But Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said the “tawdry tales” of the corruption case — as characterized in the Supreme Court decision written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. — would be his biggest barrier [to a revived political future].
“It’s difficult to run for office under the banner of ‘convicted but won on appeal,’ ” he said. “We don’t try cases by referendum, but that is how we elect public officials, and public opinion was pretty squarely against Bob McDonnell’s conduct.”
