I don't agree with this kind of thinking -- at all. Invitations to chaos are not solutions. When you try to "teach someone a lesson" you're never going to get them to "fish or cut bait" as you put it, they're just going to dump you and your opinions. Leaders don't have the luxury of walking away.
If Arnold was a leader, I might agree with you. However, he is not a leader, but a weak individual who is all flash, but who doesn't really know what he is politically. And that's a charitable assessment.
I normally stick with Republican politicians through thick and thin. But I do ask one thing in return, which is for them to be as loyal to me as I am to them. There has to be some bottom line politicians cannot cross without losing my support. For many people in the grass roots, their bottom line centers on issues like abortion, gun rights, the border, etc. Mine centers on loyalty to those in the grass roots, like me, who volunteer to do the thankless grunt work on campaigns: walk precincts, stuff envelopes, register voters, man the local precinct HQ, answer phones, make precinct calls, and so on.
When a politican stabs those people in the back -- as Arnold has done by surrounding himself with Leftists after marketing himself as a Republican -- then they lose my support.
Specifically as regards Arnold, I maintined then and still do today that the recall was a huge mistake. It accomplished nothing other than taking the heat off our Marxist legislature and Dems Party in this state.
There are times when a strategic retreat is the smartest thing to do. This is one of those times.