Ultimately, low Independent turnout was attributed to Busby's own campaign message, which focused on what she and others characterized as a complete
breakdown of Republican honesty and integrity in Washington. Findings indicate running against the "culture of corruption" was a failure and
actually backfired. The poll shows widespread mistrust of both parties and the promise of "cleaning up Washington" was not believable, particularly to Independents, who instead took out their frustrations by voting for third party candidates.
The data also points to the popularity of Gov. Schwarzenegger, whose public persona is the maverick "outsider" and the belief held by respondents that California is headed in the right direction, especially compared to more negative views towards President Bush and the direction the U.S. is headed.
"The theory here is that the culture of corruption theme failed, " according to Rick Jacobs, Chair of the Courage Campaign, " because swing voters in particular want leaders who differentiate themselves, are strong and, we believe, willing to stand up to George Bush. This isn't just about SanDiego. There are lots of congressional districts going through similar campaigns, whether it's Jerry McNerney vs. Richard Pombo or Nick Lampson vs.
Tom DeLay, if he's on the ballot. It's not about a laundry list of policies. It's about holding the Bush Administration accountable."
Rick Jacobs is the founder and chair of the Courage Campaign, which was created to revitalize the California dream from outside the political
system. He chaired Howard Dean's presidential campaign in California and serves as Senior Advisor to Democracy for America. He is also a featured contributor to the Huffingtonpost.com . Chris Bowers is a blogger and an internet consultant based in Philadelphia. Rick Jacobs and Chris Bowers are available for interviews.
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