Posted on 03/05/2006 12:01:12 PM PST by John Jorsett
The more California Democrats hear from their two candidates for governor, it seems, the more confused the voters become. And the better Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger does against both of them.
Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly are the major Democrats fighting for their party's nomination and the right to face off against Schwarzenegger in the fall.
Angelides is the angry one, the "anti-Arnold" who has opposed almost everything the governor has tried to do since he was elected in October 2003. A former real estate developer and party operative who has been treasurer since 1999, Angelides opposes most of the spending trims the governor has proposed and favors raising taxes to balance the budget.
Westly is the earnest one. He worked with Schwarzenegger briefly during the governor's first year in office before pronouncing himself disappointed in Schwarzenegger and turning against him. A former government bureaucrat and college professor who struck it rich as an early employee of e-Bay, Westly's top priority is going after the underground economy to collect taxes that are owed but haven't been paid.
[snip]
Angelides, who is slightly better known than his less experienced rival, has had the edge in this race from the beginning, and that has not changed. In last week's poll he was still eight points ahead of Westly, by a margin of 26 percent to 18 percent. A whopping 54 percent of the voters were undecided.
But in the last Field Poll to take the measure of the two, in October 2005, Angelides was up by a margin of 37 percent to 26 percent, with 37 percent not sure.
In about four months, each candidate has lost about one-third of his support, with the number of undecided growing by half.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
"Angelides opposes most of the spending trims the governor has proposed and favors raising taxes to balance the budget. "
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Do you still prefer Angelides to Arnold?
Think a lot of Democrats are going to find this out. It is easy to be popular against a KNOWN politicans when no one knows what or who you are. To get elected, however, you have to campaign and that is when Democrat Pols remind everyone why they are so worthless.
"Schwarzenegger is also doing better in the poll's hypothetical match-up with Angelides. In October, the treasurer led that race, 47 percent to 41 percent. Now it's tied, with both candidates at 39 percent with 20 percent undecided, compared to 12 percent in October.
The undecided column has also edged higher in the governor's match-up with Westly. In October, Westly led that race by a margin of 46 percent to 40 percent with 14 percent undecided. Now, it's 41 percent to 37 percent with 21 percent unsure.
Schwarzenegger's image rating is also getting a bit better. In October, 38 percent of voters viewed him favorably while 54 percent saw him in an unfavorable light. Now those numbers stand at 44-49."
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I hope Arnold's number will keep improving and get reelected. Angelides or Westley would be disasters for CA that we can't afford.
(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.")
Looks like there could be a low turnout in November at this rate. You should be happy , that makes your socialist elite candidate a more likely winner.
Just like in the special elections, the Dems and Unions will turn out their people.
The Republicans and conservatives need to have a high turn out, to counter them.
After the blasts of inane and insane ads to come form both sides, I doubt it will have an effecting of firing many folks up..
(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.")
Of the two, I'd prefer to see Westly to make it thru to the primary. He's a Gray lite. ;-)
I'd have my staff working Phil's business dealings with fine combs.
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