Re: some shifts.
I have never seen "moving to the middle" used in any other way by a Democratic politician than "moving to the Democratic position."
Arnold got elected because he was a movie star, and was never a conservative except maybe fiscally, and that went down the toilet as fast as it did for Bush.
The person I voted for instead of Arnold had twice his qualifications, both in terms of principles and brainpower.
The conservatives seem to be doing all right for themselves so far this year without having to put on donkey ears. I think we're going to see a "shift" this fall, and not the one you're looking for. Might be why the Democratic trend is to destroy the opposition instead of debating it.