Can you just give me your opinion on something? I honestly want to know what you think about this because it might help me understand the other side's position in the debate. IF, as you say, Arnold is such a hopeless social liberal, and you are also confident in guessing that he is at heart a fiscal liberal... then what reason can you come up with to explain his being a very visible Republican for 2 decades and remaining one now? Not just "admitting" it when asked, but actively campaigning and fundraising for Republican candidates, etc.
IMHO, it becomes even more difficult to explain once you examine his marriage to a Shriver, surely his family life would have been more comfortable with the Kennedy clan if he switched to the Democrat Party... and if he was so "social" in all the important values then it would have been utterly painless for him to switch parties.
One other twist to this logic problem... IF, again as you say, he is liberal both on social and fiscal issues, why didn't he just run as a Democrat now? He could do so quite easily, simply saying that he still had a great deal of respect for the Republican Party, but that Maria had shown him that there is "much to admire in the Democrat platform" and he would run as a moderate Democrat? If his only supposed goal is to win the election and enact social programs and spending, he would completely sweep it by running as a (D) and being married to a Kennedy... why is he doing this the hard way by running as a Republican if he doesn't significantly believe in the GOP platform?
IMHO, this history contradicts the assumptions about Arnold and I'm curious how you fit these pieces together.