U.S. Senate - California 2010

Since his landslide re-election in 2006, Republicans have been hoping beyond hope that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will run for the United States Senate against the Democratic incumbent, Barbara Boxer, in 2010. The GOP eye her seat with lust each time she stands for re-election, yet each and every time they fall flat on their face (she won re-election in 1998 by ten points, and in 2004 by twenty).

A new poll from Rasmussen indicates that not even the star power of "Ah-nuld" can derail Sen. Boxer:

Boxer (D) 50%
Schwarzenegger (R) 34%

It's way too early of course (remember...the front runners for the presidency in 2007 were Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani), and if this economy doesn't stabilize by the mid-term elections all bets are off, but this is a very nice position for Boxer a year-and-a-half out.

And outside of the Governor, the Republican bench in California is pretty empty.