California voters oppose the idea of the state offering cash payments to the descendants of enslaved African Americans by a 2-to-1 margin, according to the results of a new poll that foreshadows the political difficulty ahead next year when state lawmakers begin to consider reparations for slavery.

The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, co-sponsored by The Times, found that 59% of voters oppose cash payments compared with 28% who support the idea. The lack of support for cash reparations was resounding, with more than 4 in 10 voters “strongly” opposed.

(via Instapundit)

[Imagine what those numbers would look like if the smart people hadn’t already fled the People’s Republic of California. Bear in mind that California Democrat leadership has been pushing this for years, hoping to pander to black voters, who normally vote 90% of the time with them anyway. Only 76% of black voters support this initiative, and only 51% support it strongly. If they try implementing it anyway, it’ll be a disaster for Democrats, especially outside their San Fran/LA cores. — Ed]