Cracks show in Arnie governance

Last updated at 10:39 08 April 2005


California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is showing himself to be an ordinary mortal after all with a significant policy retreat and a new poll showing his approval rating down sharply.

Swept into office in an unprecedented recall election in 2003, the Republican's approval rating fell to 43 per cent from 59 per cent in January, according to a Survey and Policy Research Institute poll released on Thursday.

The former bodybuilding and Hollywood star seeks to portray himself as an man above the partisan fray, but his effort to govern with a Democratic-dominated legislature has run into a difficult patch.

Phil Trounstine, director of the San Jose State University institute that conducted the poll, said there was a difference between running for office as an outsider and holding the job.

"People listen to what the governor says. And when he's constantly out on the stump arguing that the state is a mess, it has an effect," he said.

Since taking office in late 2003, Schwarzenegger has repeatedly threatened to bypass legislators by going directly to the people with ballot measures.

He is gathering signatures for several initiatives later this year, although he backed down on Thursday from a top priority, presenting a ballot measure on partial privatization of California's public pension system.

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