McClintock still has two years left in his State Senate term. He'll continue to make his voice heard there until 2008. Where he'll go afterwards isn't clear; if Gallegly steps down from his Congressional seat as previously promised, Tom will probably run for that seat and easily win it (it's gerrymandered Republican).
That's accurate. Thanks for correcting that figurative representation.
For my part, I'd rather not see McClintock run for another public office under the Republican banner until Sundheim is gone. Yes, its a safe district but Sundheim has a large arsenal at his disposal with which to regularly tarnish the Senator's image and, if necessary, derail McClintock during the primary. Sundheim can place almost any candidate in that district and has no great need for McClintock.
I'd rather like McClintock able to freely voice his eleoquent opposition to the policies of the Schwarzenegger/Nunez cabal over the next two years, not muzzled by the Sundheim/New Majority purse or Schwarzenegger's bully pulpit.
We could play woulda, shoulda, coulda all day long but it's my considered opinion that the Sundheim/New Majority refusal to support McClintock financially and Schwarzenegger's last minute support of Garamendi made the difference in the election outcome. That McClintock came as close as he did without significant financial support from his own party and against the will of its highest elected official is a testament to the universal appeal of a straight talking, consistent politician.
Not likely.