I already noted early in October that my own field research had indicated the governator was in trouble.
November 8 is Arnold’s special election, including several ballot measures he favors. The latest Times poll shows that all of them are in trouble, some are losing by big margins, and that the unpopular governor himself is dragging down the very measures for which he called the special election.
Schwarzenegger is now about as unpopular in California as President Bush, and the profile of voter attitudes towards the governor and president are very similar across the political spectrum. Only 40% of Californians approve of the governor’s job performance, whereas a year ago it was 69%.
Schwarzenegger’s approval is strongest among Republicans and conservatives (around 70% positive), but nearly half of self-identified moderate Republicans disapprove. Thirteen percent of Democrats approve, versus 54% a year ago.
This is striking, in that he was elected with cross-party appeal, in a race in which conservatives had their own candidate (Tom McClintock), which allowed Schwarzenegger to identify himself as a “different kind” of Republican. But, two years in office, he is now viewed as a Bush Republican, and his agenda of proposals favored by Republicans and business and opposed by Democrats and labor is going down to defeat, unless things reverse for him with less than a week to go.
I’ll have more on the specific measures and the special election itself in the coming days.
What’ll really be fun is to see, after most or all of Schwarzenegger’s ballot measures go down in flames, if Schwarzenegger himself will even bother running for re-election next year. The hard core of the California GOP had Ahnold inflicted upon them last time out; an unpopular Schwarzenegger would no doubt have them looking for alternatives fast.
It should also be noted that Schwarzenegger has reportedly agreed to star in two movie sequels, Terminator 4 and True Lies 2, Moviehole.net reported a few weeks ago. Perhaps he sees the writing on the wall. At some point he’ll either declare victory and get out, or he’ll rip the Democratic legislature and get out.
Seed planted by David Peng — 02 November 2005 @ 14:25
I thought he went into politics because his movie career was on the downside. Arnie is pushing 60, not exactly a prime age for an action movie actor.
Hopefully, he will just get out of politics and film, period. And stay away from Angel Stadium of Anaheim. He’s definately not welcome there, either. There’s always the muscle mag deal he had….
Seed planted by Steve Austin — 02 November 2005 @ 18:15
Arnold Schwarzenegger is no Charles de Gaulle
According to the polls, Schwarzenegger’s reform agenda, including a plan to modernize legislative redistricting, is going down to similar inglorious defeat.
Scion grafted by Fruits and Votes — 03 November 2005 @ 15:35
Hey, David and Steve, thanks for stopping by, and come back and comment often!
Seed planted by Matthew Shugart — 03 November 2005 @ 18:37
i luv u mat
Seed planted by David Peng — 05 November 2005 @ 00:42
The more ‘Arnold’ it is, the more ‘No’ it is
From the results of the LA Times poll, as reported over two days in the week before the election, a very striking pattern is readily apparent for the four measures The Governator supports and the one advocated by conservatives but that he has taken no position on. That pattern is that the ones that are most clearly favorable to the governor are the ones that are drawing the most opposition. The governor is a drag.
Scion grafted by Fruits and Votes — 05 November 2005 @ 18:27
Election Watch: California
And, as F&Vs has noted, Arnold’s political slide has been raher remarkable: A poll by the independent Field Research Corporation of San Francisco found that the governor’s call for a special election made voters less inclined to vote for his re-election next year. As of late October, only 36 percent of registered voters said they would support his re-election, the Field poll found. Fifty-five percent said they would not vote for him.
Scion grafted by PoliBlog: Politics is the Master Science — 07 November 2005 @ 05:46