The following is from an October 20 KPBS Midday Edition story:
A statewide survey released Wednesday found almost all of California’s 17 ballot measures are on track to pass next month, with the proposition to end the death penalty in California the only measure to have significant opposition.
The poll from Sacramento State’s Institute for Social Research and its CALSPEAKS public-opinion project asked Californians about 14 ballot measures. A sample of 622 likely voters favored Proposition 67, the statewide plastic bag ban, 45-39, which was within the poll’s seven point margin of error, and opposed Proposition 62, which would end the death penalty in the state, 45-37. All other propositions in the poll had comfortable support.
“Most striking in the big picture is that almost all of these are going to pass, if our polling is instructive,” Institute for Social Research director David Barker said. “That’s remarkable in our history. (Ballot measures) tend to fail more often than they pass.”
More than 20 percent of respondents were undecided in eight of the propositions, with 34 percent undecided over Proposition 59, which would advise the legislature to work towards a Constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. That U.S. Supreme Court decision cut back limits on campaign spending by corporations and unions.
“If you’re a typical voter, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Citizen’s United,” Barker said. “You can’t respond to that with your gut.”
The poll also found Attorney General Kamala Harris still has a double-digit lead against Rep. Lorerra Sanchez in their race for California’s open U.S. Senate seat, 49-24. A previous CALSPEAKS poll found Harris had a 51-19 lead over Sanchez.
Funny thing is I voted already. For Donald Trump and against all the propositions. I must be a deplorable.
How politically irrelevant and ineffective can the CA bishops be? They publicly support a left-wing ballot measure in the strongest left-wing state in the country, yet the measure is apparently the only one headed for defeat among the slew of left-wing measures on the whole ballot. Ha, ha, ha!
Time for the bishops to get a clue and concern themselves primarily with Catholic faith, liturgy and catechesis in their own dioceses. Put first things first. Stop making leftist politics their religion.
This news shouldn’t really surprise us folks. The spirit of dissent and disobedience is not only found outside the Church, but also within it, among those who profess to be Catholic, sadly. The prince of this world has a firm grasp over many Catholic voters. And please this is not about putting “leftist politics” above religion. This is about UPHOLDING THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON! And this issue is actually a priority for the Church in whatever society she finds herself in.
Right. The bishops may as well just hand out the Communist Manifesto in place of the Catechism.
Right. Communists are generally pro-death. By supporting the death penalty, you are aligning yourself with militant Muslim states, with some of the most oppressive and tyrannical dictatorships, with Communist regimes. Ponder that people. There is still time to redeem yourselves, people: Vote Yes on 62! No on 66! Listen to the living Magisterium. Respect life!
Count me as deplorable number two. I voted by absentee ballot for Trump who is the most pro life of the candidates. I voted to keep the death penalty as this is not about taking innocent human life, but about protecting law abiding citizens from the most hardened criminals.
I voted third party for president, but the main reason I voted at all, was to keep the Death Penalty in California. I also voted against recreational marijuana and the real scandal was that the California bishops refused to take a stance on the marijuana proposition. Proposition 64. Disgracefully silent on the issue.
The most important thing for the California bishops to do– is GET RID OF DOPE!! And GET RID OF SEXUAL SIN, TOO!! Sadly, many who get into the CRIME of DOPE, end up in prison– after committing many horrible crimes– even MURDER!! Dope gangs in Mexico kill many, many people, daily!! The Catholic bishops all need to form their young people in Christ, with excellent religious education, and good moral consciences– and defeat the Devil and all SIN in the world, for Christ! That is their biggest job! If the world was much more DECENT, and were cleaner of SIN, due to the good work of the Catholic bishops– there would be NOT ONE PRISONER, on Death Row!!
I live in California. I will be pleased to vote against Prop 62, which will end the death penalty, and for Prop 66, which will streamline its use. I do not know what is with this current crop of clerics who lead our church in California. They seem to be blind to the fact that nearly 2,000 years of Church teaching … basically dominant until Vatican II … supports use of the death penalty under the proper circumstances. But, as California voters are typically disinterested in the political opinions of the California Catholic Conference … they take a position on EVERYTHING as I recall … I can’t imagine they will pay attention to the bishops on this issue.
No Carol you got it the other way around. You must vote YES on 62 in order to end the death penalty and vote NO on 66. This “current crop of clerics” are following the lead of John Paul II, Benedict, and Francis who all taught the abolition of the death penalty. The 2,000 years of teaching on this issue is plainly stated in the Catechism: namely, that states have recourse to the death penalty if this is the ONLY to protect society against an unjust aggressor. JP2 has judged that there are now other ways to do so protect society short of killing the criminal, thus making the death penalty “cruel and unnecessary” as St. John Paul II consistently taught. Listen to the living Magisterium. Respect life!
jon– let’s see you go work in Catholic Prison Ministry, and give big hugs on Halloween, to all the murderers on Death Row!! Just because the current Pope says so! The next Pope will say something different, and you will then be TWO-FACED towards your current beliefs, and REJECT THEM ALL!! How many unborn babies did you save today, in all your hard PRO-LIFE work, jon?? How many elderly hospitalized people did you save, from euthanasia, by all your dedicated hard work?? Tell us all about that!! All you know how to do, with your phony “pro-life” philosophy– is act HATEFULLY PRO-DEATH towards all of the other nice Catholics!!
Yes Anonymous or LMaria: I’ve done all those “ministries”. Been there, done that (except for giving hugs on Halloween). So, yeah, if a person wants to be CONSISTENTLY prof-life, one has to mean it by advocating for an end to the death penalty, this rotting relic of the culture of death! Vote YES on 62, NO on 66! Listen to the living Magisterium. Respect life!
Reject the liberal the “living Magisterium” No on 62 Yes on 66.
It is good that you care about Respect for All Life, jon! However– do you REALLY CARE about human beings?? Why don’t you show Christian Love, to those of our Church who are VERY GOOD CATHOICS– but who have a different view than you do?? Christ would be SO EAGER to receive them WITH LOVE!! HOW ABOUT YOU, JON?? ALL of our views of ALL the sincere, good Catholics– are ALL GOOD, in the eyes of CHRIST!! Listen kindly to others, lend them an ear– even if you do not agree with some of their views! That is also exactly what a good, MATURE priest will do!
jon, I once gave an elderly priest, who was a highly-respected pro-life leader, my ear, once, while he wanted to talk about a matter that made me totally sick– he mentioned the dangers of San Francisco, and the fact that if my Catholic family owned a business here, it is a good idea, to own a gun! I WAS HORRIFIED!! I asked him if he accepted all of the Pope’s views, in “Evangelium Vitae”– his answer? “NO!!” He was older, with very traditional views, on guns, capital punishment, and etc. He is entitled to his views, and was a fine, older (now deceased) priest! HE DESERVED MY RESPECT!!
jon– Pope St. John Paul II was VERY MATURE– and I know that he would accept the rightful Catholic views on the death penalty, as expressed by Sawyer, and by the elder (now deceased) traditional priest and pro-life leader. But he would actually FAVOR the views of yourself, and the California bishops. Fine! He would ENCOURAGE the ideal– but also, accept the traditional Catholic teaching, too! He also explained things this, in his “Evangelium Vitae!” You, too, should see that BOTH concepts are valid, in our Church! BOTH ARE VALID!! TRY TO ACCEPT OTHERS, jon!!
jon, if you read the works of Pope St. John Paul II– you will see– HE WAS MATURE– and ACCEPTED THE TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC TEACHINGS — but yet, ENCOURAGED MANKIND TO ALSO TRY THE IDEAL!!