[FairOpinion]

Please explain how a candidate can be elected with 34% of the votes.

CALIFORNIA VOTER AND PARTY PROFILES

http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/JTF_VoterProfilesJTF.pdf


"The Democratic Party currently has an advantage of 1.4 million voters over the Republican Party (7.1 million to 5.7 million) or 9 percentage points (43% to 34%), according to the Secretary of State.

Among those most likely to vote in this year’s elections, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 7-point margin (44% to 37%), while 15 percent of likely voters are registered as independents.

... the fact that independents are more likely to lean toward Democrats than Republicans (42% to 28%) tends to work to the disadvantage of the GOP in statewide elections."

[ElkGroveDan]

Please explain how a candidate can be elected with 34% of the votes.

Well there are plenty of ways, but I never alleged that such a thing could happen in a statewide Governor's race.

[ElkGroveDan]

... the fact that independents are more likely to lean toward Democrats than Republicans (42% to 28%) tends to work to the disadvantage of the GOP in statewide elections."

All the more reason to not p*ss away the Republican base by telling them you're a pro-abortion, pro-gay, extreme environmentalist, who favors big government child care programs, and doesn't care too much for President Bush.

[calcowgirl]

Please explain how a candidate can be elected with 34% of the votes.

Probably the same way its been done for decades.

Year   Elected                Vote %  Repub Regis %
1966   Ronald Reagan           57.6%     40.2%
1970   Ronald Reagan           52.8%     39.8%
1982   George Deukmejian       50.6%     34.9%
1986   George Deukmejian       61.0%     38.3%
1990   Pete Wilson             48.7%     39.3%
1994   Pete Wilson             55.3%     37.2%
2003   Arnold Schwarzenegger   48.6%     35.2%

Give people something to vote FOR and you'll have a better chance.
Awful, Awfuler, and Awfullest is not much of a choice at the ballot box.

[calcowgirl]

... the fact that independents are more likely to lean toward Democrats than Republicans (42% to 28%) tends to work to the disadvantage of the GOP in statewide elections."

PPIC seems to be basing this "fact" on what people say, not how they vote. Statistics do not support this "fact" in gubernatorial races.

Year   Elected       Party  % of Vote |     Registration Percent
                                      |   Repub   Democ   All Other
1966   Reagan           Rep   57.6%   |   40.2%   56.6%    3.2%
1970   Reagan           Rep   52.8%   |   39.8%   54.9%    5.2%
1974   Brown            Dem   50.1%   |   36.0%   56.6%    7.4%
1978   Brown            Dem   56.0%   |   34.2%   56.6%    9.2%
1982   Deukmejian       Rep   50.6%   |   34.9%   53.2%   11.9%
1986   Deukmejian       Rep   61.0%   |   38.3%   50.8%   10.9%
1990   Wilson           Rep   48.7%   |   39.3%   49.5%   11.2%
1994   Wilson           Rep   55.3%   |   37.2%   49.0%   13.8%
1998   Davis            Dem   58.0%   |   35.5%   46.7%   17.8%
2002   Davis            Dem   47.3%   |   35.2%   44.6%   20.2%
2003   Schwarzenegger   Rep   48.6%   |   35.2%   44.6%   20.2%