Schwarzenegger set to endorse McCain for president (Roundup)

By Rich Bowden, M&C Staff Writer Jan 31, 2008, 11:41 GMT

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (L) arrives with former US First Lady Nancy Reagan (R) prior to the start of the CNN and POLITICO.COM debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, USA 30 January 2008. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT

(M&C) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to back John McCain as the Republican nominee for president U.S. media reports say.

The governor will make his announcement Thursday just a week before the state of California votes in its primary election. The move will follow today's endorsement of Sen McCain by outgoing candidate Rudi Giuliani.

Mr Giuliani announced he was withdrawing from the race after finishing a disappointing third in Florida's primary earlier this week. McCain won the Sunshine State's election beating Mitt Romney into second place.

The expected endorsement of Gov. Schwarzenegger will give Sen. McCain further support among independent voters given the former film star's cross-party, iconoclastic appeal.

"The endorsement has cachet,'' said Barbara O'Connor, a political scientist at California State University in Sacramento to Bloomberg. "He is the quintessential, crossing party lines, post-partisan politician.''

The endorsement is also vital for the McCain campaign because California does not award all of its electoral college delegates to the statewide winner.

"It's not just a question of do you win,'' Republican strategist Alex Vogel said to Bloomberg. "It's a question of how big do you win. I can't think of a better endorsement for McCain in California.''