Business of Governing Starts This Monday for Schwarzenegger
By JOHN M. BRODER
OS ANGELES, Nov. 16 — Arnold Schwarzenegger will be sworn in as California's governor on Monday after a whirlwind campaign followed by a six-week transition period in which he was largely invisible.
So far, the public appears to approve of the way Mr. Schwarzenegger has conducted his transition. The anger that fed the recall of Mr. Davis seems to have abated, at least for the time being, said Mark Baldassare, director of research at the Public Policy Institute of California.
A survey of 2,000 Californians conducted from Oct. 24 to Nov. 2 found that 47 percent approved of Mr. Schwarzenegger's stated plans and policies, while 25 percent disapproved and 28 percent said they did not know enough to judge.
Republicans overwhelmingly approved of Mr. Schwarzenegger, while even a third of Democrats and self-described liberals had a positive view of the new governor.
State residents remain pessimistic about the state's budget and economy. But the proportion of those who said they believed the state was headed down the wrong track has dropped from three out of four on Election Day in early October to roughly half.
Mr. Baldassare credits Mr. Schwarzenegger, in part, for the improvement in the state's mood.
"He has given the impression that he's going to be a very active governor and he's going to listen to a lot of different voices," Mr. Baldassare said. "From that standpoint, he has moved in a political direction which, according to our survey, has been impressive to a lot of Californians. That is what they are looking for." |
