A Tale of Two Governors

In the Golden State of California, not all is sweetness and light. It has been noted recently that Arnold Schwarzenegger's poll ratings are nearly equal to those of disgraced, despised and deposed Governor Gray Davis.

Schwarzenegger's poll numbers are now exactly the same as Gray Davis' numbers in August 2003, two months before he was recalled by California voters.The poll found about one in five voters (22%) currently approves of Schwarzenegger’s performance as governor, while 70% disapprove. They are the worst poll numbers the Field Poll has ever reported for Schwarzenegger since he took office. Schwarzenegger's numbers hit a high watermark of 65% in September 2004.

So, that means he's just as bad as Davis? Should we expect "Recall- The Sequel"? Not really. Because as much as the Governator's RINO policies and inability to steer the state against the wishes of the Democratically controlled state legislature have damaged him politically, Arnie has something going for him that Gray didn't: He's not greedy. One example: Governor Schwarzenegger refuses to accept the $175,000 salary that comes with the job. Gray? Not so much!

The population was fed up with Gray Davis' incompetence which led the state into disastrous energy deals and brownouts, but it was the appearance of his "Play for Pay" deals that really got him into trouble. As I recall, (no pun intended) there were a number of instances where it seemed that mysteriously, after large campaign contributions worked their way into Gray's coffers that any legislation that the donor wanted passed was signed by the Governor!

So, while the peasants grabbed their pitchforks and stormed Sacramento over Gray, Arnold doesn't have that same whiff of venality that Gray carried about him. Arnie may not be the brightest bulb in the Capitol Marquee, but at least he's honest!

And what about that Democrat controlled state legislature? How do they fare in today's political climate?

The silver lining is that Schwarzenegger's numbers are better than the Legislature's numbers. Only 16% of those surveyed have a favorable impression of state legislators while 74% disapprove. The good news? Those numbers reflect a 3% increase in the Legislature's approval ratings since March.

In other words, don't look for Conan the Republican to be recalled any time soon.
But because of term limits, He won't be back! Heh.

Cross posted at Left Coast Rebel, Say Anything