Well, the polls continue bouncing around.  Rasmussen Reports  has Schwarzenegger up by 6 points, 47-41.  While this poll is closer than previous polls, especially the PPIC, it’s a four point gain over the last month’s poll.  Also, Schwarzenegger is gradually climbing towards the magical 50%. Also of concern is Rasmussen’s approval numbers for the Governator.  It currently stands at 55%, up from 51% earlier in July.  While Rasmussen’s number is generally a bit high, the upward trend in the last year is consistent.  Part of that is this moderate message that Arnold is trying to propogate, part of that is a lack of rallying behind the Dem nominee.

Given an expected upcoming push by Angelides, this race is far from over.  This poll and all California governor polls, along with my opinions on the polls, can be found in the CA Poll HQ.

The down-ballot Field Poll came out this morning, with pretty good, although unsuprising news for Democrats in statewide races. All 6 down ballot Dems are leading, and only SoS and Insurance Commissioner are really close right now.

However, these numbers should be taken with more than just a grain of salt. As shown in the table below, many voters have no opinion of either or both candidates. So much of this poll is really based on mere party affiliation. I suppose that it’s good to know that a D in a statwide race of unknowns still stakes you to a lead.

See the flip for the full table of information from the Field Poll. I’ll also put this in the extended of the Poll HQ.

Today’s California Blog Roundup is on the flip. Teasers: Phil Angelides, Arnold Schwarzenegger, CA-04, CA-11, Jerry McNerney, Richard Pombo, John Doolittle, Republican corruption, Proposition 90, Proposition 89, Proposition 87, voting, prisons, health care, immigration.

Governor’s Race

• Schwarzenegger really is a Bush Republican — just like Bush, he’s used citizen money to require official web pages to harmonize with his campaign.
• Joe Scott on politics and power (of both sorts).
• Angelides stumping in the Central Valley late last week.
• Angelides’ challenge: move from great retail politicking to mass media.
• Phil is hanging tough in the money race.

Jerry McNerney / Paid-For Pombo / CA-11

• McCloskey on today’s Republicans, especially Paid-For Pombo and 15% Doolittle.
• The Progressive Alamedan is hosting a big ol’ house party for Jerry McNerney in September.
• Paid-For Pombo: stripmining the planet.
• PomboWatch: What will Paid-For tell his grandchildren about his efforts to help global warming along?

15% Doolittle / CA-04

• I knew something was bothering me about the concept of a “Leadership PAC”. It’s a fancy name for “slush fund“.
• Bribery and betrayal of the citizens is a moral issue, something that 15% Doolittle forgets, or rather, ignores.
• 15% Doolittle abuses his franking privilege, pimps anti-immigrant talking point for his campaign using official House email.
• 15% Doolittle makes late night Paris Hilton booty call. (Get your minds out of the gutter.)

Other Republican Paragons

• A bit more on Jerry Loot Lewis, from Down With Tyranny.
• Brian Bilbray hearts Paris Hilton too.

Propositions

• Proposition 90: One of many run from New York by a wealthy developer. As if he has anyone else’s best interests at heart.
• Proposition 89: Power brokers line up to stop clean money. Russo says hooey.
• Proposition 89: A glance at Arizona shows the effect this system has on democracy. The number of minority candidates tripled. The number of women candidates has increased every year since 1998. Voter turn out is UP 20%.
• Proposition 87: it’s a very good thing. Oh, and this helps to explain exactly why.
• Infrastructure bond propositions not as popular as they could be. Frank Russo has more, especially noting Schwarzenegger’s opportunistic abandonment of the housing bond.

The Rest

• Whaddya know! Undocumented immigrants not responsible for overloading health care system.
• Randy Bayne (and California Progress Report) point us to single payer healthcare, explained.
• Today’s minimum wage is worth almost 12% less than it was 4 years ago. We index income tax brackets against inflation. Why not the minimum wage?
• Concrete proposals for fixing our broken prisons.
• One of the very few areas in which libertarians are even close to right is on civil liberties issues like drug usage and imprisonment (pity most of them hate taxes more than they love actual freedoms).
• DRE voting machines: irreparably broken. Seriously, completely, totally broken.
• Jane Harman: responding to her constituents, or “The Power of a Primary”.
• Surveillance of Californians, from CA Progress Report.
• Q2 California foreclosure rates more than doubled compared to the same period last year.
• Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys) on energy policy.