You need to get out of the McClintock box or even the Arnold funk to see what can come next.
The goal would be to find an electable but more conservative candidate for after Arnold. Arnold was only a beginning in turning this around more toward conservatism.
He was the beginning small steps toward the conservative goal and he's good for business in CA.
The goal is to keep getting slightly more conservative candidates and to get the people to permanently vote a more conservative pattern long term.
McClintock flamed out, he has no future long term in CA IMO.
Name some names that you, in your infinite wisdom, find to be more conservative than Arnold, yet squishy enough for your assumed swing voters. And explain why a centrist swing democrat would prefer them to the similarly squishy Dem candidate that would oppose him/her.
Personally, I would have liked to see Condi give elected office a try in CA. She would certainly have been an improvement over Boxer as a Senator. But then, so would my cat.