Democratic Treasurer Phil Angelides arrived in San Francisco last week with family and supporters to formally kick off his run for California governor -- again. The candidate showed up in the Democratic bastion to herald his big moment -- taking out petition papers at City Hall. The problem: Just two reporters were there to watch.
Democratic Controller Steve Westly, who has been spending his time in the far-flung reaches of the state, got luckier this past week when he came to town. About 70 supporters showed up, maybe to see the candidate -- and maybe to get the free lunch offered by his campaign at the Absinthe restaurant.
Compare this with Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, now barnstorming the state on behalf of his $222 billion Strategic Growth Plan. In San Jose recently, the incumbent was met with a battery of TV cameras and an audience of hundreds who lobbed mostly easy questions and plenty of praise during his appearance at the Silicon Valley Leadership Forum.
It was a deja vu moment that couldn't have been predicted just three months ago, when Schwarzenegger looked to be suffering a near-terminal beating after his disastrous special election defeat, when four of his initiatives went down at the ballot box.
And as the formal filing period opened for candidates in all state races, it was clear how thoroughly that -- after revamping his political team and taking on a host of new advisers -- Schwarzenegger has regained the political footing that led him to his 2003 recall election victory
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/02/21/MNGUIHBUPN1.DTL