http://news.investors.com/print/politics-andrew-malcolm/120413-681606-obama-california-field-poll-support-slides.aspx Oh-oh, even California's turning on Obama
By Andrew Malcolm
Posted 09:02 AM ET
As everyone knows, California is the la-de-dah, laid-back land of liberalism that's been Barack Obama's political ATM for six years. Hollywood stars have loved him, fronted multi-multi-million-dollar fundraisers for him.
The most populous state (home to 12 of every 100 Americans) has a Democrat governor again, two female Democrat senators and a Democrat super-majority in the state legislature that has yet to stumble upon a problem it didn't want government making worse at great cost.
In presidential politics California has been trending Democratic since the end of the "third" term of its former governor, Ronald Reagan, presided over by George H.W. Bush. Bill Clinton won only 46% of the state's popular votes in 1992. He grew it to 51% in 1996.
What's-his-name the warm climate guy couldn't carry his own state of Tennessee in 2000, but still won California with 53%. Even that Massachusetts yacht owner took 54% of the Golden state's popular vote in 2004.
And, of course, Obama easily won the state's 55 electoral votes twice, with 61% in 2008 and 60% last year. He was there again just last week, fundraising naturally, sucking up to movie moguls and, believe it or not, strangely bragging of his ability to racially-profile obvious immigrants walking around.
Even while Obama's support crumbled elsewhere, Californians held tight to their hope for change. Despite the state's stubbornly high and enduring unemployment rate (still at 8.7%) and emptiness of Obama's repeat pivots to creating jobs.
But now comes a brand-new statewide Field Poll. Guess what, dude? The Illinois guy is sliding. Bad. Especially among his traditional core supporters, such as independents, youths, women and union members.
In February, 62% of Californians approved of the job performance of the White House's top golfer. During Obama's entire presidency his California approval was higher only once, 65% just 60 days into the job, Field reports.
Today, barely a majority of California's registered voters approve (51%). In February, 33% disapproved of Obama's job. Today, 43% disapprove. That's the worst since 44% in autumn of 2011.
Obama has been stricken by serial scandals, missteps and stunning impressions of ineptness (Benghazi, NSA, IRA, FBI, Syrian red line), the disastrous ObamaCare rollout and, worst of all, what's seen as his clear, long-term deceit on keeping your health plan and doctor.
Obama's approval has plummeted 13 points among California women, 16 points each among Latinos and independents and a whopping 18 points among union households. You've got to work at doing that.
The growing tide of unhappiness with Obama, who often seems a bystander in his own administration, appeared earlier this fall elsewhere across the country.
While California Democrats still overwhelmingly approve of Obama's job performance, those disapproving have doubled from 9% to 18%. His disapproval is highest in southern California outside of Los Angeles County (59%, up from 41% in February).
His disapproval grew from 23% to 31% in sprawling LA County. In northern California, Obama's disapproval jumped from 41% to 50%. And even in the notoriously liberal San Francisco Bay area disapproval of Obama climbed from 26% to 33%.
By age, senior Californians' disapproval of Obama increased by six points to 50%, by 10 points to 33% among voters age 18 to 39 and by 12 points to 48% among registered voters age 40 to 64.
By education, those with high school degrees or less used to be the Democrat's strongest supporters. Those so-called low-information voters had the lowest disapproval of Obama as recently as February, 26%.
Today, disapproval of Obama in that demographic has nearly doubled to 50%, now the highest disapproval of education groupings.
Last February, nearly half of California's registered voters (48%) felt the country was headed in the right direction, while 44% said wrong direction. Today, only one-in-three say things are moving in the right direction, while a significant majority (55%) say wrong direction.
