Schwarzenegger Slumps in Field Poll Says to Democrats: Let’s Make a Deal
With the release of the latest California Field Poll, California Governor Arnold Swarzenegger said Tuesday that he wants to seek compromise with Democrats on the state budget and on issues he has placed before voters for a November special election. The Poll conducted between June 13-19, following the Governator’s call for a special election in November:
1. The Field Poll finds the Governor’s approval rating sliding to 37% among registered voters statewide, while 53% disapprove of how Schwarzenegger is handling his job.
2. More voters oppose (52%) than favor (37%) the Governor’s call for a November special election,
even when the additional costs of holding the election are not listed in the question.3. There has also been a big decline in the public’s appraisal of the job that the state legislature is
doing over the past four months. Last February 36% of adults and 34% of registered voters
approved of the state legislature. Now, the approval figure among adults is 26% and just 24%
among registered voters.4. Voters believe that neither Schwarzenegger nor the legislature is negotiating with the other in
good faith. Rather, pluralities see their actions as being characterized more by confrontation and
posturing, with little room for compromise. Currently, 52% see Schwarzenegger’s actions as being mainly confrontational, compared to 32% who believe he is negotiating with the legislature in good faith.5. In three separate Field Poll surveys conducted last year, a sizeable plurality of voters said they
would be more inclined to support the Governor over leaders in the legislature if the two sides
disagreed on an important policy matter. However, in two surveys completed this year, voters
have been turning away from their earlier support of the Governor. Currently, 44% say they are
now more inclined to support the positions of legislative leaders, compared to 33% who would
tend to side with the Governor.6. Voters express little confidence in either the Governor or state legislature to do what’s right in
resolving the state’s budget deficit. Just one in six voters (17%) say they hold a great deal of
confidence in Schwarzenegger to do what is right in dealing with budget deficit, while 49% have
not much confidence. Another 32% report having some confidence in him.
Opinions of the legislature are even more critical. Only 5% report a great deal of confidence in
state lawmakers to do what’s right to resolve the budget situation, with 54% expressing little
confidence in that body. Another 40% have some confidence in the legislature to do what is right.
Today at a Capitol News Conference the Governor said:
“I feel that there is an agreement to be had. We can resolve this, and then we can go together to the special election — Democrats and Republicans alike — and also that we can solve this budget. It’s all about the will. Do we have the will to represent the people of California?”
Schwarzenegger did not directly offer an olive branch to Democrats on Tuesday but said voters delivered a message in the poll.
“It is a very clear message from the California people to all of us at the Capitol _ work together,” he said.
Schwarzenegger said he also wanted the two sides to pass a state budget “as quickly as possible,” preferably before the state’s fiscal year begins July 1.
The special election will go forward even if the two sides compromise on some of the ballot measures. If they do, the Legislature by two-thirds vote could place a set of compromise proposals on the ballot. That could create a scenario in which Schwarzenegger would campaign against the initiatives he initially placed on the ballot.
So, is the Governator being a Girlie-Man for negotiating with the Girlie-Men of the California Legislature?
Or facing the realities of an unfavorable poll?
Stay tuned.
