Sounds like Schwarzenegger has regained momentum

[RedEarth]

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

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. the media

the media will do all it can to ensure the governator wins..

[fooj]

2. He'll screw up. Count on it.

Peace.

[datadiva]

3. I saw on my local news last night

that his numbers are about the same as *ush. I'm in Central Cal. Let's hope it stays that way.

[liberalhistorian]

4. I don't think so. I think that

that is what the GOP-loving, star-struck media wants, of course, but the latest polls, posted in the CA forum, show his approval rating at an all-time low of just 32%, with his disapproval rating at 65%. No matter what he does to try to "spin" his way out of it and "regain his political footing", those are pretty hard numbers to overcome and that's a very large uphill battle.

[Jane Austin]

5. California's not the only state like that.

Here in Texas, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Bob Gammage has issued two press releases that have not been picked up by a single news outlet.

In one, Gammage proposed a state tax rebate or amnesty (I forget which) to National Guard members who serve in Iraq or Afghanistan.

In another, his campaign released Texas Ethics Commission info that one of his opponents had not yet filed campaign finance info as required.

Neither one of these items was picked up by any newspaper or media outlet, as far as I know.

[bananas]

6. "Is The GOP "Shock-The-Vote Gang" Planning to Heist California?"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=141x19330

Is The GOP "Shock-The-Vote Gang" Planning to Heist California?

R.J. Eskow
Huffington Post
2/21/06

The usual suspects are slipping into the Golden State. Political season is looming, there's a February chill in the Pacific breeze, and the GOP political 'family' is hard at work. California's appointed (as opposed to elected) Republican Secretary of State has recertified Diebold's voting machines, despite a damning report. Schwarzenegger is hiring a "steely" Karl Rove insider turned Dick Cheney capo, along with other national GOP campaign pols, to run his re-election campaign.

The "shock-the-vote" gang is ready to roll into the Golden State with their patented blend of dishonest spin, old-fashioned dirty tricks - and easy-to-rig voting machines that are being manufactured by Republicans and purchased by other Republicans.

...