His reaction will suggest whether Schwarzenegger plans to placate his base, try to broaden it to the left, or somehow leap over the sorts of cultural clashes that have defined California's Republican Party in recent years.
For a typical candidate, the need to run in the 2006 Republican primary -- a contest typically dominated by conservatives, and a battle he was able to avoid in the recall's unusual format -- would dictate a turn to the right. But the world-famous film actor is hardly a typical candidate.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Friday October 10, 2003 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 35 words Type of Material: Correction
Dario Frommer -- With a Thursday Section A article on California legislators, a caption quoting Assemblyman Dario Frommer ran with the wrong photo. The photo was of Craig Missakian, Frommer's opponent in the last election.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday October 11, 2003 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 0 inches; 29 words Type of Material: Correction
Dario Frommer -- A correction in Friday's Section A mistakenly stated that Craig Missakian ran against Assemblyman Dario Frommer in the last election. Missakian ran against Frommer in 2000.
"Now that he's governor, the question is: Will he get mired down into this stuff or is he going to try to transcend it?" said Democratic strategist Bill Carrick.
Tony Quinn, who analyzes legislative races for the nonpartisan California Target Book, said Schwarzenegger ran so well in conservative precincts that most GOP lawmakers will remain allies regardless of his stands on touchstone issues like abortion.
"He'll have them in his back pocket," Quinn said. "Would you like to have your head knocked by somebody that got this kind of numbers? The guy's got a big heavy personality, as you know."
According to preliminary returns, Schwarzenegger won 3.7 million votes, or 49%, in Tuesday's election, well ahead of Davis, who won 3.6 million votes against the recall.
Looking ahead, one thing working in Schwarzenegger's favor is his relatively strong support among moderates and independents, a potential bridge between the Legislature's ideological poles.
"All of these people know, Democrats and Republicans, that ordinary people are pretty disgusted with the dysfunctional system in Sacramento," said Ronald Reagan biographer Lou Cannon.
Schwarzenegger vowed Wednesday to build ties to Democrats and independents, as well as fellow Republicans.
"There is much that we can do here if we don't take a negative approach and say, 'Oh, that one are the villains, and they are the good ones,' " he told reporters at a Century City news conference.
State Assembly Minority Leader Dave Cox (R-Fair Oaks) suggested it was only a matter of time before Schwarzenegger builds trust and confidence in the Legislature.
"This is like eating an elephant one bite at a time," he said. "You meet one person, you meet another person."
He also said Schwarzenegger's success in Hollywood would have taught the governor-elect the art of compromise as practiced in the capital.
