Arnold campaign pulls TV Ad on initiatives
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-23 21:20

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's special election campaign said it was withdrawing a television advertisement that featured the governor appealing to voters to support his slate of ballot initiatives.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, left, speaks to guests at a house party held in the Del Cerro area of San Diego, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2005. Schwarzenegger is holding a series of parties to promote his reform agenda for California. [AP]

The move Saturday to drop Schwarzenegger from the airwaves came at a critical time — just 17 days before the Nov. 8 election.

His campaign dismissed the notion that the ad — the only one featuring the governor — was pulled because of Schwarzenegger's falling approval ratings. Instead, they said TV ads are being rotated as part of a plan to educate voters about specific ballot measures.

Still, some observers said Schwarzenegger's ability to sell his ballot agenda might be limited because polls show he has the approval of only about 35 percent of voters.

"An overwhelming majority of voters think this special election is unnecessary and an overwhelming number of voters say they will not vote for Schwarzenegger again. Let's face it, he's unpopular," said Larry Gerston, a political scientist from San Jose State University.

Todd Harris, spokesman for Schwarzenegger's California Recovery Team, said there is no effort to hide the governor and pointed to his Saturday campaign stops in Southern California and a live TV forum planned for Monday.

"We've reached a stage in this campaign where the most important thing we can do is focus on the initiatives themselves," he said.

Harris said the TV advertisement does not address details of the governor's measures, while three others do. He said Schwarzenegger will be back in TV ads before Election Day.

The 30-second ad featuring the governor had been running for about a month. In it, Schwarzenegger speaks directly to the camera about the influence big labor unions have on the state and the need to pass his reform package.

Schwarzenegger is pushing four initiatives on the Nov. 8 ballot: Proposition 74 would extend the probationary period for teachers from two years to five. Proposition 75 would require public employee unions to secure written permission from members before dues could be used for political purposes. Proposition 76 calls for a state spending cap and Proposition 77 would strip lawmakers of the power to draw political boundaries.