Mark Baldassare Governor Quotations

The governor must still convince independents and moderates that he is as he seemed to be last year ... a figure in Sacramento who stood for solutions and an end to partisan bickering, who put the people's interests first.

The governor has a big challenge ahead of him.

The reasons for the special election and the reasons for the specific proposals the governor is endorsing are not something that are energizing the public right now or generating a lot of support.

There's still a long way to go, but the governor is still looking to find the key to what will change public opinion. While his measures may not have moved in a negative direction, there's no sign that voters have any more inclination to support his package.

As long as the governor has education in the mix, the public will be supportive.

This is a real test for the governor. If they are able to reach an agreement on a bond measure and a consensus on what type of budget to pass, voters will think differently about this governor. If they are not able to do that, voters will question what kind of leadership the governor is able to provide.

It's reasonably good news for the governor on a number of levels. It seems many Californians continue to be pulling for the governor.

Clearly the governor got the message of the special election. The question is whether the words translate into action in Sacramento and move the state in the direction the governor says he would like to go and the public says they would like to go.