The percentage of Californians who believe the state is headed in the wrong direction has climbed, propelled by those who disapprove of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance in office, according to a Field Poll released on Tuesday.
The Field Poll found that 59 percent of Californians believe the state is on the wrong track, compared with 51 percent in February and an average of 52 percent in 2004.
Only 28 percent believe the state is on the right track, compared with 40 percent in February and an average of 36 percent last year…
It noted that among the 58 percent who disapprove of Schwarzenegger’s performance in office, 78 percent believe the state is “seriously off on the wrong track.”
By contrast, among the 31 percent who back the Republican governor, there is “considerable optimism” about the direction of California, with 64 percent saying it is on the right track.
The leading reason volunteered by pessimists for why they believe the state is headed in the wrong direction can be summarized as “the governor is taking the wrong positions, oppose his positions,” followed by the state’s lawmakers and elected officials are not doing a good job, and schools are performing poorly, according to the Field Poll report.
A Field Poll released last week found Schwarzenegger’s approval rating among registered voters plunging to 37 percent from 55 percent in February.
