Nearly three-fifths of California voters agree with the sentiment driving the Occupy movement, though voters split when asked whether they identify with protesters, according to a Field Poll released Monday.

The statewide survey found that 58 percent agree with the reason behind Occupy demonstrations in cities and on college campuses.

But 49 percent said they don't identify much with Occupy protesters, compared with 46 percent who said they identify some or a lot.

"The second question is much more of a personal one, as in, 'Would you go out into the streets if things got bad, if push came to shove?' " said Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo. "The first question is broader: 'Where are your heartstrings?' "

Nearly nine in 10 "strongly liberal" voters said they agree with the Occupy sentiment, compared to 66 percent of "strongly conservative" voters who said they disagree.

While the Occupy movement tilts left, nearly one-third of Republicans said they agree with the reason behind it, as did 62 percent of nonpartisan voters.

The poll showed little difference across age and income groups, which DiCamillo said he found "somewhat surprising."

"Now we're looking at something that captures almost half of voters, so it is a broader-based phenomenon," DiCamillo said.

Camille Volk, a 53-year-old Ceres Democrat, said she identifies with protesters and blamed "money grubbers" for hurting working people. Her husband is losing his job at a satellite company. Her son's family of four moved into her three-bedroom house after he lost his auto shop job.

"I just feel they're in the right," Volk said of protesters. "I'm disabled, and I can't do things like that, but if I could, I would have been right there with them. The way things are going in our economy and our government is not right."

Darrell Spence, a 62-year-old Placer County Republican, told the poll he didn't identify with the movement. But he said he agrees with some parts of it and disagrees with others.

"The basic problem lies with the cronyism between corporations and the government," said Spence, who described himself as libertarian. "Government could stop that in a heartbeat. I understand that part of it."

But, he added, "I think it's misguided when they go after corporations. I think basically anarchists are involved. There's a large percentage of them that would like to see capitalism evaporate and go more toward socialism, and I think they're misguided."

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