CA-Gov: Arnold back in the driver seat.

[Moooooo]

Public Policy Institute of Cali

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR
Schwarzenegger 39%
Steve Westly 31%

Schwarzenegger 41%
Phil Angelides 29%

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR - DEM PRIMARY
Undecided 55%
Westly 23%
Angelides 22%

[Alcon]

I don't really fully buy this either.  I don't recall PPI's record, but I doubt it is sterling.

[Beet]

The problem with California is that
1) state legislators have little experience because of overly draconian term limits. they depend too heavily on the leadership of one or two people
2) elections aren't competitive
3) it takes two-thirds of the vote to pass practically anything substantive, and this requires consensus on all issues

Under these constraints its hard to see how even the most herculean efforts can expect success (see this). Between this and Proposition 13 (where two people who own identically valued homes right next to each other, and one guy pays 20 times more property tax than the other guy) this is easily one of the worst governed states in the nation, if not the very worst. Its strength of entrepeneurship and talent is actually hurting it when it covers over big problems and prevents reform. But when the state goes into recession again, and it will, the sh!t will hit the fan.

[The Duke]

PPI has been unkind to my Governor in the past, so it is heartening to see them show Arnold well ahead.  And now that Zogby is showing Angelides ahead, I can rest assurred that Arnold is in fact in the cat bird's seat after all.

[Speed of Sound]

I dont buy this crap at all. Arnolds got trouble on his hands, much more trouble than this poll suggests.

[Ben.]

I've said all along that Arnie would win, its just a shame that the voters wont give him the tools to do the job he was elected to do

[Speed of Sound]

I dont buy this crap at all. Arnolds got trouble on his hands, much more trouble than this poll suggests.

In the words of SNL's Hanz and Franz; "Arnold is not too scarred."

The Governator will get owned 06' like he owned the bench press and the Predator.

Much better

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For haters of King Jesus.

[Democratic Hawk]

I've said all along that Arnie would win, its just a shame that the voters wont give him the tools to do the job he was elected to do

Do you actually take the guy seriously Ben?

That infantile speech of his at the RNC was cringeworthy. Girly men . That's something I'd expect from a four year old

Dave

[Lincoln Republican]

Schwarzenegger is not Governorhship material.

Give the Democrats a solid, politically savvy candidate, one who can be taken seriously, a good campaign, and they can take the Governorship back.

[Frodo]

I wonder -would Democrats be better off having Arnold Schwarzenegger winning a second term, and then trying again in 2010 with Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa? 

[The Duke]

I wonder -would Democrats be better off having Arnold Schwarzenegger winning a second term, and then trying again in 2010 with Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa? 

Bill Lockyer is the better candidate.  Antonio is not the brightest bulb in the light fixture.  Lockyer is tailor made for state politics in California.

[Moooooo]

I wonder -would Democrats be better off having Arnold Schwarzenegger winning a second term, and then trying again in 2010 with Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa? 

Bill Lockyer is the better candidate.  Antonio is not the brightest bulb in the light fixture.  Lockyer is tailor made for state politics in California.

How is the homeless and pot-hole issue comming?

[The Duke]

I wonder -would Democrats be better off having Arnold Schwarzenegger winning a second term, and then trying again in 2010 with Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa? 

Bill Lockyer is the better candidate.  Antonio is not the brightest bulb in the light fixture.  Lockyer is tailor made for state politics in California.

How is the homeless and pot-hole issue comming?

80,000 potholes filled in 3 months.  Not too bad.  Say what you want about big government, but the city of LA is damn good at delivering services to constituents.  When they set a goal, they meet it.  There's still a hell of a lot of potholes around, though, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

On homelessness, they're now setting up regional homeless shelters to end the dumping of the homeless on skid row in downtown LA.  I am dubious about this plan.  It seems to be politically unwise to drop off large numbers of homeless in the suburbs, and it seems policy wise to be re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic to just move the homeless around the city instead of really reducing the actual number of homeless.

[PBrunsel]

Do you actually take the guy seriously Ben?

That infantile speech of his at the RNC was cringeworthy. Girly men . That's something I'd expect from a four year old

Dave

Funny thing is Dave that if it was a Democratic GOvernor who had said that then you would be applauding him for being "blunt with Washington".

[Democratic Hawk]

Do you actually take the guy seriously Ben?

That infantile speech of his at the RNC was cringeworthy. Girly men . That's something I'd expect from a four year old

Dave

Funny thing is Dave that if it was a Democratic GOvernor who had said that then you would be applauding him for being "blunt with Washington".

I'd probably hold the Democrat in more disdain than I would Schwarzenegger

Dave

[Ben.]

I've said all along that Arnie would win, its just a shame that the voters wont give him the tools to do the job he was elected to do

Do you actually take the guy seriously Ben?

That infantile speech of his at the RNC was cringeworthy. Girly men . That's something I'd expect from a four year old

Dave

Eloquent he is not, but effective he has been.

The thing is that Arnie is the only potential governor who will actually work effectively to put California’s fiscal house in order.

Any Democrat would wind up simply ignoring the problems that have beset the state and appeasing the state’s big labour lobby, just as Schwarzenegger’s Dem predecessors and the Dems in the state legislature have.   

For all his failings, Arnie is the “least worst option” and with him as governor there is the prospect of meaningful and effective reform something which no Democrat will have the “gumption” to push for.