Schwarzenegger Aims to Lift California's Clout

The governor shared his views over a lunch of salmon salad on the patio of a restaurant a few blocks from the state Capitol. He had just come from an appearance at a conference on the primary, during which he lamented California's role as a cash register for fickle presidential candidates.

"Candidates only came here to California to cash in," he told the audience. "They went from fundraiser to fundraiser. Made millions and millions of dollars, and before the fundraiser was over, they were already on the plane leaving for New Hampshire and Iowa to spend the millions of dollars they had cashed in California. . . . This drives me nuts."

The early primary will cost the state an additional $60 million, but the governor believes that it could return billions of dollars in dividends to the state in the form of new federal money if he and the state's voters can force the candidates to make commitments. "This is the greatest investment we can make in our future," Schwarzenegger said in the interview.

Schwarzenegger said he has no plans to endorse a candidate in the Republican primary but, unlike many in his party, he had kind words for the field, particularly Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. "I might, but I might not," he said of an endorsement. "Right now I don't think I will. But, like I said, that could change. Maybe it becomes very clear on who ought to be the candidate."

He said he believes it is possible for a Republican to win the state in 2008 if the nominee offers strong leadership, a pro-environment platform and is positioned in the center. GOP nominees have fared poorly with the state's socially liberal electorate (Bush drew just 44 percent of the vote here in 2004, and 42 percent four years earlier).

Giuliani supports abortion rights, but McCain does not. Asked whether McCain's courtship of religious conservatives over the past year would make it more difficult for him to win California in a general election, Schwarzenegger replied: "I don't want to run his campaign. All I'm interested in is that he does the things that would work for California."

Many strategists believe that the effect of having so many big states such as California voting on or around Feb. 5 may be to enhance the power of states voting earlier in the process, such as Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

Asked about that possibility, Schwarzenegger replied with customary confidence. Pausing for effect, he said with a big smile: "They will know who to thank."