Poll Shows MCRI Failing

The effort to convince voters "Don't Be Fooled by the misnamed MCRI" is working!  An EPIC-MRA poll for WXYZ-TV conducted March 3 -8, 2006 shows support for MCRI is decreasing.  47% of those polled would vote no, and 44% would vote yes.  Read the detail below.

From Michigan Information and Research Service Capitol Capsule, 3-9-06
New Poll: MCRI Failing, DeVos Down By 10

After survey participants were read a description of the MCRI proposal, 47 percent said they would vote no, while 44 percent said they would vote yes.

The survey used the following question:

A proposal to amend the Michigan constitution to ban public institutions from using affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment to groups or individuals based on race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin for public employment, education or contracting purposes. Public institutions affected include state government, local governments, public colleges and universities, community colleges and local public school districts. Based on what you know or have heard or read about this issue, if the election were held today, would you vote yes in favor of the proposal or no to oppose it?

Some 42 percent indicated they would vote ''yes," while two percent said they were leaning toward voting yes. A firm 46 percent said they'd vote no, with an additional one percent saying they were leaning toward no.

"What's interesting there is that African Americans finally understand it's not a pro-Civil Rights initiative," Sarpolus explained.

In March and April of 2004 the proposal was polling 60 percent in favor 22 percent opposed. By last December the numbers had dropped to 53 percent in support and 32 percent opposed.

So, who's supporting the initiative? Sarpolus said the more conservative you are the more likely you are to vote. The initiative is also playing well among younger, white males.

Public closely divided on affirmative action, life definitions
3/9/2006

Support has eroded for a proposal to ban affirmative action in government hiring and university admissions in Michigan, according to results of a statewide poll released Thursday.

Forty-seven percent of 600 likely voters surveyed this week opposed the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, which will be on the ballot in the November election. Forty-four percent favored it, while 9 percent were undecided.

The telephone poll was conducted by Lansing-based EPIC/MRA for WXYZ-TV in Southfield.

Because the poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points, the contest was a statistical dead heat.

Even so, the numbers represent a big setback for the proposal, which drew 64 percent support — 20 points more than the latest poll — in an EPIC/MRA survey nearly two years ago, according to Ed Sarpolus of EPIC/MRA. Last December, 53 percent were in favor and 32 percent were opposed.

"This is the first time in two years the Civil Rights Initiative is below 50 percent," Sarpolus said. "It's an amazing change."

Opponents of affirmative action circulated petitions seeking the ballot initiative after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2003 the University of Michigan Law School could consider race to create a diverse student population.

Critics contend the initiative's early popularity was due largely to its name, which they said was deceptive and didn't make clear its goal was to restrict affirmative action. Leaders of the initiative denied that.

David Waymire, spokesman for an opposition group called One United Michigan, said the latest EPIC/MRA poll was the first he knew of that asked voters about the initiative using language that will appear on the ballot.

"There has never been an issue where words mean so much," he said.

Jennifer Gratz, executive director of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, said the poll was "an anomoly."  "Credible poll after credible poll has shown that Michigan voters by a nearly 2-to-1 margin support" the initiative's goals, Gratz said. "I'm still confident that when voters go into the booth and are asked if they want to do away with using race as a factor, the overwhelming answer will be yes."

Increased media attention and opposition from industry and government leaders have hurt the initiative, Sarpolus said.  "Every major political figure in the state and the major manufacturers and businesses have come out against it," he said. "People who are looking to say 'I'm for it' can't find any friends."

Gratz said the organized opposition represented "the elite establishment — big government, big business. They're completely disconnected from the general public."

Waymire countered that his coalition represented a cross-section of Michigan society, including labor, civil rights groups, business, the elderly and civic activists.

"People are understanding that these equal opportunity programs help women as well as minorities," he said. "They're surprised when they understand the strange and bizarre consequences of the proposal."

The poll also showed voters evenly divided over whether the state constitution should be amended to define life as beginning at conception, a question some supporters want placed on the November ballot.

Forty-five percent said they'd support such a measure, while 47 percent said they'd oppose it and 8 percent were undecided. Michigan Citizens for Life must collect more than 317,000 valid signatures of state voters by mid-July to get the measure on the ballot.