Is Arnold Schwarzenegger still a moderate?

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California is notorious for his "post-partisan" stance within the Republican party. So it was something of a surprise to see that he wants to balance California's budget by cutting state spending:

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s tough stance on climate change and a recent willingness to engage with Democratic rivals in the California state legislature has won praise and backing from across the US political spectrum.

But a series of drastic spending cuts announced in the last few days, aimed at reducing a gaping $14.5bn (€9.9bn, £7.4bn) budget deficit has taken the sheen off the former movie star’s tenure as California governor.

Mr Schwarzenegger has caused a public outcry with a series of measures aimed at curbing spending. The radical proposals include cutting the state’s education budget, closing some of its most popular parks and releasing some prison inmates early.

Cutting spending is a stereotypically Republican conservative move. Is Arnold Schwarzenegger still a moderate? There are two possibilities.

1. Schwarzenegger really is back to being a conservative after realizing that his mushy moderation, in part, contributed to California's budget mess.



2. Schwarzenegger is still a mushy moderate and is just proposing the most politically incorrect spending cuts that he can in order to build support for a tax hike.