Poll: Voters Cool on Arnold's Rivals

The bad news for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is that his approval rating now stands at only 38 percent.

The good news: None of his would-be rivals in next year's election has a higher rating.

A new statewide Field Poll found that 54 percent of respondents hold a negative view of the Republican governor, compared to the 38 percent favorable. But the likely Democratic nominee, state treasurer Phil Angelides, fared even worse: Only 23 percent hold a positive view of him.

And only 18 percent have a favorable view of the other Democrat who has publicly announced his candidacy, Controller Steve Westly.

Two politically active actor-directors, Rob Reiner and Warren Beatty, have been mentioned as potential Democratic challengers to Schwarzenegger. But they can't match Arnold's figure - 25 percent of respondents said they have a positive view of Reiner, and just 16 percent feel that way toward Beatty, according to the poll reported by the Sacramento Bee.

The only incumbent or potential candidate listed by the pollsters who scored higher than Schwarzenegger was former Gov. Jerry Brown, at 39 percent.

Fortunately for Arnold, Brown - who's now the mayor of Oakland - is running for attorney general next year.

"What these numbers suggest is that while Schwarzenegger's popularity has dropped by 30 percentage points in the past year, that doesn't necessarily mean that his bid for a second term in 2006 is doomed," the Bee reports.

"While Schwarzenegger may be damaged, none of his announced or potential challengers is, at this point, more than a political blank slate, waiting to be defined."