William F. Buckley Jr. once answered a question about whom he intended to support for president by saying, “the rightward-most viable candidate.”

Arnold leads the pack right now, obviously, but I suspect there’s still a chance for a true conservative such as Bill Simon or Tom McClintock to achieve real viability. How? By doing something both sensible and dramatic: Calling for a constitutional amendment to place an overall cap on state spending.

Then Governor Reagan’s 1973 ballot initiative, Proposition One, would have capped state spending at seven percent of personal income (the measure would have scaled spending down to that level over 15 years). Such a measure today would transform California, restoring it to its status as-well, as the Golden State. Colorado’s 1992 initiative limited increases in spending to an amount equal to increases in population plus inflation. That wouldn’t do as much for us as a replay of Prop. One because spending in California is already at such a high level, but, Lord, would it ever be an improvement.

Bill Simon? Tom McClintock? Somebody? Go for it.