AIRAN SCRUBY
News Assistant
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger emerged from the Nov. 8 election politically battered, failing to prove that the people support his vision for California. Those initiatives supported by Democrats were also voted down, however, suggesting that Californians may be fed up with politics.
“The election results should send a strong message that the voters are tired of having issues that should be solved by their elected representative placed on the ballot,” Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said.
All eight initiatives on the ballot failed to pass, despite tremendous expense and plenty of hype about the elections from both Republicans and Democrats. About $250 million was spent campaigning for the propositions, $7 million of which came from the Schwarzenegger’s personal funds. The state spent $50 million on the election.
Most narrowly defeated was Proposition 73, which would have required notification of a minor’s parents before she could have an abortion. Forty-seven percent of voters approved the measure, while 53 percent were against it.
One reason for the unanimous defeat of the measures may have been high voter turnout. Higher turnout in California often means more votes for Democrats. Political analysts believed that a low turnout, around 30 percent of voters, may have meant a victory for Schwarzenegger.
Californians reacted strongly to the special election, however, and turnout hovered around
45 percent, close to the number of voters who typically participate in presidential elections.
The election was viewed by many as an attempt by the governor to prove that the people of California were behind him, politically. Schwarzenegger is running for re-election next year in a primarily Democrat-dominated state, and the affirmation of the initiatives he introduced would have been a sign that Californians stand behind their Republican governor’s agenda.
High voter turnout and low confidence in ideas introduced by the governor, however, seem to prove the opposite.
Schwarzenegger remained positive about the future of California.
“Tomorrow we will begin anew,” he said. The governor still plans to run for re-election despite the defeat of his initiatives and promised in a post-election speech to work more closely with state Democrats to improve the state.
Propositions 79 and 80, introduced by Democrats, also failed to pass, but most state Democrats shrugged off the loss. Polls suggested that voters may have been confused by the measures.
The special election in California was viewed by political analysts as an indicator of popular opinion about the Republican Party, and where voters might lean in the coming mid-term elections in 2006.
Californians voted in force against the agenda of a Republican governor, and maintained California’s reputation as a notoriously liberal state.
New Jersey and Virginia both held gubernatorial races Tuesday, with results that created optimism among Democrats hoping to gain seats in the House and Senate in 2006.
Democrats predicted that sagging ratings for President Bush would drag his party down, depriving Republicans of much needed votes in the next election.
“There is no question the country has turned dramatically negative about President Bush and the Republican Party, and that is an albatross around the neck of every Republican candidate at every level of government,” said Mark Mellman, an adviser to Democratic candidate for New Jersey governor, John Corzine.
Corzine, a U.S. senator for New Jersey, easily defeated Republican corporate executive Douglas Forrester.
In Virginia, Lt. Gov. Timothy Kaine, a Democrat, enjoyed a surprisingly large victory over former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, a Republican. Virginia has been a major example of change in voter opinion since Bush took office.
Though he carried the state in both presidential elections, the state elected a Democrat for governor Tuesday, and opinion ratings of the president have dropped considerably in Virginia.
Ken Mellman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said he believes Democrats who make projections based on the Nov. 8 elections are jumping to conclusions.
“From the beginning, we have viewed these not as national but state races,” Mellman said.
A CBS poll taken this month placed Bush’s job approval rating at 35 percent. A Washington Post/ABC poll says that 40 to 58 percent of Americans question his integrity.
11-10-2005
