Arnold leads the field

Despite sinking popularity, Arnold Schwarzenegger still leads the field in the 2006 gubernatorial election:

But more than 20 months before California's next gubernatorial election, 56 percent of the 800 registered voters questioned said they were very inclined or somewhat inclined to support Schwarzenegger. Forty-two percent said they were not too inclined or not at all inclined to vote for him.

When matched against the Democrats, the Republican governor got 52 percent of the vote compared to 37 percent for Reiner, 35 percent for Angelides, 34 percent for Lockyer and 33 percent for Westly.

Reiner got support from 20 percent of the 376 Democrats and independents who said they planned to vote in next year's Democratic primary. Lockyer got 17 percent, Angelides 12 percent and Westly 8 percent. Forty-three percent said they were undecided.

Schwarzenegger hasn't said if he plans to run for re-election.

The good news for Democrats would have to be the aforementioned falling numbers, the fact that the election is still 20 months away, and the large number of people that Arnold's latest proposal have upset.

Things like this aren't going to help, either:

California should scrap Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2002 initiative designed to fund after-school programs, the state's nonpartisan legislative analyst said Thursday.

Elizabeth Hill criticized Proposition 49 for being an automatic spending plan that will take money away from more important programs and noted that some existing funds for after-school classes go unspent.

Hill, whose recommendations are widely respected and often considered by the Legislature, said the proposition would require the state to spend $424 million in general fund money even though it continues to face large deficits.

The question in 20 months will be if Arnold's name alone still has the power to pull him through.