About 1/3 of California voters are Right-wing. Another 1/3 are solidly Leftist/Dem, and we know already who they're going to vote for...Davis, with Busta as a backup. The final 1/3 are what we would call "undecideds", "moderates", or "middle-of-the-road". It is among these voters that a winning candidate will find his margin of victory.
With this group, it is VITAL that a candidate not do anything which could drive away their votes. They are as leery of the Right as of the Left; a candidate MUST make them comfortable with himself.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's "moderate" stands on some social issues put them at ease...they want the state's problems solved; they do not want it done by someone they feel is too "far out".
Facts are stubborn things, it is said. Among this group of vital votes, it is stubborn fact that few are gunowners who know what an "assault" weapon is, and are nervous about folks that want them. Besides, they are already banned in CA.
It is stubborn fact that while some may be uncomfortable with abortion, they are similarly uncomfortable with a total ban on it.
It is stubborn fact that they may feel uncomfortable with illegal immigration, but they do not wish to be tarred with the "racist" brush, and accept it because, hey, who's going to mow the lawn and clean the house?
To sum it up, this middle ground of nonetheless vital voters is perfectly happy with the status quo, at least on social issues. What they want is a fiscal solution to the state's fiscal and budget problems which doesn't clobber them too much.
It should be obvious now why Mr. Schwarzenegger appeals to this group. Couple that with his built-in name recognition and inherent popularity, and his relentlessly positive, optimistic attitude, and you have a recipe for a win.
It is also obvious that Tom McLintock, as much as we conservatives here agree with him (I personally like his stance on guns, for instance, not that he can do sod-all about it), will scare those voters right back to their ultimate status quo...Davistamante.
These people like stability; to get them to even consider a change at all is an accomplishment. Too radical a change will have them saying "NO!"
As for the country as a whole, for whom it may concern: The breakdown is more like 40% Right, 40% left, 20% Middle, at least in the most recent numbers I've seen.