Nah. Nobody took Schwartzenneger for a Conservative. California wanted to elect a celebrity with a tough-guy image and that is what they got. They would have elected Clint Eastwood just as fast and all they would have gotten the liberal Mayor of Carmel.
Never underestimate the California electorate. They are really, really stupid. Who else would vote AGAINST a proposition requiring the State to only pass balance budgets. Only stupid people.
I did--because it WASN'T a proposition requiring a balanced budget (that is already in the State Constitution). The proposition you are probably referring to was being sold as a "spending cap." Unfortunately, it did nothing to curb spending for at least a decade and actually authorized more debt. (You gotta read the fine print--not the Arnold propaganda machine headlines!)
Before labeling all California voters as stupid, perhaps you should become more familiar with the issues.