Posted on 07/22/2004 6:52:24 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's sky-high popularity dropped as division deepened over a budget stalemate dominated by partisan politics, according to a poll released Thursday.
Schwarzenegger, who enjoyed near-record performance ratings two months ago, received approval from 57 percent of Californians in a survey from the Public Policy Institute - a fall of 7 percentage points since the group's poll in taken in May.
While his approval numbers remained high, the survey found most of the drop came among Democrats and independent voters - two groups that had been most enthusiastic about Schwarzenegger's efforts to remain above the partisan fray.
But pollster Mark Baldassare said the budget impasse - 22 days old Thursday - and the growing partisan tone that the governor took in recent weeks was eroding his support.
"This is the governor who promised he was going to be able to deliver the budget on time," said Baldassare. "And now he's caught up with the Legislature in the annual blame game about who is responsible for that not happening, and why."
The survey by the San Francisco nonpartisan think tank is based on telephone interviews with 2,505 adults, taken during a 15-day period ending July 14. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
The survey period did not capture reaction to last week's events when partisan attacks escalated, including Schwarzenegger's remark on Saturday when he called Democrats "girlie men" for not standing up to unions and other special interests.
Baldassare said that if the poll had been extended to include that period, he would have expected to see the governor's numbers fall even further.
Margita Thompson, Schwarzenegger's spokeswoman, said that the governor is not too worried about the dip.
"The bottom line is that the governor is popular," she said. "He has a unique connection with Californians and he's going to maintain that connection."
But most analysts said the basis of Schwarzenegger's immense popularity - aside from his Hollywood fame - has come from the perception that he has tried hard to work with both parties.
During the first six months of his administration, Schwarzenegger won compromise on several important issues including a voter-approved spending cap, a $15 billion bond measure and reform of the workers' compensation system.
Schwarzenegger wanted a quick agreement on the budget too. To get support of the Legislature's Democratic majority, he backed away from deep cuts he proposed in January to public health and welfare programs. He also negotiated early funding agreements with the education lobby and local government.
But a hang-up with one of those agreements, involving how to finance cities and counties, stalled talks for weeks. More recently the governor and Republicans deadlocked with Democrats over the modification or repeal of two labor laws.
The governor has accused Democrats of holding up the budget because they refuse to give in to his terms on those three issues. Democrats have made the same charge of Schwarzenegger.
While the governor has attempted to hold the middle between the warring parties, he has increasingly lashed out at Democrats.
The new poll, Democrats said, shows that Schwarzenegger loses his appeal as he gets drawn into the partisan battle.
"Arnold came into office as a breath of fresh air," said Kam Kuwata, a Democratic consultant. "But if you were to have dropped in from outer space after being away for a year, you'd see the same thing you've seen the last few years - the governor is in a fight with the Legislature. Nothing has changed."
Pollster David Binder said that surveys he took last year before Schwarzenegger decided to run in the recall found voters viewed him as a traditional Republican - GOP supporters gave him high marks, while Democrats did not.
After he took office, however, and began operating in a bipartisan way, the governor's numbers soared - especially among independents and Democrats, the same two groups that appeared to be withdrawing in the latest poll.
GOP loyalists said the dip in the governor's numbers are only natural given the budget fight.
"Who didn't think his numbers would come down?" asked Assembly Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield. "But the poll he pays attention to, the real one, is look at how many people show up to his events. He announces a day before he's going to a mall and 3,500 people are there - and that's a cross-section of California."
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On the Net:
www.ppic.org
Public Policy Institute
AH here comes the infamous media poll that is meant to do nothing but try to sway pulic opinion against Arnold.
They do not want Arnold to fight for his beliefs and win the budget battle.
If Arnold gets a budget that he likes that will be a HUGE political win for him.
I just hope Arnold sticks to it and does not give in to the polls.
If we're comparing approval ratings, the legislature's is somewhere below Al Qaeda's.
Unless all elected pukes stand up and fight I have no use for any of them.
Where do they come up with "everybody get along" garbage.
Unless it's a constant war they aren't doing what they are being paid for.
I don't think for a minute that Arnold should "tone down" the partisan rhetoric, he struck a nerve and it got the nation talking. And it was FUNNY watching the girlie men tantrum, proving Arnold's point.
Pour it on, Gov!!
I eat partisan vitriol for breakfast..
"This is the governor who promised he was going to be able to deliver the budget on time," said Baldassare. "And now he's caught up with the Legislature in the annual blame game about who is responsible for that not happening, and why."
So the Governor is supposed to kiss the a@@ of the CRATS and give in to keep a promise. Give them hell, Arnold.
So what the paper is saying is that ANY budget on time is better than a good budget. Stupid girlie men.
bullshit.
Arnold's popularity goes up in direct relation to kicking the ol' boyz in the ass and calling them girlie men.
PEOPLE love it.
Demos and their lying pollsters are trying to back down the terminator.. because he is now entrenched in power, and in a position to influence upcoming STATE and FEDERAL elections this fall.
And he will.
in the end the liberal crappushing press will regurgitate their well-practiced lie that "the people through a tantrum against incumbancy" wrongly identifying WHO actually gets canned... liberal, dead ass do nothing demos.
correction....
"through" should ahve been "threw"
I liked it, too. It was definitely very appropriate, and it reminded everyone of the unions and trial lawyer special interests slowing down the Democrats, who are not willing to pass a budget.
The article said that the poll didn't reflect results of the "girlie men" speeches.
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