Some findings of the survey
- The Democratic ticket of Senators John Kerry and John Edwards holds a 12-point lead over the ticket of Republican President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney (51% to 39%).
- 54% of Californians disapprove of the way President Bush is handling his job.
- 54% also believe that the nation is headed in the wrong direction.
- 71% of Californians-and 80% of likely voters’say that it really does matter who wins the presidential race.
- Asked which issues they would most like to hear the presidential candidates address during their debates this fall, likely voters say the economy and unemployment (30%), the war in Iraq (19%), health care (12%), and terrorism and national security (8%).
- Among likely voters, incumbent Senator Barbara Boxer has an 18-point lead over Republican challenger Bill Jones (54% to 36%).
- 61% of Californians approve of the way Governor Schwarzenegger is handling his job; only 40% approve of the way that the state legislature is handling theirs.
This is the 50th PPIC Statewide Survey and the 18th in a series of large-scale public opinion polls that PPIC is conducting on a periodic basis throughout California’s election cycles. The purpose of this series is to develop an objective, in-depth profile of the social, economic, and political forces affecting public policy preferences and ballot choices in California.
Topics
Political Landscape Statewide Survey