Californian DUers, tell me a little about Arnie now.

[Skidmore]

I've been kinda sorta watching this debate over the special election on the SPAN. Do you think these measures will carry? How popular is Arnie now?

I jus found this debate stilted and Arnie put the thumb on the scale with the format.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

1. As a former Californian...

...I'd like to hear the answer to this question as well. Arnie was certainly on what seemed like an unstoppable downhill slide when I left in January.

[sepia_steel]

2. I live here but I don't know a lot of people here.

But I know *I* can't stand him, and I'll be voting against every single one of his bullshit proposals.

[tularetom]

3. Ahnuld is now so unpopular

that he instructed his staff to stop running ads with his picture on them for the measures he's trying to pass. Even he realizes he would drag them down. Nevertheless, one or two of them may have a shot at passing. The teacher tenure bill (extends teacher probation from 2 to 5 years) seems to have been fairly well received and the drug have bankrolled a huge campaign for their pet proposition that might trick voters into voting for it (demonizes trial lawyers). However the centerpiece of ahnuld's program is the measure that sets stste spending levels according to formulas and that doesn't seem to be doing well. For all his bluster he's turned into kind of a girlyman governor in his dealings with the legislature and he was hoping to use this bill to be able to say he was forced by law to make spending cuts. Number one the voters don't like him very much and two, they don't want to see spending controlled by a computer with no political input (even though they like the legislature about as much as they do ahnuld.

[fleabert]

4. from what I hear here in Sac, they will fail.

he is very unpopular in my neighborhood. (midtown)

[lapfog_1]

5. When * came to CA and Arrrrnold refused to be seen with him

it was assumed (possibly correctly) that Arnold didn't want Bush's
failures and sinking poll numbers to rub off on him...

OTOH, it could just as easily been Shrubya dissing the Gropenfuher
for much the same reason.

Arnold sucks and no amount of Terminator style throw off lines are
going to rescue him now... Mr. Girlyman is goin down. As are all of
measures that he is supporting.

That's not just me saying it... every Newspaper and local TV pundit is
saying it too.

I think people are waking up to the fact that CA was gamed "big time"
in the electric energy crisis... and Gray Davis was the ultimate target.
And the voters are feeling a little restless about being misled.
(sound familiar?)

[xchrom]

6. it's all perception.

the media goes to some lengths to portray him as a moderate.
if that image sticks -- along with his performance in contra costa the other night -- his measures could pass.

californians are like any other american -- talk about how evil government is and bureaucrats are and you have center stage.

always remember -- we gave america ronald reagan -- so the left has to work very hard if they want to stay ahead of arnold.