Poll: Pro-Abortion Barbara Boxer Has Narrow Lead Over Pro-Life Carly Fiorina
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 8, 2010
Sacramento, CA (LifeNews.com) — A new poll of the California Senate race finds the lead pro-abortion Sen. Barbara Boxer has over pro-life candidate Carly Fiorina is very narrow. Boxer’s favorability numbers have also taken a hit, according to the survey released today by the Field Poll.
Boxer now leads Fiorina by a scant three percentage points,47-44, which is within the margin of error.
The lead is actually an increase over the one percent lead Boxer had in the Field Poll the firm conducted in March. But, her favorability numbers are dropping.
Now, just 42 percent of California voters approve of the job Boxer is doing in the Senate while 48 percent disapprove. Another 52 percent of voters have an unfavorable view of Boxer overall.
Fiorina is becoming better known around the state and the Field Poll shows 37 percent of voters don’t know enough about her now to say if they have a favorable or unfavorable view. That is down from 59 percent in March and it gives Fiorina a chance to define herself to voters before Boxer can.
Currently, 34 percent of California residents view Fiorina favorably while 29 percent have a negative opinion.
Vice President Joe Biden, who supports abortion like Boxer, is visiting California to campaign for her on Thursday and Friday. His visit comes after pro-abortion President Barack Obama appeared in the state on her behalf.
An early June Rasmussen Reports poll showed Fiorina trailing by five percent. Its survey of likely voters had Boxer picking up 48% support over Fiorina’s 43% and another 5 percent supporting another candidate while five percent are undecided.
Support for both nominees is at its highest level so far this year as the last poll conducted before the primary election had Boxer with a 45 to 38 percent lead over Fiorina.
Boxer, who is seeking a fourth six-year term, has yet to reach the 50% level of support in the general election — a critical mark for incumbents.
"The good news for Boxer is that she has the power of incumbency on her side in a state that trends Democratic. The bad news is that she remains stuck in the 40s. At this stage of the campaign, any incumbent who earns less than 50% of the vote is considered potentially vulnerable," Rasmussen indicated.
After the election, it didn’t take long for Boxer to come out swinging against Fiorina.
Just one day after Fiorina cruised to an easy victory to capture the Republican nomination, Boxer and her pro-abortion allies went on the attack.
In a state where voters have rejected a modest proposal to allow parents to know when their minor daughters are considering an abortion, Boxer hopes to use abortion as a means of keeping her job that polls show is tenuous.
In a Tuesday interview with the Los Angeles Times, Boxer said Fiorina’s views are out of step with most California voters.
“She wants to make it a crime, and that would mean women and doctors in jail,” Boxer said. “That is so out of touch with Californians.”
When the Times asked Fiorina about Boxer’s comment, she replied, “That’s a ridiculous statement.”
“I happen to believe in the sanctity of life, but the great majority of Californians disagree with Barbara Boxer, who believes that taxpayers should be funding partial-birth abortion,” Fiorina said.
“Barbara Boxer is really trying to change the subject. The subject in this election is jobs. The subject in this election is out-of-control government," she added.
Meanwhile, Emily’s List, the radical pro-abortion group that only endorses candidates who support partial-birth abortions and forcing taxpayers to fund abortions, took a shot at its pro-life counterpart, the Susan B. Anthony List.
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