http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-poll26feb26,1,6125013.story?coll=la-news-politi
cs-california
If you don't want to go to their site and subscribe, I'll summarize:
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The Republican governor, now California's most popular politician, scores favorable job ratings from a robust 65% of the state's voters.
Just 19% disapprove of his job performance. He gets positive job ratings from 50% of liberals, 68% of moderates and 76% of conservatives; 52% of Democrats, 58% of independents and
86% of Republicans. He wins favorable marks from a majority of voters of all ages and
income groups, with and without a college education, from all regions of the state, even the predominantly liberal Bay Area, and from traditionally Democratic constituencies such as Latinos and union
members.
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With the state still bogged down in a budget
crisis, just 32% say things are generally moving in the right direction in California. But that is up from a dismal 14% in August.
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Pessimism over California's economy has also waned: 56% of voters say it is doing badly, down from 71% in August. Nearly four in 10 voters say they have more confidence in the way state government is run, now that Schwarzenegger is governor. Only two in 10 had less confidence.
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With Schwarzenegger and Democratic lawmakers taking pains to work together and avert partisan deadlocks, the Legislature's abysmal approval ratings have also rebounded, from 24% in August to 32% now.
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In the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, the poll found former
California Secretary of State Bill Jones, Schwarzenegger's preferred
candidate, leading each of his rivals by at least 3 to 1.
Among likely GOP primary voters, Jones is ahead with 44%; followed by former Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian, 12%; Toni Casey, former mayor of the Bay Area city of Los Altos Hills, 10%; and former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin, 8%. But the race is fluid: 24% remain undecided and 36% of those who named a favored candidate say they might change their minds.
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Proposition 57, a $15-billion bond measure to cover the state's debts, trailed badly in polls last month. But now, after millions of dollars in Schwarzenegger television ads, voters favor both measures, the poll found. Nearly one in four likely voters say Schwarzenegger's support has made them more likely to vote yes.
But the poll found that not all voters -- particularly Democrats -- are
in lock step with Schwarzenegger.
Nearly two-thirds of registered voters say his endorsement of the budget ballot measures will have no influence over their vote.
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And voter reactions to Schwarzenegger's moves on a controversial immigration issue are mixed. Seven in 10 back the repeal by him and the Legislature of a law allowing illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses.
But only 48% of voters support Schwarzenegger's effort to reach agreement with Democrats on a new version of the legislation.
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In the U.S. Senate race, the poll offers encouragement to the Democratic incumbent, Barbara Boxer, who is seeking a third term. It found that 54% of California voters give her positive job ratings -- her highest score in any Times poll since she took office 11 years ago
-- with 35% disapproving.
Nearly half of California voters view Boxer as more liberal than they are, and she is most popular among liberals and Democrats; roughly four out of five give her positive job ratings. But she also wins favorable ratings from solid majorities of moderates and independents.
And in a hypothetical November race against Jones, Boxer wins handily,
53% to 37%.
California's other Democratic senator, Dianne Feinstein, has dropped
from her perch as the state's most popular politician, thanks to
Schwarzenegger. But she still gets a positive job rating from 59% of
voters.
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Is 53% to 37%, this early in the race, really that good for Boxer? Is that what you expected?
Does Arnold's ever-growing popularity mean he can help get Jones and other GOP fundies into office this November? Do the Republicans have a good chance of winning tons of seats in the state assembly? The GOP in that state seems to grow more unbalanced every year...I hope all this San Francisco stuff doesn't draw blue-collar white, Hispanic (even w/the bitterness over Wilson's era, they may forgive and forget due to Arnold), and black voters to their side.