A week before California's Democratic presidential primary, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry leads North Carolina Sen. John Edwards by a lopsided 56% to 24% among the state's likely voters in the race, according to a new Los Angeles Times poll.
The survey also found that, while many Californians are still unaware of them, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's two budget measures on the March 2 ballot are winning a majority, thanks partly to his aggressive campaign for voter approval.
One of them, Proposition 57, which would authorize up to $15 billion in bonds to help balance the state budget, has the support of 51% of voters with 34% opposed -- once the measure was explained to them. The other, Proposition 58, which would require the Legislature to pass a balanced budget, has a broader 58%-to-23% lead.
But two other ballot measures were in trouble, the poll found. Proposition 55, a $12-billion school bond, is ahead narrowly -- 49% to 41%. Proposition 56 -- a proposal to lower the Legislature's vote threshold for passing a budget, in effect abolishing the Republican minority's power to block tax hikes -- is losing 39% to 46%. On all of the propositions, a substantial chunk of the electorate was still undecided even after being told about the measures.
Beyond next week's election, the survey found California to be decidedly unfriendly territory for President Bush in November. Just over half of California voters disapprove of his job performance. In potential matchups, Kerry and Edwards each finish well ahead of the Republican president -- in Kerry's case by a solid 13 points.
Indeed, the depth of opposition to Bush among Democrats, who dominate California elections, is a key factor fueling Kerry's strength in the primary, the poll found. Among likely Democratic primary voters, 56% say it was more important to choose a candidate who could drive Bush from office than one who agrees with them.
"He's one of the worst presidents we've had in 150 years," Democratic poll respondent Robert Drescher of Santa Clarita said in a follow-up interview.
The 44-year-old lawyer favors Kerry for the same reason he preferred Wesley Clark before the retired general dropped out of the race: He sees him as having the best shot at defeating Bush.
Following the pattern set in other states, Kerry's support in the primary cuts across a broad range of demographic groups. He wins majorities of men, women, liberals, moderates, Latinos, union members and senior citizens, among others.
