New PPIC poll shows sour voter mood, not enough support for Prop. 8

Most California voters are not supporting a proposition that would ban gay marriage, and they're also down on the state's direction as a whole, according to a new poll released by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Only 40 percent of California likely voters support Proposition 8, while 54 percent oppose it, according to the PPIC's new survey on ballot measures and voter sentiment, released before the Labor Day weekend -- the traditional kickoff of fall campaign season.

The survey also has some troubling news for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who is set to accept the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday at Invesco Field in Denver. Since the last PPIC poll in May, Obama's support in California has fallen by six points, to 48 percent versus 39 percent support for presumptive Republican presidential nominee U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

That drop was trumpeted by the California Republican Party, who in a release Thursday morning noted that the survey showed Obama losing support in California among the independent voters critical in many races.

State voters see jobs and the economy as the most important issue in the presidential election, with 34 percent responding that way. The war in Iraq was the only other issue to break double digits, with 12 percent of California residents listing it as the top issue.

Voters are highly pessimistic about state government, with approval ratings of 38 percent for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and 26 percent for the California State Legislature.

They're equally glum about the future, with 71 percent believing bad economic times are ahead, and 68 percent saying the state is headed in the wrong direction.

The PPIC also took note in the same poll of voter attitudes toward two other ballot measures: Proposition 4, which would require parental notification for underage abortions, and Proposition 11, which would create a commission to redraw political districts.

Proposition 4 had 47 percent support to 44 percent against it, and Proposition 11 showed 39 percent favoring it and 36 percent against.

Survey results were based on a random telephone poll of 2,001 state residents between August 12 and 19, given in both English and Spanish, and 1,067 likely voters within that smaple. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percent for the entire sample and plus or minus 3 percent for likely voters.

Surveys were conducted in four regions: The San Francisco Bay Area, the Central Valley, Los Angeles and "Other Southern California," an area that includes San Diego.