[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Independent voters in California may lean strongly towards the Democratic party, accordingto the Los Angeles Times. A not insignificant factor is the GOP'sdecision last year to shut out independents from their primary. "TheRepublicans have been caught with their pants down," said DemocraticParty campaign adviser Bob Mulholland.

The debate over Proposition 92 ,which would cap student fees and guarantee funding for communitycolleges, is coming to a boil. "We're confident we're going to win Feb.5," said Scott Lay, head of the Community Colleges League of California.

Many Californian lawmakers still drive gas-guzzling cars, according to the Oakland Tribune. Not surprisingly, Republicans have the more expensive (and fuel inefficient) vehicles.

There's more...

Image courtesy of A1Limobus.com

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) has released a two page “Just the Facts” sheet reporting on the increasing share of “Decline to State” voters—those who have not chosen to affiliate with a political party and now amount to 19% of all registered voters in the state as compared to just 9% in 1988. They posit that these non-affiliated voters, more moderate than those registered with either the Democratic or Republican parties have divided loyalties and can influence elections and explore just exactly who these key players are demographically and in terms of political philosophy.

While DTS voters can be pivotal in California elections, however, these statistics, along with the actual election results for a number of years appear to this observer to show that at least for the present California is a decidedly blue or Democratic state.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Saying term limits reform "will create fundamental and positive change in Sacramento," Governor Arnold Schwarznegger is throwing his political muscle behind Prop 93, the Term Limits Reform initiative on the February ballot.
 
"The Legislature will be more representative of the people and less beholden to special interests. Its members will have more time to do their jobs well and, most important of all, problem-solving will be a higher priority than partisanship and ambition," said Schwarzenegger in an LA Times op-ed.
 
The move is a significant boost for the campaign, which continues to hold a double-digit lead in the polls. Whether you like him or not, Schwarzenegger has high job approval ratings as a reformer among Republicans, Democrats, and Independent voters.

There's more...

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

To counter Obama’s "Big Mo" coming out of Iowa, Hillary has predictably decided to go negative in New Hampshire. I suppose this is a page taken right out of the traditional “Running For President Campaign Playbook” (Chapter entitled: When A Frontrunner Looses Frontrunner Status). But as applied in this campaign, to this candidate, it carries a big risk. Maybe it’s because she is misunderstood, maybe it's society’s sexist double-standard, perhaps it’s due to a vast conspiracy of some sort or another -- regardless, Clinton’s main problem continues to be the likability factor. While Obama has positioned himself as something new, fresh and positive -- Hillary conjures up the ghosts of politics past. By going for the jugular at this critical point in the campaign, Hillary risks further alienating voters who are tired of slash and burn campaigns. Negativity will only reinforce the case against her own candidacy: too polarizing, too caustic, unscrupulously ambitious -- not likable. Meanwhile, Obama stays above the fray and dismisses Hillary’s attacks as desperation and vintage politics as usual. Tacking negative could most repel New Hampshire’s critical block of independent voters, who pundits predict will most likely play in the Democratic primary this time around.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

The Field Poll released an interesting set of numbers this morning showing that California registered voters divide sharply on their opinions about Hillary Clinton along partisan fault lines, but the most telling numbers are in the support she gets from those not registered as Democrats or Republicans including the growing numbers of independent voters. The poll also shows that Bill Clinton is a big asset to Hillary Clinton's campaign here in California. There also are some generational differences, a gender gap, and differences in support for her in different segments of California's voters.

There's no question who Californians will support in November if Clinton is the nominee--this is still a decidedly blue state. Last week, Field released its poll numbers showing Clinton has a double digit lead against all the major Republican candidates. She beats Giuliani 52% to 38%--by 14 points. And it only gets better than that against others--53% to 33% over Romney (20 points), 56% to 31% over Thompson (25 points), 54% to 35% against McCain (19 points), with likely voters.