If I were a political adviser to the Dems I’d want Prop. 19 to lose and then use the marijuana issue to get out the vote in 2012. If it passes it puts the Obama administration in a bind. If they don’t enforce the federal marijuana law they will piss off the right and if they do enforce the marijuana law they piss of the voters they hope will get out and vote for them. Best for the Dems — lose now, use later.
Re polls — there was one Reuters poll that had it losing. But that was a very small sample and it had all the other races in California inconsistent with the other polling as well. So, that poll seems a little strange. All the other polls show Prop 19 winning by 5 to 7 points.