[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Clinton Also Prevails But By Slightly Lower Margin

By Frank D. Russo

The well respected Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) has released a poll within the last hour showing Barack Obama winning the November election in California by 17 points and getting the largest prize of Electoral College votes of any state—53 of the 270 needed to win the presidency. Hillary Clinton also wins—by 12 points over McCain.

Obama leads in all subgroups except that of Republicans. He wins the white vote, does better with the Golden State’s women voters than men, and cleans up with independents and Latinos. He has higher favorable ratings (59% to 36%) than Clinton (46% favorable to 51% unfavorable) overall and his favorable ratings continue strongly with both Democrats and Independents.

The big loser here—John MCain—who has a 53% to 42% unfavorable rating with all likely voters and does poorly with Independents and Latinos.

This is a poll of a very large sample of Californians—2003 adults—with 1086 likely voters and a margin of error with likely voters of 3%. It was taken between May 12 and 18. The full poll is not yet available online to the public but the embargo was lifted as of 10 p.m. A link will be provided as soon as that is available.

Here are the details.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Primary Results Not Predictive About Electability in the Fall in the Biggest State

By Frank D. Russo

A poll released late last night by the highly respected and non-partisan Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) taken of a large sample of Californians and likely voters shows Barack Obama besting John McCain in California by a 49% to 40% margin, while a race between Hillary Clinton and McCain is won more closely by Clinton 46% to 43%.

The extensive PPIC Survey, 33 pages in length, which plumbs the depths of Californians’ opinion and attitudes towards a number of state and national issues, also shows that Obama has a much higher favorable rating than McCain and Clinton and that he does significantly better amongst “independent” or “decline to state” voters. He also picks up the state’s large Latino votes in a November election by a margin of 70% to 20% over McCain.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

Much puffing has been made about how the California Republican Party and the party of Arnold Schwarzenegger will mount a successful campaign in this state to award our Electoral College votes to the apparent nominee, John McCain. This, despite the fact that the hapless California Republican Party is deeply mired in debt—near bankruptcy—is facing criticism from major donors for being inept and out of step with California voters, and has failed to elect Republicans to most statewide and legislative offices for years.

However, after the euphoria dies down and Californians look at the record of McCain versus either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama on the War in Iraq, the environment, or any one of a number of issues, they will see that the choice is clear.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

CMR's contributors have come out of the wordworks this morning with their unsolicited endorsements for president. We have posted them in the order they were received.

Christine Uribe, Katie Merrill, and Steven Maviglio have backed Senator Hillary Clinton. Josiah Greene and Dave Rand have backed Senator Barack Obama.
 
And speaking of elections in California, Steven Maviglio also posted a CMR exclusive today on failed GOP efforts to steal some of California's electoral college votes.

Check back with CMR throughout the day. You can bet we'll have much more on today's historic primary.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

It appears that the proposed Republican power grab initiative to split California's electoral college votes is dead (as in stake through its heart, dead).

Yesterday was the last day for the right-wing proponent of the measure to file signatures for the initiative. And there was no sign of signatures being filed anywhere in the state. That means there's no chance it will make the November 2008 ballot since the clock has run out.

The death of the proposal ends a series of gang-that-couldn't-shoot-straight attempts by Republican operatives to divide and conquer California's votes, which are widely expected to go to the Democratic nominee in November. Now neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama will need to worry about the threat of a Romney or McCain siphoning off any votes from the Golden State.

Congratulations to all grassroots Democrats that helped thwart this Republican effort.

by Erik Love [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Disclosure: I work for Courage Campaign

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen has opened an investigation into the Dirty Trick to steal the White House -- and now Courage Campaign needs your help to make sure the GOP-backed group behind the move to change California's Electoral College votes is exposed as using illegal tactics to get signatures.

You may remember that Bowen opened the investigation earlier this week after Calitics and the Daily Kos community took action, catching people on video obscuring petition language and misrepresenting the intent of a petition.

After the great success that we won in convincing Bowen to open the investigation, we need to come together one more time and help close the noose around the GOP-backed groups trying to get their Dirty Trick on the ballot.  Debra Bowen needs your help right away.  Send your photos, video, or any other documentation of dirty tricks to the SoS office now.  Full details after the flip.