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Schwarzenegger trails on Calif. ballot measures: poll

Posted on: Thursday, 27 October 2005, 18:03 CDT

By Adam Tanner

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Californians still oppose measures backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on a special November 8 ballot, according to a survey released on Thursday but taken before he expanded campaigning to a wider array of voters.

The former actor has faced an uphill battle over measures that would boost his powers over the budget, change how California draws its electoral districts, limit union political contributions and make teacher tenure harder to get.

The November ballot is also an important referendum on the Republican Schwarzenegger himself a year before he runs for re-election.

A Public Policy Institute of California, or PPIC, survey of 2,003 Californians taken between October 16-23 found 62 percent of likely voters opposed an initiative to limit state spending. Only 30 percent backed it, up from 26 percent in September.

Another measure would let three retired judges rather than state lawmakers draw legislative districts. The PPIC poll found only 36 percent of likely voters in favor and 50 percent opposed, with a plus or minus three percent margin of error.

Schwarzenegger has defied polls in the past by harnessing his star power and charisma in intensive campaigning in the final days before an election.

"The governor has a history of finishing strong," Mark Baldassare, PPIC research director, told Reuters.

"The challenge for him this time is really twofold: first of all, he's got very strong disapproval ratings among the voters, who are opposing his measures, particularly Democrats, and secondly, there is a very substantial amount of money that is being spent on the 'no' side."

NEW STRATEGY

Schwarzenegger has taken questions this week from mixed television audiences rather than just hand-picked supporters. Analysts praised his performance in the first two shows, and he is due to make more live TV appearances before the election.

The former actor has generally avoided forums at which he could face random questions. During the 2003 recall campaign that brought him to office, his staff blared loud music as he shook hands, making it hard to exchange more than a few words.

"It has been a bumpy road ever since we started, yes, and it's going to be a bumpy road all the way until election day," Schwarzenegger said this week.

"We always come from behind. We always arc at the right time," he continued. "What is important is what happens on the day of the election, not what happens three weeks before, four weeks before, five weeks before."

The latest PPIC poll showed Schwarzenegger within striking distance of winning two other initiatives. On Proposition 74, would give tenure to teachers after five years rather than two, 48 percent were opposed and 46 in favor.

The survey also found 46 percent of likely voters opposed and the same number favoring an initiative to bar unions from making political contributions without members' support.

In the telephone survey, just 33 percent of Californian adults expressed approval of Schwarzenegger's job performance, down from 61 percent a year ago.

Source: REUTERS

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