Poll Shows Early Support for Schwarzenegger Agenda

[Rose Siding]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A day after showing California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's job-approval rating had slipped, the Field Poll reported on Thursday he enjoys narrow early voter support for his top priorities, including a plan to partially privatize the state's public pension funds.
The Republican governor's pension plan mirrors the White House's proposal for the Social Security system.

Analysts expect a bitter partisan confrontation over it with California's Democrat-controlled Legislature.

And California's powerful public employee unions have vowed to defeat Schwarzenegger's plan in the Legislature or on the ballot.

Schwarzenegger has threatened to put his priorities out to voters as ballot measures if lawmakers do not seriously consider them -- a move registered voters narrowly support until told of the estimated $50 million to $70 million cost for a special election, according to the Field Poll.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=7728096&src=rss/ElectionCoverage

Go figure.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. really? there is support?

this is one more example of the propaganda machine at work... we tell the people this often enough they will believe it

[catzies]

3. This tactic worked getting him elected. "Polls say" blablabla, and then

people who don't want to be "left out," fall right in line.

[Liberty Belle]

7. or they rig the vote and noone realizes it, because all the polls

showed the same outcome.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. Need consensus? Claim a poll backs you up.

Even if it is "narrow". Really, how many people could take even a educated guess as to what might be involved in those proposals, much less have an informed opinion.

[Downtown Hound]

5. As a Californian

I simply don't believe these polls. Granted, I live in a liberal area, but there are enough freeps around here and I know that even they don't like Ah-nold. I don't know anyone that like Arnold. No one. By contrast, I can at least find people that like Bush, so I can believe that he has support even though it boggles my mind as to why. But Arnold? No one. These polls are bullshit.

[brindis_desala]

6. C'mon Left Coasters you know the score; California's been pimped

by the "Governator"
Wherever Diebold and ES&S go, irregularities and historic Republican upsets follow. Alastair Thompson, writing for scoop.co of New Zealand, explored whether or not the 2002 U.S. mid-term elections were “fixed by electronic voting machines supplied by Republican-affiliated companies.” The scoop investigation concluded that: “The state where the biggest upset occurred, Georgia, is also the state that ran its election with the most electronic voting machines.” Those machines were supplied by Diebold.

<snip>
Following the 2003 California election, an audit of the company revealed that Diebold Election Systems voting machines installed uncertified software in all 17 counties using its equipment.

Former CIA Station Chief John Stockwell writes that one of the favorite tactics of the CIA during the Reagan-Bush administration in the 1980s was to control countries by manipulating the election process.
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0225-05.htm

[booksenkatz]

8. How was the poll worded?

"Which would you prefer for your retirement: absolutely nothing and living out your golden years in a squalid life, homeless and under a bridge; or receiving a paltry sum from a private investment that would allow you to eke out an existence in a dirt hovel, somewhat protected from the rain?"

"Oh, I guess I'd have to pick the second one. The private investment thingy. A hovel is better than homeless, I guess."

"Great! I'll put you down as being a strong supporter of the governor's pension proposal. Have a nice day!<click>"

[AlCzervik]

9. hmmm, polls can sway public opinion, so by publishing

that poll it can become a self fulfilling prophecy. I don't hear a lot of support for his plan here in sucramento.

[Deja Q]

10. Wow. and even as the market drops 175 points when a puny

country ditches the dollar (aka 'diversification'), right South Korea? O8)

If they want it, they can have it.

But if they want suicide, they should look up Jim Jones' patented recipe or get Kavorkian out of the slammer.

[deacon2]

11. Bollocks!

Unless they restricted the sample to Palos Verdes and Newport Beach, this is as real as a Jeff Gannon "report." But since we live in an Orwellian wonderland, this will be used later to back up the inevitable Diebold outcome in Der Gropenator's favor. Out here in Californy it's time for "Seig Heil with a smile!"

[CountAllVotes]

12. bullshit polls polls polls ...

I'm sure that State employees aren't loving this at all. They pay HEFTY amounts into CalPERS every month along with Social Security and Medicare (and you thus get small paychecks).

The unions are fighting Ahnuld the Gropenator thief!!!



:kick:

[Cha]

13. So arnie is slippin' in the polls, eh?

I'm going with that poll.

[Mark E. Smith]

14. Poll: California Voters Oppose Steroid Arnie's Election Plan

AP 2/24

SACRAMENTO - California voters overwhelmingly oppose Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to call a special election later this year to amend the state constitution when they learn how much it will cost, according to a poll released Thursday.

The Field Poll found voters approve of the idea of a special election 51% to 45% until they're told it would cost $50 million to $70 million. Then they oppose it more than 2 to 1 - 67% to 30%.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&ncid=536&e=12&u=/ap/20050224/ap_on_re_us/california_vote_poll

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Good thing. We were 8 billion dollars in debt when the coup against Davis

happened...now it's over 20 billion.

[da_chimperor]

17. Yes, he's done such an excellent job!

:eyes::puke::eyes:

[Guckert]

15. Once the people see an actual plan the polls will change for the worse.

Here is Arnolds plan
1. Merit pay for teachers
No plan on how do do this or how it would work when teaching kids that do not speak English or kids that have been taught NOTHING before entering kindergarten or kids that have been ignored for years by their parents. I'm sure teachers in affluent areas would love this plan because their kids learn the ABC's, colors, body parts, English and 123's before kindergarten. they make sure their kids get their homework done correctly.
2. Get rid of PERS for a private system
he has not mentioned how this would work. How this would be paid for. How the transition would take place.
3. Get rid of wastefull government oversight
Like contractors board. they would love to police themselves, wouldnt they...DUH
medical board. who needs those pesky doctors watched. its the LAWYERS!!!

When the public with brains sees his "plan", which we have none yet, they will see the GOP is pulling his strings and he will be outed.

[Megahurtz]

16. Oh please, not him.

:puke:
Who the hell are they polling here? I was never asked.