In his State of the Union Address last night, President Bush addressed some issues that were very familiar to Californians:  healthcare, global warming and alternative fuels. 

Dr. Barbara O’Connor says there’s a strong parallel between the experiences of Governor Schwarzenegger and President Bush.  The Sacramento State Communications Professor says after the Governor’s unpopular special election, his approval ratings were close to Bush’s current numbers – somewhere in the 30’s…..and he won re-election by focusing on topics that resonated with both parties.  O’Connor says Bush is probably trying to do the same thing:

 “So he’s looking for issues that he can get some consensus on and that of course has been the approach that Governor Schwarzenegger has taken post the special election, so I think he’s taking a playbook from our governor.”

A spokesman for the Governor says Schwarzenegger is optimistic that the President is bringing topics such as comprehensive healthcare reform and global warming up for a national debate.