Why didn't Schwarzenegger run for Senate in 2010?

[TheBeardedOne]

Lack of interest? Low approval ratings? Barbara Boxer beat Carly Fiorina with ~10% more votes.

[Canis]

very low approvals arnold was very unpopular in california around this time

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

He was less popular than Gray Davis for crying out loud.

[Peanut]

He was very, very unpopular. Might've done slightly better than Fiorina (might've) but not nearly enough to beat Boxer. Also, the GOP didn't take the Senate in 2010.

[Seriously?]

Didn't he get busted for screwing the nanny around that time? Maybe he didn't want that exposed, if it wasn't out there already.

Lack of interest? Low approval ratings? The Republicans won 6 seats in 2010 and took the Senate. Barbara Boxer beat Carly Fiorina with ~10% more votes.

[Jeppe]

He would've done even worse than Fiorina.

[Oryxslayer]

As other have pointed out, Low approvals was a prohibiting factor. The Governator's image has since rebounded, obscuring this fact. However, this really shouldn't be surprising - almost every state that was hit by the recession saw their governors approvals plummet.

However, the other thing that was key at the time is the Republican Primary. Since separate party primaries are a thing of the past, this factor is also often forgotten. However, by 2010, the CA GOP primary was a 20 pound anchor: you needed to march right to win the primary dominated by the shrinking radical base, but doing so destroyed your reputation with the Left-of-Center electorate.

People also forget that Schwarzenegger basically did run for Senate: Poizner was the other Moderate statewide GOP at the time, and he lost. He tacked hard right in the primary, but this simply muddied his message against the true right wingers. Was he running on his very successful moderate stint as Insurance Commissioner under Schwarz, or as a far right Immigration hawk? It further scarred his reputation with the left-leaning general electorate, something that Poizer has moved heaven and earth to fix for his 2018 run.

[Tender Branson]

Btw: Schwarzenegger seems to have recovered from his time as CA Governor and now gets a 56-17 favourable rating among Americans (YouGov).

[President Johnson]

Arnie is an executive who likes to be in the main chair instead of hanging around in the senate. The California governorship is much more prestigious and therefore it would have been a step down. He was also not very popular towards the end of his term.

[Antonio the Sixth]

He would've done even worse than Fiorina.

[OSR stands with Israel]

As other have pointed out, Low approvals was a prohibiting factor. The Governator's image has since rebounded, obscuring this fact. However, this really shouldn't be surprising - almost every state that was hit by the recession saw their governors approvals plummet.

However, the other thing that was key at the time is the Republican Primary. Since separate party primaries are a thing of the past, this factor is also often forgotten. However, by 2010, the CA GOP primary was a 20 pound anchor: you needed to march right to win the primary dominated by the shrinking radical base, but doing so destroyed your reputation with the Left-of-Center electorate.

People also forget that Schwarzenegger basically did run for Senate: Poizner was the other Moderate statewide GOP at the time, and he lost. He tacked hard right in the primary, but this simply muddied his message against the true right wingers. Was he running on his very successful moderate stint as Insurance Commissioner under Schwarz, or as a far right Immigration hawk? It further scarred his reputation with the left-leaning general electorate, something that Poizer has moved heaven and earth to fix for his 2018 run.

One of my friend told me the CA GOP by 2009-2010 made the National GOP and even the Texas GOP look like Rockefeller Republicans.

Is that true 

[TheBeardedOne]

He was very, very unpopular. Might've done slightly better than Fiorina (might've) but not nearly enough to beat Boxer. Also, the GOP didn't take the Senate in 2010.

You're right, for some reason I completely mixed the Senate up with the House. Let me fix that.