His politics, reflecting his background as a Sacramento lawyer and lobbyist, tend toward fiscal conservatism and moderate social views.
Because he favors abortion rights, Mr. Ridge also could have enhanced the party's appeal to affluent suburbanites with moderate social views.
His boosters say his moderate social views could lure swing voters and bring big blue states such as New York and California back into play, at least forcing the Democrats to spend time and money defending them.
So while many conservatives express qualms about Mr. Schwarzenegger, others -- as well as party moderates and some Republicans close to the Bush White House -- sense a chance to win in a freakish and foreshortened race for governor and are willing to look past his moderate social views and vague fiscal position.
As a populist hard-ass with conservative economic views, moderate social views, and a reputation as his own man, he is the one Republican candidate, with the possible exception of Jeb Bush, who could, at least potentially, appeal to a wide swath of the electorate.
But he was known among Shias for his moderate social views.
More significantly, Giuliani's moderate social views and relative positioning in the center of the Republican Party directly overlaps with McCain's own base of support and offers little re-enforcement of the latter's weak right flank.
Donnelly has declined to back Kashkari, and some of his supporters remain openly wary of Kashkari because of his moderate social views, his role leading the Wall Street bailout and his 2008 vote for President Obama.
"A lot of the College Republicans I know share the same liberal-to-moderate social views," she added.
Weld, 73, governed Massachusetts in the 1990s in much the same way Hogan has governed Maryland: as a Republican with conservative fiscal views and moderate social positions.
