“Nearly two-thirds of California voters support a gun-control initiative on the November ballot, about the same percentage of people who say they don’t have a firearm in their home, according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll conducted by SurveyMonkey,” latimes.com reports. Well that seems pretty straightforward. And incredibly depressing. But . . .
SurveyMonkey is an opt-in email program. Which means it’s totally unscientific, especially when you consider that LA Times is an irredeemably anti-gun rights publication, appealing to readers who largely hold the same views.
In the interests of “balance,” the Times presents comments both pro- and anti-Prop 63. Most important: the revelation that the anti side is outspending the NRA by factor of 10 – 1.
Newsom, the former mayor of San Francisco, is running for governor in 2018, and political pundits say his gun-control initiative will help pave the way for the candidacy by raising his image. He and former Facebook President Sean Parker are among the top contributors to the initiative campaign, which has so far raised more than $4 million.
Opponents, including the National Rifle Assn., have launched multiple campaigns against the measure that have so far raised about $425,000.
The anti-gun side of this equation is hampered by the “enthusiasm gap”; pro-gun rights voters vote. Unfortunately, you’ve got to believe that the Trump/Clinton contest will bring out a record number of voters.
Why does this remind me of the pre-Civil War era?
I expect all “gun control” initiatives in all states to pass. When you study boobus, you’ll find that as long as something sounds reasonable or scientific, they want to prove their reasonableness by voting “yes”. Ever thus to boobus.
Very true unfortunately. The sheep never question nor think these matters all the way through when it comes to guns or anything else that the media tells them are evil. I hate Kali-kountry.
Well, that why we need to elect Trump, he can order the AG to prosecute these cretins for denying people their civil rights under color of law. The state of California has no authority to pass any law that violates the 2nd amendment.
Do you really believe that he could and would do such a thing?
Well more likely than Hitlary but not super hopeful
Voter initiative measure. Do you think that the government should prosecute a majority of voters if the measure passes? All of whom are nongovernmental actors? Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. That would violate their constitutional first amendment rights. Further, states and state actors are immune under the eleventh amendment from federal civil rights actions.
States are, state AGs and their agents are not.
A biased poll to begin with.
You could skew this poll 90 points to the left or right based solely on the zip or area codes you included.
The best means of fighting back against nannystaters is jury nullification.
Always serve your jury duty and always hang the jury, regardless of the type or merits of the case.
The judicial system will drown in backlog and crawl to a halt.
Ah, anarchy. Maybe we should try that sometime. Not.
I’m with you on all charges that don’t have a victim. Drugs, weapons, etc I plan to do this.
If we’re dealing with a violent rapist or a murderer, I wouldn’t hang the jury or nullify unless the prosecutor was cheating.
I appreciate the post on this, but living in California, I have no delusions that all of the anti-gun stuff will pass. We live in a pretty hostile environment when it comes to the 2nd amendment, and I don’t see it changing for at least one generation (possibly more… or ever unless we seriously do our part big time).
Really, what’s not to like? $500,000,000 in new fees charged to legal gun owners just for remits,$10 in additional fees for every transaction, all to pay for prosecution of gun owners who have lost their right to keep and bear arms, thus relieving the public of those costs, and an additional $500,000,000 every other year for license renewals, and an anticipated reduction in the number of shooters and hunters, benefitting Bambi and all the other wildlife slaughtered every year, while saving the condor and the environment from toxic lead. Brilliant! Plus it will pave the was for newsome’s accession to the governor’s mansion. Priceless.
This is not the only reason I will be leaving CA, when my kids are in college/working.
But it is the last straw, as the confirmation of the obvious trend.
http://calwatchdog.com/2016/02/24/ca-suffers-middle-class-migration/
And I am not alone. Its been underway for some time.
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/great-california-exodus-closer-look-5853.html
Actually, the poll results are probably skewed on the anti-gun side: the LA metro area is the largest Democrat voter block in California.
But forget any hope of it failing: Cal Democrats are mostly all anti-gun and California Democrats outnumber Republicans (largely pro-gun) 3-to-2 in voter registration.
California’s voting is dominated by the three large metro areas of Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco: all Democrat and liberal which is why California is a deep Blue state, probably permanently. Very sad.
This initiative is just one more nail in the coffin of RKBA in California.
I expect the infringements to grow every year the rest of this decade and beyond.
While most other states are increasing gun freedoms, California in the vanguard of denying them. Gun-magheddon didn’t happen by accident nor will they stop until guns are totally banned. They said so in moments of honesty.
I can hardly wait to retire and move out of state and can almost count the years on one hand now.
Perhaps not permanent. Years ago we had another progressive governor who spent so much on social programs that the state was in the red. The result was he was voted out of office and Ronald Reagan was elected. Without raising taxes or cutting jobs, Reagan got us out of the red. That governor was Pat Brown, “Moonbeam’s” father.
History does repeat itself.
This time around, we have law enforcement groups standing against these new laws. We also have liberals and independents joining with conservatives. County sheriffs who have publicly denounce the new laws and are on record saying they refuse to enforce them. Our sheriff here has said that he will deputize every gun owner in the county. For years he has been advising residents to buy a gun and get trained to use it.
Oh I wish your scenario had a chance. The demographics in California today are far different than the Reagan era. California has the highest percentage of foreign-born (mostly from gun control countries) in the US with 27%. Add to that single-issue Latino voters comprising nearly half the electorate now and voting Democrat and there is no way the GOP will have a majority in the legislature and hold a governorship again; both of which would be required to reverse the anti-gun course the state has taken. The Left Coast will remain the anti-gun state of the West for generations.
It’s sad that Californians look south toward their countries of origin and say, “yes, we want that here,” instead of “no way, Jose.”
“…enforcing laws that prohibit firearm possession by specified persons…”
Since the incorporation of the Second Amendment by SCOTUS, how is that particular phrase not a blatant violation of the “…shall not be infringed.” clause of the Second Amendment?
The whole point of the 2A was to prohibit the government from specifiying who could or could not keep and bear arms.
There is infringement in theory (easy) and then getting the Left Coast legislature, leftist governors, and 9th Circuit court to enforce that (never happen). And with SCOTUS not taking gun cases any more, they seem to be saying “Let each state decide for itself” and so they are.
Get that 64% a gun and then see how the numbers are. 🙂
Nah, give 32% 2 guns, and require that they transfer one of the guns to the other 32%. Make sure to require they complete a thorough background check, get fingerprinted prior to transferring the gun, etc. And make it all happen within a 1 week period, so the backlog requires they wait on hold for 3-6 hours. Then we’ll see how much they support background checks.
Or amend the bill to require a voter ID card to track gun purchases… bet we’ll see support drop off pretty quick.
Ummm…isn’t this the same state(of confusion!) that voted AGAINST happy “marriage”? Will of the people my tired old white azz…I guess its all in how you word it to the simpleton.
I agree with what was said about this poll.
That said I have 0 faith that the people of California will not approve this. Look at the asshats Cali elects and tell me why, since they go full retard with their elected officials, why they won’t do the same with this.
Ballot initiative said no gay marriage. That didn’t fly and rightfully so. Our civil rights are not dependent on our zip codes.
Trump 2016
Weren’t you arguing hardcore against Trump on TTAG not long ago? If so, nothing wrong with changing your mind (I might wind up voting for Trump, even though I hate the thought)…it just seems like a stark reversal.
I’ve said from the start that I don’t like Trump. But if it came down to him or her, him it is. Trump is the man the gop wants, or at least their voters want.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, would be worse for this country than hillary. Even without the gun issue.
“Never underestimate the stupidity of people in large groups.”
The stupidity of liberals in large groups = California
Depends on how the poll was promoted. If it were via the LA Times email list, they can drill down to zip code and blast to that.
Facebook advertising – same thing. ZIP code, interests, etc.
“Show this ad to people who are fans of Everytown and live in California…”
The douchebag behind this idiocy, Lt. Governor Newsom, is our next corrupt governor. I would be surprised if it didn’t pass, they don’t call it Commifornia just to be cute, it’s true, the sheeple here are amongst the most brainwashed in the nation.
And if 85% of Californians supported and voted for a ballot initiative that empowered government agents to administer abortions against the will of the mother, would that be righteous and good?
Majority support of something does not make it “good” or righteous.
Every leftist needs a Helictoper ride.
Wait…. We’re deciding what rights people get to have, or get taken away, by email surveys now?
Constitution exist to prevent exactly this.
In this fascist state of kalifornia, the Constitution means almost nothing. Oaths the overseers take mean nothing. You will obey. Because serf, you cant live with out being controlled at EVERY level.
Oh how it sucks living here.
I sadly and hang my head in shame that I live (if one call it that) in this cesspool of lefty progressive hell.
I was not polled, no one in my family was polled, no friends were polled, folks that I bump into were not polled. WTF?
Of course I don’t live on the lefty coast. Where the brain steam only, fools vote for this crap and put in power the FASCIST OVERSEERS that have rule over us. Its nothing but corrupt lame-stream media propaganda. But, it works very effectively on the low-informed.
Well thats a thoroughly convincing sample-size for a california poll. /s
Sheeple want to be safe even if it means No rights , guards 24/7, ask permission to go to bath room, just don’t forget the money in the mailbox or “” Obama care {free of course} better let them breed more, so they can get more money
got to be something in the water people cant have guns but the pol Tics can run them! what ya going to do in a tweaker socialist republic? their Politicos have always been whack a dodo. Especially when Jerry Brown was using Hanoi Jane as a Play thing! sounds like maybe the Veggies will rise up and declare a no meat state that’s next along with natural water only! that’s why the grunt takes it in the shorts as the sucking Tic’s get their Jollies proving the American Bill of rights is useless, Sacramento will become the new Mecca and invite all the Goat ropers there, along with their special Illegals , Personally give all back too Mexico.
Don’t complain when someone breaks into your home and assaults you because you dont have a gun….