[A Broken Glass Republican]

The best scenerio I've seen is...

McClintock pulls-out...Handing the victory to Arnold. Bust-a-move is out in 2004? 2006? via term-limits. McClintock wins the Lt. Gov. and then moves onto the big house after Arnold.

Of ocurse even THIS wouldn't be good enough for many of the McClintock supporting RINOs.

[pogo101]

Another "compromise pact" scenario is:

1. After a hard but not vicious campaign through late September, Arnold agrees privately with McClintock that, if McClintock drops/endorses, he (McClintock) shall be Arnold's budget director, with extensive independence -- i.e., he is not just some Arnold appointee or flunky.

2. McClintock agrees, and drops/endorses, but makes it very clear that he will continue to speak out against wasteful spending AND unfair taxes, even if such is not the position of the Arnold "administration" ... and that he's ONLY agreed to drop/endorse because he has been assured of such independence. Arnold reiterates that, yes, Tom would be an independent budget director and that he (Arnold) wants Tom's penny-pinching expertise, even if it's tough to hear.

3. Recall succeeds. On successor ballot, Arnold wins, but not by much, over Cruz.

4. State economy turns around between '03 and '06. McClintock gets much of the credit. Grateful GOP party apparatus ("grateful" for his having bowed out in recall race, plus his aid in transforming the state thereafter) makes clear to would-be GOP gubernatorial contenders that Tom Has The Pary's Full Support Whenever He Chooses To Run.

5. McClintock serves two glorious terms as governor, '06-'14, transforming the state into a model for efficient growth, and ushering in GOP dominance in the Legislature for the first time in decades.

[heleny]

Bust-a-move is out in 2004? 2006? via term-limits.

You aren't from CA, I gather.

[MJY1288]

I really like what I have seen from McClintock and hope he wins, but I also believe Arnold is a good start for change if he lives up to his promises of promoting business investment & cutting spending, hopefully someone like McClintock will take over the wheel before Arnold has the chance to open the State Treasury to the "Chilrun" :-)