Gov. Takes Plunge in Voter Approval Dunk Tank

Earlier this year, the Governor told the Sacramento Bee “"They know that my approval rating is in the 60s," he said…"The legislators' (are) in the 30s ... and you will see all those TV ads and those radio ads and those newspaper ads just to try to bring my poll numbers down. Those poor little guys. They're trying very hard...

"They may have a wonderful dream about that. But the reality is very sad for them. The reality is that they're not going to get my numbers down..." (Sacramento Bee, 2/12/05)

Four months later, the latest Field Poll numbers for the Governor are out and the San Francisco Chronicle (6/21/05) tells us “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suddenly ranks among the most unpopular governors in modern California history …”

Here’s a sampling of today’s headlines:

San Diego Union Tribune:
Governor Gets Chilling Numbers
'Self-inflicted' trouble sends approval rating tumbling in survey

San Francisco Chronicle:
Support for Governor Plunging Poll Finds Special Election, Budget Unpopular Among Californians

San Jose Mercury News:
Governor's Shrinking Popularity
New Poll Shows Support Dipping As He Stumps For His Initiatives

Riverside Press Enterprise:
Trouble for Governor
Approval-rating Just 37%; Fall Election Opposed

According to the Field Poll, only 31 percent of adult Californians approve of the Governor’s job performance.

Mark DiCamillo from the Field Poll says it best: “It's a very broad rejection of the governor across lots of different segments of the public.'' (Sacramento Bee, 6/21/05)

Underscoring this “broad rejection,” the survey also tells us the Governor’s approval rating with his own party plunged nearly 20 percentage points. (Field Poll, 6/20/05)

So, where do we go now? As the Governor is fond of saying, let’s ask the people: “Voters would back the Legislature over the governor in a confrontation over important issues.” (San Francisco Chronicle, 6/21/05)

Historically, Governors’ whose poll numbers tank don’t fare too well in California. One of the respondents of the Field Poll – John Geller from Oroville -- made this ominous statement: “Every time there's a decision to be made, he wants to go to the voters. If he does that, why do we need him?” (Sacramento Bee, 6/21/05)

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