The media love “moderate” Republicans. All you have to do is favor abortion under just about any circumstance, and you get to be a moderate. You could be in favor of nuking gay black homosexuals, but if you’re pro-abortion, you’re a moderate. Arlen Specter, Bill Weld, and Christie Todd Whitman are prominent members of this species. They get showered with acclamations about their intelligence, prudence, and superiority over your normal, gun-toting, snake-handling GOP politician. Quite often, the “moderate” Republican favors gun control; he will make frowny faces about high government spending and high taxes, but will usually support both in the end.
Then when election time comes, the “moderate” Republican finds that his buddies in the press, along with previously friendly Democrats, have turned against him. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the latest to find out that just because you favor abortion, gun control, and scads of money for “the children,” you’re not immune from being lumped in with the snake handlers.
According to this article, lots of Hollywood people are lining up against him in his bid to become governor of California. You can guess most of the names mentioned: Tom Hanks, Woody Harrelson, Martin Sheen, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds (still alive, apparently), Cybill Shepherd, Barbra Streisand (natch), Steven Spielberg, Warren Beatty, Susan Sarandon, and Al Franken. (Good golly! Not Franken!)
Note to liberal Republicans: you should certainly follow your conscience and act on your beliefs. However, if you’re thinking of adjusting your positions to make yourself popular, you might as well be conservative. Having that (R) next to your name makes you a target. The media and the Left will see it, their Pavlovian response will kick in, and they’ll automatically hate you anyway.