Posted on Sat, Oct. 22, 2005
Schwarzenegger asks TV stations to pull his special election ads
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked television stations to stop airing commercials featuring him personally backing initiatives in the Nov. 8 special election.
The two commercials show the movie star-turned-politician - one of the world's best-known celebrities - speaking to the camera in a casual setting. In one spot, he urges voters: "Help me change Sacramento, so we can rebuild California."
It is the same message he has given in personal appearances on behalf of four measures on the Nov. 8 ballot: Proposition 74, which would make it harder for public schoolteachers to get tenure; Proposition 75, which would require public employee unions to secure written permission from members before dues could be used for political purposes; Proposition 76, a state spending cap; and Proposition 77, which would strip lawmakers of the power to draw political boundaries.
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Polls also show Schwarzenegger's popularity has plummeted since initiative opponents began running commercials directly attacking him.
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http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/12970277.htm Governor Pulls Himself Off the Screen
Schwarzenegger asks stations to remove ads that feature him pitching initiatives. Some say move reflects his fading poll numbers.
By Robert Salladay, Times Staff Writer
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked TV stations Friday to remove ads that feature him making a personal appeal to California voters — an acknowledgment, analysts said, that one of the world's most recognized figures has become a weak salesman for his own agenda.
An avid pitchman his entire adult life — selling everything from gym bags to action movies — Schwarzenegger nevertheless now will rely on "ordinary" supporters to promote his four Nov. 8 ballot initiatives in ads, his campaign said.
The remaining ads do not feature the governor or even mention his name. Instead, they include teachers and others asking people to "change California" and vote for the initiatives he backs.
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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-arnold22oct22,0,1830360.story?coll=la-story-footer&track=morenews:rofl: