Dan Walters: Angelides needs Schwarzenegger mistake to create opening

Sacramento Bee ^ | 6/8/6 | Dan Walters

[SmithL]

Could Phil Angelides, the newly anointed Democratic candidate for governor, defeat Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger? Sure, it's a possibility.

But will Angelides oust Schwarzenegger? With five months of campaigning ahead, it doesn't seem likely.

Liberal Democrats may have gotten the champion they wanted, but in choosing Angelides over rival Steve Westly after a mudslinging contest, they also gave Schwarzenegger the challenger he wanted. The governor and his advisers believe that Angelides is too liberal, too angrily intense and too charisma-challenged to expand his appeal beyond hard-core Democrats to independents and moderates.

Pre-election polls uniformly showed that Angelides fared worse than Westly against Schwarzenegger, and a Los Angeles Times poll of those who voted Tuesday underscored Angelides' uphill struggle. Those voters -- weighted toward Angelides' fellow Democrats -- held a favorable impression of Schwarzenegger by a 54-46 percent margin, and an unfavorable one of Angelides by the same proportions. And that survey included only a few independents who, other polls indicate, now have moved back into a pro- Schwarzenegger mode after rejecting last year's disastrous "year of reform" ballot measure drive.

All in all, therefore, the numbers indicate that Angelides faces a serious deficit that -- in the absence of some immense miscue by Schwarzenegger -- he could close only by drifting toward the political center. But faced with a question from a reporter on that precise point Wednesday, Angelides gave no indication of moderating himself. Rather, he portrayed the duel as an ideological clash with himself as the champion of "progressive action in California" who wants to raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy (notwithstanding Tuesday's massive rejection of a tax-the-rich scheme for universal preschool), create universal health care and impose new environmental regulations.

"This election is going to be about core values," . . .

[BenLurkin]

Only a warped mind could offer a platform of bigger more intrusive government and then claim "This election is going to be about core values,"

[monkeybrau]

"This election is going to be about core values,"

Yes, it is. You lose.

[Right Cal Gal]

Because Angelides' core values involve more taxes, taxes and taxes - and he was stupid enough to admit it. Also, Angelides is pandering to the state employees and unions - which is the reason California nearly went broke under Davis and was one of the reasons Brownout got his a$$ kicked out of office.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Angelides is Gray Davis's grayer cousin. Since far more people vote based on physical appearance than would ever admit it to a pollster, this could end up being one of the great wipeouts in California political history. ;)

[Kenny Bunkport]

Angelides' core values involve more taxes, taxes and taxes

And bending over and taking it from the public employee unions.

[Kenny Bunkport]

No kidding. He's off the scale in the Dweeb Factor.

[goldstategop]

They're both liberals. But Angelides is a hard-core committed Leftist.

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")

[b9]

No kidding. He's off the scale in the Dweeb Factor.

Yertle the Turtle

[L.N. Smithee]

Since far more people vote based on physical appearance than would ever admit it to a pollster, this could end up being one of the great wipeouts in California political history. ;)

Don't count your chickens. Westly is a pretty boy, and still got edged out by Poindexter the Greek.