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Over the past few weeks Monsanto, DuPont and other large corporations have flooded California with millions of dollars in ads against Proposition 37, which would require the labeling of food containing genetically modified ingredients. Two new polls confirm the well-funded negative campaign has managed to significantly reduce support for the ballot measure.
The California Business Roundtable/Pepperdine University School of Public Policy poll shows support for Prop 37 has dropped dramatically since last month. Their current poll finds 48.3 percent plan to vote for Prop 37, 40.2 percent plan to vote against it, and 11.5 percent remain undecided. Last month the same pollster found Prop 37 leading 66.9 percent yes to 22.3 percent no.
A SurveyUSA poll from this week confirms the large drop. It shows Prop 37 still leading but only by a very small margin. According to their poll 39 percent say they are certain to vote for it, 30 percent say they plan to vote no, and 31 percent are currently not certain about how they will vote.
The GMO labeling initiative still technically leads at this point so it might win approval from the voters, but its chances of passing are now seriously in doubt. It went from looking like a sure bet before the big corporate funded blitz to a potential loss now.
This is a powerful reminder how important unlimited corporate spending can be in politics. While the inherent partisan divide among voters makes it tough for advertising to significantly move many voters in top ticket races, it can have a major impact on how voters perceive issues and ballot initiatives.
The big chemical and food companies know Prop 37 could have ramifications beyond California so they are sparing no expense to kill it.
19 Comments
I don’t watch tv so haven’t seen any ads but this puzzles me. Why would people vote to allow companies to keep secret what they’re putting in your food? If there’s nothing wrong with whatever “it” is, why would they keep it secret? A bit of critical thinking is needed on this issue.
Yep, here they come with the message that the world will end if you don’t let corp. Amerika that knows what is good for you to slowly kill you with the new and improved seed from hell.
I live in Central Valley of Calli and the corn grown behind my house going to stores near you is sprayed by corp duster every 3 days. Amazing time to shop at farmers markets before they are made illegal.
The sad truth is, my scientifically educated family is absolutely convinced that GMO is the second coming of Christ and that all opposition to it is driven by pure ignorance.
No number of food allergies, which keep getting worse and more numerous each year, will persuade them otherwise…
Wish you would report on the ads…
The radio ad I have heard is connecting this to trial lawyers as just a scheme to create more BS lawsuits to line their pockets.
Another ad goes after the exemptions in the law.
If this fails my feeling is that much like the pot intiative, the will fail based on the content of law rather than the larger concept
This reminds me of the video clip I watched this morning of Chris Matthews trying to interview a Romney voter in the crowd who kept saying that Obama’s Communist, and that he’s not an American. When pressed to say what she meant by that she was only able to spew out deflectives and the party line. She has no idea.
That’s what I think is going on in the polls in CA on the Monsanto initiative.
But, we got days left, and there are some people who don’t pay attention until the last minute.
New ads coming out may make a difference. We’ll wait and see.
I always try and read the bottom of ads at the end to see who is sponsoring them. Usually, I don’t have enough time. And the organizations’ names are very non-specific. I am fairly well informed and I get confused.
I heard that, too, and thought: oh brother! That’s REALLY a reeeeaaaccch, but of course, it will *definitely* appeal to certain conservatives who reliably salivate like Pavlov’s dogs at bullshit red meat hype like this.
Unsurprising, but a particularly cynical ad, that one.
Yeah, I know Ph.D.’s (bio types) who tell me the same crapola about GMO.
However, as another commenter already pointed out: even IF you wholeheartedly believe that GMO is the second coming blah blah, they WHY be *against* the labeling? IF you think GMO is so shit-hot, then WHY wouldn’t you want to know that your food’s been fiddled with, so THAT’s the product that you want to buy?
I mean: the labeling can cut both ways. Those who don’t want it can avoid it, and those who believe in the almightiness of GMO can make sure that’s what they buy! win-win
Part of the push-back on this initiative has to do with the fact that CA is huge. Once companies have to start paying to re-label their products, then they’re likely going to re-label products nationally and/or even internationally.
Part of that is solely and only about money and the costs involved with re-labeling. Per usual: who gives a crap about anyone’s health, much less food allergies. Companies just don’t want to pay to re-label.
Not the whole story, but part of the push-back.
I used to live in Fresno, and everyone was always so psyched about the HUGE (size-wise) fruits & veggies there. Like: woot!
I ran to the nearest farmers’ market seeking organic crops that were much smaller & tasted better (and more likely were more nutritious). Thanks v. much. Those giant fruits often had little flavor, too.
I am not certain what the problem with genetically modified food is. Corn has been modified from its original form by some very inventive cross breeding and hybridization. Same is true for seedless watermelons. and a bunch of other products. Why is it ok to modify food by cross breeding and hybridization and not ok to modify foods that have genetic modifications?
Actually, to the point made by jo6pac above, if a GMO crop can be developed that is resistant to the bugs, could we eliminate the crop dusting which is certainly poisonous, at least for a time.
answer in simple words so that I can understand the danger.
Once a company genetically modifies food, they can claim a patent on that modification and the resulting seeds. Monsanto makes genetically modified corn seeds that are single use. So they could be “bug resistant” or better yet resistant only with a combination of Monsanto’s Roundup, but a farmer must buy the seeds from Monsanto every year at a large expense. If any seed blows into a second farmer’s field and starts growing, Monsanto can sue that farmer for growing their product without paying. Or if there is a drought, the farmer actually has spent big money on seeds and Roundup but winds up with nothing at the end of the year but a big bill from Monsanto. This has happened in India, leading to many farmer suicides over debt.
After awhile, Monsanto puts the hammer down and tries to control the market. This is the basics that I know and can explain, but the finer details I believe are even worse.
I am a plant pathologist and can tell you that rule number one is always–ALWAYS–rotate the methods available to control diseases or insects. Both insects and diseases are highly adaptable and, over time, can develop resistance if you continually use the same substance. Already, BT-resistant caterpillars are infecting corn because farmers have been relying on BT that is integrated into the gene structure of GM corn. BT is the safest substance we have to control caterpillars, so now farmers will have to use chemicals, which are less safe, since BT is a natural substance.
Further, GMO crops are not normal hybrids. The genes are spliced–not crossed–to introduce foreign substances. That’s about as simple as I can make it.
i think this shows how stupid the american people are.
i can make it simpler and i only play a plant pathologist on FDL
these so called foods have been scientifically proven by double blind studies lasting 2 years TO CAUSE CANCER, STERILITY , BIRTH DEFECTS AND A LIST OF other diseases and organ deformities.
“I am not certain what the problem with genetically modified food is”
well WHY the hell dont you go find out instead of just asking why here?
(and i have to share a country with these people?)
your correct but the rabbit hole goes much much deeper than this.
of course you are aware that monsantos best friend is?..thats right!! president obama!!
It is a shame that we in Amerika so easily lost the GMO battle while much of Europe and Russia have successfully resisted corporate agriculture’s dominance.
This labeling bill is important but when you see what foods are already GM you realize that you have almost no choice because there few alternatives. Eggos and Cheerios are just two of the hundreds of familiar brands already in the GMO camp.
Mark Twain wrote something like, “A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth gets its pants on.” At this particular moment in American history, we can see with great clarity just how right he was.
The only remaining question is, how did human civilization ever get as far as it has? Believing all those lies should have killed us off long ago. But no, here we are. It is a puzzle.