It's pretty shocking that California Republicans were more likely to support same-sex marriage in 1977 than now. Basically shows the extreme decline of the liberal Republican tradition in the interim (the last vestiges of the actual "Party of Lincoln").
Also, stupid Californians. Don't you know Prop 13 is what causes all of your budget messes?
1. The change wasn't that extreme. It's practically churn (from 65% against to 68% against) and I don't think that it was a major political issue in most parts back then, so the rabid partisans didn't have anyone telling them how to answer that question.
2. I do know that, but I'm probably a bit better informed than most (as is probably true with most people on this board) For most people Prop 13 was the big taxpayer's revolt - making sure Grandma didn't get drowned in property taxes just because the house they bought for 10K decades ago had increased in value by an order of magnitude or so. Not many people recognize it as a way big companies avoid taxes (since they are, in effect, immortal) or recognize the insane 2/3rds requirement (and how certain extremists can abuse it ad infinitum for their own pork; or even just ideological purity. The really dark side of gerrymandering is that it makes the loonies ultra-safe; and a sizable minority of them can block anything) even exists - much less causes a problem.
