Posted on 02/23/2006 9:57:24 AM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is losing the support of Republicans, according to a new poll released on the eve of the state Republican convention in San Jose at which conservative activists are expected to challenge his more moderate direction.
The governor's popularity appeared to be growing last month, following a conciliatory State of the State address in which he announced an ambitious plan to upgrade the state's aging infrastructure.
But this month his numbers have reversed, mostly due to erosion of his Republican base. Schwarzenegger's approval rating fell to 35 percent among adults in the Public Policy Institute of California poll, down five points from last month.
Schwarzenegger now gets less support from Republicans in California than President Bush, whose approval rating is at a near-record low of 36 percent.
Sixty-six percent of Republicans said Schwarzenegger was doing a good job, while 74 percent said that of Bush. Last month, 72 percent of Republicans approved of Schwarzenegger.
Among voters who identified themselves as "very conservative," Schwarzenegger's approval rating was 57 percent. It was 59 percent among those who called themselves "somewhat conservative."
"Come November, conservatives are going to vote in large numbers for the GOP candidate -- that's always the case," said Mark Baldassare, who conducted the poll Feb. 8-15. "But I think it raises some questions about whether the governor is going to be able to energize the GOP conservative base. It's particularly relevant because he wasn't able to do it in the special election."
He said the most likely explanation for the loss of Republican support was that Republican lawmakers have been criticizing the more moderate policies the governor has adopted this year, including an ambitious proposal to upgrade the state's aging infrastructure.
Schwarzenegger's new 35 percent approval rating puts him close to the 33 percent approval rating he had in October, when he was being pummeled by television ads decrying his special election.
Among the smaller sample of likely voters, 40 percent said the governor was doing a good job. Last month, it was 45 percent.
The opinion of Democrats and Independents, although far less enthusiastic toward the governor, held more steady, and the changes since last month fell within the poll's margin of error.
Most of the survey focused on marine and coastal environmental questions and found, as have previous surveys, that Californians are deeply concerned about preserving the environment.
Asked how important the candidates' positions on the environment were, 88 percent said they were very or somewhat important.
The governor's campaign spokeswoman, Katie Levinson, said that is good news for the governor, who she said "has a demonstrated record as an environmental leader, both at the national and international level."
The survey measured 2,003 adults, including 1,510 registered voters. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 2 percent for the overall sample and 2.5 percent for registered voters. Among likely voters, it was plus or minus 3 percent.
The gang launched another round out big borrowing proposals, floated a trail balloon on new fuel taxes and hired members of Bush's reelction team. The same folks who helped double cross conservatives in the 2004 elections. No surprise that California conservatives, even inside the CAGOP, rebelled.
The Wilsonegger gang has obviously thrown in their lot with Republican moderates and the soft left on the Democrat side. It's time the gang left California. Hopefully conservatives can hasten their departure and the CAGOP can return to conservatism.
Let's return to Austrian to either Hollywood or his home town. His choice!
Losing Republicans and not gaining Democrats with his leftward moves. Not surprising.
PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Environment, February 2006
http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/S_206MBS.pdf
There's lots of stuff in this survey on "Marine and Coastal Perceptions", offshore drilling, beach quality, etc.
"Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way that…?"
Region
Party ---------------------
All --------------- North South Likely
Adults Dem Rep Ind Coast Coast Inland Voters
------ --- --- --- ----- ----- ------ ------
Arnold Schwarzenegger is Approve 35% 19% 66% 42% 28% 36% 39% 40%
handling his job as governor Disapprove 53% 72% 24% 43% 59% 53% 47% 50%
of California? Don't Know 12% 9% 10% 15% 13% 11% 14% 10%
Governor Schwarzenegger is Approve 28% 15% 51% 30% 26% 27% 33% 31%
handling environmental policy Disapprove 47% 63% 23% 40% 48% 49% 42% 43%
--such as marine and coastal Don't Know 25% 22% 26% 30% 26% 24% 25% 26%
issues--in California?
Sitting in the middle of the road is a good way to get run over....or to put it another way ..DANCE WITH WHO BROUGHT YA!!!!
I sure wish they'd asked the people about the Sierra-Nevada CONservantsee!!! I'd sure like to know the numbers on THAT!!!
You mean he fergot ta buy a sanforized athletic supporter??? Still think we oughta crash the CONventshun!!!
He tried "the third way" to get out from under Dem targeting, but it was always an illusion. He should have back up to right and come out for spending cuts and lower taxes. At least then, he would have a base, and the support of fiscal conservatives in both parties.
LOL. You've been in Toledo? I wondered where ya been!
Re: Poll, I don't listen much to them. Arnold has always had high disapproval ratings. IIRC, right before the Recall election, something like 48% of so-called likely voters thought he was "not competent" to be Governor. And then look at the vote.
(sly grin)
I dunno, SW. I keep thinkin' I know up from down, black from white ... then someone goes and posts somethin' like this
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1584205/posts?page=10#10
and I gotta rethink the whole thing!! ;-)
Ahhhh, the eternal optimist...................
I'm gonna vote, and I'll vote for everything except the govenor.....I'm gonna leave that blank....'cause they are all socialists as far as I'm concerned....and I believe in what M.Thatcher said many years ago " The problem with socialist is that they eventually run out of other people's money."
I'm still waiting for a miracle to happen before November.
The GOP has given us no good choice. They seem to think that "Conservatives have no place to go" so offering up a liberal candidate can still win conservative votes. Your approach certainly demonstrates that they are wrong.
A hospitality suite with an open bar will fix that.
Out Davis-ing Davis apparently is not the way to go.
Somebody better communicate this to The Great Equivocator...
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