Posted on 11/09/2005 4:18:22 PM PST by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Arnold Schwarzenegger's rise to governor of the nation's most populous state two years ago made him so popular that some Republicans even hinted at a constitutional amendment that would allow him to run for president.
On Wednesday, a remarkable reversal of fortune left the former action hero fighting for his political life in a Democratic-leaning state and struggling to regain his footing before a 2006 re-election bid.
Voters a day earlier rejected all four of the government reform initiatives he had placed on a special election ballot, a resounding defeat for a governor who cast the election as a continuation of the 2003 recall election that swept him into office.
"It doesn't mean that Arnold Schwarzenegger's political career is over," said Darry Sragow, a Democratic consultant who worked with Schwarzenegger last year. "But he had a mandate to reform state government, and he no longer has that mandate. It's tragic."
Schwarzenegger stayed out of sight Wednesday as voters and analysts chewed over the election results. He first public appearance after the election debacle will be a meeting Thursday with Democratic and Republican legislative leaders in Sacramento, the first step in an effort to rehabilitate his former image as a bipartisan governor.
"There is much work to be done," Schwarzenegger told supporters Tuesday night, vowing to collaborate with lawmakers in the months ahead. "We've got to rebuild our infrastructure. We need more schools. We need more firefighters, more teachers ... Californians are sick and tired of all the fighting and all those negative TV ads."
Schwarzenegger had asked voters to approve a state spending cap and give him authority to make midyear budget cuts, change the way legislative districts are drawn, restrict the money unions could raise for political campaigns and make teachers work longer to gain tenure. None of the four prevailed, as voters appeared puzzled by the special election and angry at its price tag, estimated to be at least $50 million.
Elizabeth Garrett, an expert on California's initiative process at the University of Southern California, said Schwarzenegger had learned an important lesson about the limitations of initiatives in enacting the kind of changes he sought.
"He needs to re-establish his connection with the people and push real reform through the traditional governing process," she said. "This is the really important moment - the pivotal moment of his political career."
The governor's drubbing at the polls has left his political reputation in tatters, weakening his hand with the largely Democratic state Legislature and opening him to a competitive race for re-election in 2006.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez said that while Democrats were willing to work with Schwarzenegger, the two sides hadn't reached the "kumbaya stage" quite yet.
"We just spent $55 million of taxpayers money that didn't prove a dang thing. I'm deeply disappointed in our governor," Nunez said.
So far, two Democrats - state Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly - have announced plans to challenge Schwarzenegger next year. Both campaigned actively against Schwarzenegger's initiatives but have failed to ignite passion among voters or fellow Democrats.
Despite Schwarzenegger's weakened state, analysts say he enters the race with some important advantages on his side.
"His base is still united and firmly behind him," said Bill Whalen, a Republican consultant and scholar at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
"And if you talk to smart Democrats, most will tell you they would love nothing more than to see another candidate in the primary who would excite the party."
Actor Warren Beatty and director Rob Reiner entered the fray in the campaign's final weeks to lobby against Schwarzenegger, raising hope among Democrats that one or the other would challenge him next year.
But Whalen, who was an aide to former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, said he didn't think either could deliver what the Democrats need to beat the celebrity governor.
"The election was a referendum against Schwarzenegger and a referendum against the special election," he said. "But I don't see the public chanting 'We want Warren.'"
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Associated Press Writers Tom Chorneau in Los Angeles and Jennifer Coleman in Sacramento contributed to this report.
Ed Rollins made a great point...Arnold took on 4 huge issues that pitted unions, Planned Parenthood etc against him....he should not have taken on so many interest groups at one time as they then banded together more or less....plus holding it as an off election year ballot where Californians are even more apathetic about their vote....
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Maybe the Governator doesn't care about his "star." Maybe he's trying to make a BETTER California, but there are so many ignorant (economically and spiritually) people there that success will likely require something catastrophic to get their narcissistic brains attention.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Why the heck did we recall the Governor FOR, if we vote down all ARNOLD's attempts to fix anything?
Frick-en STUPID STUPID people here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not only a precinct walker, but I'm a poll watcher. Many of those I called, because their name wasn't checked off as having voted, had excuses after excuses why they weren't voting. (There really weren't that many that didn't vote in my area, but...I'm still super mad that there were ANY.) I feel like calling them back and reminding them that there are people in Iraq that value their right to vote more than the spoiled American's I live near.
PLEASE ARNOLD DO NOT GIVE UP ON CALIFORNIA - THE IDIOTS WILL COME AROUND!!!!
THINK COMPETITION - TAP INTO YOUR COMPETITIVE GENE - HANG IN THERE WITH US!!! - SOME OF US GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Emphasis on the word "sit" I presume. That's not called activism, it's sheer laziness.
The only mistake was thinking folks like you might actually VOTE.
Low turn out.
The dems could have been ripped new ones.
I recall it was for "out-of-control spending in Sacramento", and Gray Davis was stoking the flames of corruption. Arnie at least makes an attempt, and supposed "conservatives" stay home.
Absolutely unconscionable.
Thank you for being a GOOD citizen and activist.
38 years ago, Ronald Reagan lost in California the same exact way with financial responsibility propositions and of course he went on to have no influence ever again. At least if you don't count the Reagan revolution, the collapse of the Soviet Union and his little job as President of the United States.
This is typical of California and for your information we won, the Unions spent 20% of a billion playing defense to keep things as they are and they can NOT keep that up. We need many other propositions for the next two elections and the government employee unions will go the way of the old soviet empire. :-)
Let's financially bleed the government employees unions to death!
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
I wrote "folks like you." and added that it was a low turn out and that the democrats could have been beaten badly!
It;s all about YOU, is it? About your vote being the special one.
Instead they were left unchecked to continue to raise taxes, and to let government intrude on the parents right to know if their teenage daughters are going to have an abortion, allow lawyers to gain more power, among other things.
Well, you don't want to pull the ship. I don't know what you're complaining about.
I appreciate all your hard work. Hubby and I both voted yesterday and won't stop trying to fix California even though were surrounded by DUMMIES! NEVER GIVE UP!
It's not so much a defeat for Arnold as it is a victory for the the media experts who know how to craft TV commericals that take advantage of the electorate's gnat-sized attention span, unwillingness to read the propositions, and inability to think.
Arnold took on too much all at once - he had a multitude of big guns aimed at him relentlessly for months and months and he seemed to do very little to fight back.
I'd be willing to bet that most people couldn't even explain what they were voting against, only that they were voting no on everything.
I 100% agree with you and I think the action for 2006 and 2008 is to again have propositions that cause liberals brown spots in their shorts and deficits in their campaign accounts. Let's bust these self enriching bums.
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