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Poll shows re-election chances strong for Schwarzenegger
 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, winning back voters with a series of moves including helping gain agreement on a $131 billion budget with increased money for education, is in strong position to win re-election in November, a poll released today shows. Schwarzenegger is favored over his Democratic challenger, state Treasurer Phil Angelides, by 44 percent to 37 percent among state voters in the poll by the Survey and Policy Research Institute at San Jose State University. Fourteen percent of those surveyed are undecided. The governor's job approval rating has jumped to 49 percent among voters surveyed compared with 41 percent who disapprove of his performance -- the best results he has seen since March 2005. Schwarzenegger, apparently listening to the voters who soundly rejected his partisan agenda in the November 2005 special election, has gained with several key groups of voters, including women and independents. The governor hurt himself with voters by lambasting teachers, nurses, firefighters and other labor groups as "special interests'' before the November election, but today's survey showed he has improved his job approval rating among voters from union households from 27 percent approval in January to 43 percent now. "The governor has improved his standing among the moderates and independents who provide the swing votes in California elections," said Melinda Jackson, assistant professor of political science at San Jose State and academic director of the survey. "The Democrats and liberals still don't like him, but he has firmed up and expanded his base. If he maintains this course, he doesn't leave Angelides much room to grow." Posted by: Fred 2006-07-07 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=158471 |