruce
Bastian, a gay former Mormon, gave $1 million to the
Human Right Campaign's No on Prop. 8 committee.
One reason for
the falling support of the measure was thought to be the
change in wording on ballot summary heading, which once read
"Limit on Marriage" and now says "Eliminates right of
same-sex couples to marry." Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown
switched the language after the state supreme court
overturned a ban on gay marriages in California in
May. In the new poll, half the respondents were read the
original summary and the other half heard the new
wording. The level of support for Proposition 8,
however, did not alter. With either wording, only 38%
of participants said they would vote yes. The new
version did result in slightly higher opposition.
Field Poll
director Mark DiCamillo told TheSacramento Bee that said these were "people who
were unaware of the initiative" and the amended version
"pulled them more to the 'no' side. Voters generally support
individual rights, so eliminating a right has a more
negative connotation than 'limit on marriage.' "
Poll respondent
and retiree Barbara Hill is a former evangelical
Christian who opposes Proposition 8.
"I have gay and
lesbian friends who are overjoyed to have civil
unions," Hill, a 67-year-old Democrat, told the Bee.
"Two people making a commitment for the rest of their
lives is a good thing."
Poll data
also shows that a majority of Protestants back
Proposition 8, but larger majorities of Catholics,
people of other faiths, and those with no religious
affiliation plan to vote no on the measure. However,
according to a report in TheSalt Lake Tribune, about a third of
ProtectMarriage.com's donors are Latter-day Saints, and
their contributions to the marriage ban have totaled
close to $5 million. Voters in coastal areas and those
with higher degrees of education were more strongly
against Prop. 8. (The Advocate)
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