The other celebrity in California's first family

Since the special election, Shriver has also been instrumental in the shake-up of the governor's management structure, they say. She was probably behind a housecleaning of key Republican advisers, and her imprints are all over the new choices - including a controversial new chief of staff, Democrat Susan Kennedy, from Governor Davis's administration. Shriver's own adviser is also a Democrat and a former Davis adviser.

"Before the announcement of new chief of staff [Susan Kennedy], the governor had a spokes-of-the-wheel style in which a number of aides had clout," says Jack Pitney, political scientist at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif. "Now he is shifting to a pyramid structure with Kennedy at the top. As a longtime observer of presidents, Shriver probably convinced him that the spokes-of-the-wheel structure never works out."

Yet Schwarzenegger still has some work to do to win over members of the Republican base: The conservative faction of the state GOP strongly objects to Kennedy's new role.

"Maria has added salt to the wounds of social conservatives who are afraid she will pull Arnold too far to the left and turn off the Republican base from wanting to vote," says Allan Hoffenbloom, a Los Angeles- based Republican strategist.

Kennedy's appointment does suggest a return to his initial centrist image, analysts say.

"Maria has emerged as the new center of power because of the perception that Arnold moved way to the right and failed and that she is helping him lurch back to the middle," says Tony Quinn, a California political historian.

Many do not embrace this move to the center. "There is considerable disquiet by some segments of voters, especially conservatives, about the significant influence of an unelected and unappointed person having influence over policy," says Elizabeth Garrett, a law professor at the University of Southern California. "It causes great discomfort in some GOP circles that Arnold is moving to the center, and they see her as the cause."

Married to Schwarzenegger for 20 years, Shriver is an emotional and political stabilizer for him, Mr. Quinn and others say. Many voters also perceive her to have a sense of fairness and an ability to present an unbiased view of controversial issues, given that she's a broadcast journalist.

Shriver frequently appears in public across the state speaking out on issues she cares about, including teenage obesity, mentoring at-risk youth, preventing domestic violence, and promoting community service. But when she engages with the press and public, she always remains focused on the issue at hand, not her role in politics or her marriage to the governor.

"She will never grant an interview to talk about Maria Shriver, but she will talk about ideas and projects she is working on," says Shriver spokeswoman Terri Carbaugh.

Of course, as a celebrity, Shriver is never far from the spotlight.

"Maria ... explains in some way people's fascination with Arnold, both within California and across the country," says O'Connor. "They are intrigued with how this Republican bodybuilder from Austria can remain married all these years to a member of one of the country's most sophisticated Democratic families. She clearly cares deeply about the greater good and the downtrodden, and that takes the edge off their fears about noncompassionate conservatism."

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