Over the last six weeks, speculation that California GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will not seek a full term in 2006 has grown increasingly loud.
After Schwarzenegger won the 2003 recall election, he seemed fairly invincible. Although he still enjoys solid job approval ratings, Schwarzenegger has discovered that being Governor might be harder than it looks, at least for a Republican in California. Democrats did not exactly roll over as Schwarzenegger pursued his agenda just after taking office. More recently, Democrats have pushed back very aggressively, denying the Governor most of his legislative priorities.
They have also challenged him on the amount of time he has spent out of the state and on fundraising. In a twist that can only happen in politics, Democrats have even compared Schwarzenegger to former Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, whom Schwarzenegger ousted in the recall, who was constantly accused of devoting too much time to raising money and catering to special interests. In fact, they contend that Schwarzenegger is worse than Davis ever was.
Schwarzenegger is now pursuing a special election this November in which
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