[Field] Poll Finds Governor's Support Still Eroding [Bustamante-25%.. Schwarzenegger-22%]

New York Times ^ | 8-15-2003 | DEAN E. MURPHY

[deport]

Poll Finds Governor's Support Still Eroding

By DEAN E. MURPHY

AN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15 — A new statewide opinion poll shows that Gov. Gray Davis of California continues to lose support in his effort to keep his job, while Lt. Gov. Cruz M. Bustamante and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor, are at the top of the list of possible successors.

Mr. Davis, who faces a recall election on Oct. 7, has become so unpopular among registered voters that the pollsters, Field Research, likened his standing to that of President Richard M. Nixon before he resigned in August 1974.

"We've been doing polling for 56 years, and the current rating of the governor, 70 percent disapproval, is equivalent to the lowest job rating we have ever measured for an elected official," said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field (California) Poll.

In the first half of the poll of 1,036 Califorinians, which was released today, 58 percent of likely voters said they favored removing Mr. Davis from office, up from 51 percent last month.

Asked whether they thought he would be recalled, 68 percent said yes.

In the second half of the poll, to be released on Saturday, Mr. Bustamante, a Democrat, and Mr. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, placed well ahead of the 133 other candidates on the ballot. The recall ballot will pose two questions. First, should Mr. Davis be recalled, and second, who should succeed him if he loses?
The survey showed that 25 percent of likely voters favored Mr. Bustamante, while 22 percent said Mr. Schwarzenegger was their first choice. Three other Republicans followed the front-runners, with State Senator Tom McClintock picking up 9 percent, Bill Simon Jr. 8 percent and Peter V. Ueberroth 5 percent.

The margin of error in the poll was plus or minus 5 percent.

Mr. DiCamillo said the ranking of the candidates, even with the margin of error, showed that Republicans voters were dividing their votes among the top four Republican candidates and that Democrats had more or less settled on Mr. Bustamante, the lone prominent Democrat on the replacement ballot.

"It is one of the problems that the state Republican Party has had over the years, that they have not been able to come up with consensus candidates," Mr. DiCamillo said.

That said, the poll suggested that many voters had yet to settle firmly on one candidate. Forty-four percent of likely voters indicated that they might change their mind before Oct. 7.

Peter Ragone, a spokesman for Californians Against the Costly Recall, a group formed by Mr. Davis, said the recall had been so volatile that it would be unwise to place much credence on any poll.

"It is like trying to grab a fistful of water," Mr. Ragone said. "It is so fluid. The polls that have been out there have been all over the map for the past several weeks."

Mr. Davis, in an appearance in Los Angeles, did not talk about the polls. Instead, he criticized remarks by Warren Buffett, a newly named economics adviser to Mr. Schwarzenegger, about property taxes.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Buffett suggested that the state's property taxes were too low, something that Mr. Schwarzenegger's opponents portrayed today as an assault on Proposition 13, the ballot measure from 1978 that limits on property taxes.

"The people spoke," Mr. Davis said, "and all of us who have held office since then have honored the will of the electorate. Lord knows, we have some things that cost a lot of money in this state. But property taxes are not one of them, and no one is about to change that."

[WOSG]

Lazamataz, you must be right. what the h8ck does this person know about my own "meetings or wherever" ??? my family and my workplace is quite multi-racial, so this person is nuts.

Anyway, he/she is wrong on 'legal term of art'. The 14th Amendment doesnt forbid "any distinction", the USSC has long used the 'rational basis' test. There is indeed a rational basis - fiscally salvaging a state - by forbidding non-legal residents to claim welfare payments and services they are not *entitled* to.

As I said, the only people advancing the notion that prop 187 is unconstitutional are hard Leftist Judges, who re-write the Us Constitution at a whim.


And finally, if Prop 187 is so bad, I expect this is a closet Bustamonte supporter. After all, even Ahnold is pro Prop187.

[WOSG]

Probably the only Democrat who *wouldnt* make me wretch the following morning would be Gephardt. The concept of even considering leftist morons like Kucinich or Braun or Dean or ... just makes me realize how far in the toilet the Dems have gone. They has lost their marbles.

I have a sense that Gephardt doesnt hate the concept of America like some of the other Democrats. That being said, I think it suggests he would be the most formidable candidate.
The media will call him the next Truman, blah blah blah, and build him into a hero if he wins.

IMHO, the best Candidate for the Conservatives would be Leiberman. This would shift the debate just a little to the right, and L. lacks the charisma and has too much ethics to lie and be believed about it, like say a Clinton. Or a Dean.

[Porterville]

I'm not voting for that fat, greasy, sweaty, pig, race pimp, non-Hispanic, little girl, looser in high school, Bustamante. As a Hispanic I'm insulted that this fat slob of a pig looser, is considered the representation of the Hispanics of the state by the liberal-press, nazi-propaganda machine. No true Hispanic would let a fat pig liberal take any leadership position because A.)A liberal can not be a Catholic, liberalism is counter to Christianity B.)He only wants power and assumes the masses of his populous will vote for him b/c he is a Mexican, he pictures himself as a ranchero or the high Mexican gentry of California.

But alas, Bustamante is a fat modern representation of Zorros Garcia, sloppy and fat eating off the public trough, in a high legal position so he can protect his own interest in California. But because of his uncertainty and clear reading as the fat mamma's boy who is no leader but a phony.

[Lazamataz]

Lazamataz, you must be right. what the h8ck does this person know about my own "meetings or wherever" ??? my family and my workplace is quite multi-racial, so this person is nuts.

As I said, the only people advancing the notion that prop 187 is unconstitutional are hard Leftist Judges, who re-write the Us Constitution at a whim.

Lessee... Crazy_Liberal defends PETA; agrees with the Leftist 9th Circuit Court of Appeals; and does everything she can to foster division on Free Republic.

Oh, NOOOOOO, she's not a Democrat Underground disruptor.

[grania]

IMHO, the best Candidate for the Conservatives would be Leiberman. This would shift the debate just a little to the right, and L. lacks the charisma and has too much ethics to lie and be believed about it, like say a Clinton. Or a Dean.

From way back (I'm originally from CT) I've had nothing but the highest regard for Lieberman's integrity and concern for others when he ran against DeNardini for HOR and unfortunately lost. He's a good man.

But, he keeps re-inventing himself. I wish he would just get up there, stick to his views, take pride in his voting history, and not go trolling for votes. You're correct, a Lieberman candidacy would keep the dialogues and promises reasonable, if he would just be himself.

[grania]

In 265, I got the name of Lieberman's competition wrong. It was Lawrence J. DeNardis, who served in the HOR from 1981-1983.

[The Old Hoosier]

Any discriminiation by a state based on national origin is illegal.

Oh really? So why can't a federal jusge make Californians pay for people still in Mexico? After all, they didn't even break our immigration laws.

And why does federal law allow states to enforce immigration laws when they catch illegal aliens?

And why does federal law positively prohibit states from giving illegal aliens in-state tuition? Sounds to me like they're in some cases encouraging and in other cases forcing discrimination based on national origin.

[Avoiding_Sulla]

When DeVore wins, you may want to send your analysis of what happened here (at the link) to Diane, along with your Parsky papers link that I had luckily unearthed for you (and I have since misplaced again)