This compares to Speedo's 2 percent response in February.
What's particularly noteworthy from this data set is 'Speedo' is an answer
to an open-ended question about common policy concerns. In other words, the
poll's responders could provide any answer they thought of, and were not
presented with a list of options to choose from.
B) FOCUS GROUP
We then put the Speedo issue to last week's Bakersfield focus group.
We showed a roomful of registered voters two photos of recent Speedo Voter
Contact' appearances, the photo above from Black's Beach and another from
the very first Pink Speedo event in March at Malibu Beach.
Before you implemented the 'Speedo Voter Contact' program last December,
beginning with a trial run during your French Caribbean vacation, we had no
prior data set to work from to properly analyze the public's interest level
and the intensity of their feelings on the subject
.
Your 'Speedo Voter Contact' program is fertile ground for polling.
So we kept the Bakersfield focus group question simple:
"Pink or purple?".
We didn't get a preferred response though (tape #467, 02:34:45):
Upon seeing a photo of you in either a pink or purple Speedo, nearly 72
percent voluntarily exclaimed "EWWWWWWWWW".
[ To observe a common reaction, watch the focus group tape and note the look
of horror on the face of the woman in red. ]
Perhaps this could be explained because a man in the room noticed your pink
fingernails and pointed it out to the rest of the group:
Frankly, Governor, despite what your blind trust advisor says, good common
sense means you need to stop wearing nail polish In public.
[Of course what you do in private is entirely up to you.]
Besides, if you keep this "Arnold LOVES HOT PINK" public campaign up for too
much longer there will be Skelton, Weintraub, and Stewart columns in dozens
of papers about your emerging sissified tendencies.
Then your numbers will plummet, further damaging fundraising.
At the very least you should authorize a question or two on color choices or
shading of favorite types of pink in next month's poll.
We did find a silver lining in the focus group, it seems.
The respondents universally liked your new favorite hat, thankfully.
I will have some talking points on effective messaging of your 'Speedo Voter
Contact' initiative by next week's Communications Strategy Team conference
call.
Oh, and before I forget: I'm still not thought through your idea inspired by
the Black's Beach event, with an Arnold Schwarzenegger "No Speedo at All"
meet-and-greet the next time you are in the San Diego TV market, to relive
your days of 'behaving badly' back in the 70's
.
Clearly we'd have to poll that option before such an event was put on the
block schedule, although the earned TV may be worth the risk.
Besides, if your numbers keep plummeting like in recent months, anything you
do won't matter much, since it's 'Game Ovah' for Governor Girlie Man.
Then you can look forward to a nice life occupying the upper-left hand
corner chair - "I'd like Arnold Schwarzenegger to block, please" - on the
next version of Hollywood Squares.
Please advise.
