After Arnold Schwarzeneger's election the quesiton haunts me even more. Why didn't he run as a Democrat?

He is pro-choice, pro-gay rights, talks eloquently about his father in law Sargent Shriver's work for the Peace Corops and War on Poverty, and vocally opposed the attempot to impeach President Clinton. So he's a fiscal conservative---so is Howard Dean and many other Democrats.

The only answer I can come up with is that Republicans such as ex LA Mayor Richard Riordon and ex Governor Pete Wilson reached out to him, mentored him ,nurtured him and supported his aspirations whereas Democrats must have looked at him as another celebrity they could go to for fund-raising or photo-ops.