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The Republican Party’s newest star has afforded conservatives a rare high-profile supporter in California who could prove helpful for President Bush’s re-election chances.

Since his election in the November 2003 recall, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has embraced President Bush as a close political ally, in a public display perhaps motivated by his need for federal funds to help alleviate a state budget deficit.

And with a presidential election in November, Bush is now turning to Schwarzenegger to help him in his bid for a second term.

While California traditionally has been a Democratic-leaning state, Bush campaigners are banking on Schwarzenegger’s star power to boost support and fund raising.

“Gov. Schwarzenegger is a very important part of our mission to change the face and reach of the party,” Gerald Parsky, Bush’s California campaign chairman, told The Associated Press.

“The support he gets from the people and his success at establishing a bipartisan approach to governing, we believe, can be translated into a real plus for us,” said Parsky, who also sits on the University of California Board of Regents.

It seems no person in California would be better placed to help the Bush campaign than the popular Schwarzenegger, fresh off a string of political victories on March 2, including a $15 billion bond measure to rescue the state budget.

With his popularity rating hovering in the 65-plus percentage range, Schwarzenegger could help to increase the president’s approval rating in California – currently sitting at about 43 percent, according to the AP.

But even with his political successes, many political analysts are predicting Schwarzenegger’s apparent clout with voters will do little to win the state for Bush.

“He might help him pick up a few votes here and there, but how much is the real question,” said Barbara Sinclair, professor and Hoffenberg chair for the political science department. “Very few people can sway elections like that.”

And a Republican victory in California might not even count for much for the Bush campaign.

“If it gets to the point where Republicans could almost carry the state, then chances are California won’t matter anyway,” said political science Professor John Zaller.

“In the last election, Republicans barely advertised in California,” he added.

Some also question whether Schwarzenegger’s ability to sway voters is truly based his charisma and publicity skills.

Though the measures he proposed on the March 2 ballot were successful, political science Assistant Professor Lynn Vavreck said such political victories were widely supported by liberals and conservatives alike, including Democratic state favorites like Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

“Schwarzenegger has the unique political position to skim voters from the middle, but Bush doesn’t have such ability,” she said.

In a state where Democratic voters outnumber Republican voters 43 to 36 percent, Bush’s conservative views ultimately may prove too much of a stumbling block to overcome.

Fundamental differences between policies adopted by both politicians also may make it more difficult for Schwarzenegger to make a major impact on the number of votes for Bush come November.

While they tend to agree on fiscal issues, such as resisting new taxes, Schwarzenegger has proven to be more liberal on social issues – including the controversial topic of gay marriage, where he publicly has said he opposes a constitutional amendment advocated by the president to ban such unions.

“I think those issues should be left to the state,” Schwarzenegger said on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on March 1. “So I have no use for a constitutional amendment or change in that at all.”

With reports from Bruin wire services.