I thought Pete Wilson was popular during the 90's. No? Am I wrong?
The fact that Pete Wilson won re-election in 1994 is nothing short of a miracle. He was trailing by as much as 20% in 1993, and had some of the lowest approvals of any California governor, ever. The main reason why he won is (1) Wilson was a terrific campaigner who knew how to play hot-button issues like the death penalty, and (2) his opponent was inept at best.
Don't forget prop 187.
Yeah, 187 was what saved the Republicans in 1994. Unfortunately for them, the legacy of that has killed them at every election since.
