Jan 27 2008
The McCain Effect – An Amnesty Hypochondriac Production
How is it John McCain is now best positioned to win the GOP nomination? If he wins FL (and recent endorsements by Gov Crist and Sen Martinez shows he has some gathering strength there) he will have supposedly turned the GOP on its head. Rush Limbaugh predicts the end of the party as we all know it if McCain is nominated. McCain is very liberal on a lot of issues, most notably the comprehensive immigration reform bill he worked with other ‘traitors’ like GOP Sen Kyl and the head RINO himself, El Presidente Jorge Bush – as the hyper-partisan amnesty hypochondriacs like to say to charm those who they disagree with. McCain is the one candidate who represents the antithesis of conservative AM radio talk shows, yet he continues to build momentum – how is that? Fred Thompson did the talk show circuit daily before SC, and came in a dismal 3rd. It was as if the more he talked to Hannity the lower his numbers went?
And the more Rushbo and Ingrahm and Levin rail against McCain the stronger he grows! I am beginning to understand that it is not McCain who turned the GOP on its head, he is the beneficiary of those who did turn the GOP on its head – The Amnesty Hypochondriacs. That is my affectionate, tongue-in-cheek label for those who would lose all to deport all long term, law abiding (excepting their lack of work permits, which is misdemeanor) illegals. And it seems they have succeeded – in losing all they had and hold dear. I cannot help but notice McCain’s support keeps growing as the hyper-partisan talking heads ramble on and on about how liberal he his. It’s as if the electorate is trying to find the most annoying candidate for all those who belittled those they disagreed with and now have destroyed conservative coalition.
Rush and others hint they may sit home this election, and that seems to spurn even more support for McCain. It seems America wants the Mary Poppins conservatives to sit home this election and measure themselves against their purity measuring tapes, self absorbed with their inherent purity and perfection in all things conservative. They seem to be pushing with all their might, through their support of McCain, to call the bluff or threat of the hyper-partisans.
I made a critical and basic error in my predictions of the 2006 race – I seriously underestimated the dislike of the GOP. I was not happy with them, but I had not realized I would be one of the last conservative independents to give up and try the Dems. I thought there was a little political collateral left to save the GOP for one more try. Part of that is due to the fact I don’t shift positions radically or with the wind. Thus why I never budged on Iraq, Harriet Miers, low taxes, Dubai Ports, the ban on Embryonic Stem Cell research, comprehensive immigration. I mix to be sure – but I have seen no reason to move on any of these issues. I don’t switch positions very dramatically. So I was not ready to dismiss the GOP too easily. Well, that is me – not America.
This year I am not going to be so blind. Dem turnout is just overwhelming GOP turnout in the primaries (see addendum below). And one of the most liberal GOP senators, one even I would not want to support because he is too left of me on too many issues, is leading the pack for the GOP nomination. The purity wars of the GOP clearly did more damage than I thought. McCain is strong on defense and spending, but he is also strong – in the supposedly wrong way – on immigration. That was supposed to be his Achille’s Heel, the one thing that would bring him down. It is not working out that way. The one issue I thought would stop McCain (and surprisingly the one we agree on!) is not doing what I expected. It is not slowing him down and may be propelling him forward.
Now I am wondering if there is a correlation between McCain’s growing support and the growing rants from the far right. Is this not the real reason why things are all upside down in the GOP? We know the GOP has been hurt by the stubborn purists, but maybe we have underestimated the damage they have done. The GOP is losing statewide elections in once red states like VA, and it lost 6 Senate seats in 2006, and is experiencing a wave of retirements from the 1994 wave when the GOP took over Congress. And I think those retirements are another sign that people who wanted to change America for the better are walking away from a party now over run by people who want a party in their own narrow images. They came to change Washington DC and found too many of their colleagues were changed by DC. Good decent people turned into heckling echoes of Begala and Carville instead of leaders of a new era. As Huckabee so aptly said in the FL debate: non-republicans.
I have no delusions, my views on policies are my own. I don’t believe they are “practically perfect in every way” – as the Mary Poppins conservatives crow – or, more importantly, perfect in every situation. I don’t try to impose my views, I share them and look for like minded people to follow a path of common ground, knowing there are areas all around us where we disagree and may end up opponents. I don’t hate people because one day we agree on one thing and the next we oppose each other. But the hyper-partisan hot-heads have no similar self confidence or self control. And the result is stunning.
I am pretty sure there is a backlash against the Mary Poppins Conservatives in the nation. The more they fight for their purity views the more greater America responds in the opposite direction. The more Fred Thompson haunted conservative talk radio the further down his numbers went. The more Rush and Hannity go after McCain the stronger McCain gets. The more the far right rails against the impure the larger the democrat crowds get.
When the purity wars erupted over Miers I could see the train wreck coming, and here is what I said back then:
The anti-Miers crowd won a pyrrhic victory today. The extreme right’s confidence and tolerance was tested, and found wanting. Instead of debating the merits of Miers, and allowing her to get to the confirmation hearings – too many in that crowd demeaned Miers and those, like me, who wanted to know who she was before rising in opposition. Their confidence was a charade as they panicked and lashed out in a way I thought republicans had outgrown and only liberals still did.
It is clear now that us impure conservatives cannot be allowed to participate in any meaningful or leading roles. We are not pure bloods with clear lineage to the far right cause.
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The message from the Miers fiasco is clear. Only purebloods can be offered for positions of responsibility. If you are not a pureblood, then there is no depth the purebloods will go to knock you down as a mudblood.
…
And that is what is left of the conservative movement. We now have two factions who will never trust each other, and where name calling skirmishes will break out more and more often. It has already started. The genie is out of the bottle and cannot be put back in now.
I was sadly correct in where this would lead. When Dubai Ports erupted from the same panicky group I and many others saw the next phase in the unavoidable implosion of the GOP governing coalition. The final straw, all around, was immigration reform – which knocked the GOP out of control of Congress. Here is one of my many posts sampling the out of control anger of the amnesty hypochondriacs:
Post the list of traitors.
We’ll pull together the list of their corporate sponsors (because I can’t think of who else pushed them to vote for it) and start a boycott.
…
get the roll call.
Let’s crack some heads.
…
And with that, I leave the GOP.
Goodbye, guys.
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This Is Fargin’ War!
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Can you say United States of Mexico! Courtesy of our RINOS and RATS! I saw the soccer game between the USA and Mexico from Chicago and the stadium was filled with folk loyal to the RED, WHITE and GREEN…chants for Mexico drowned the USA chants…imagine that in our own land….USM!
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Treason.
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Prez. Bush needs horse-whipping.
After all this is anyone is surprised there has been a backlash against conservatism? If not I can’t help them. Bush was respectful and a compassionate conservative who refused to get in the gutter. And for that decorum he was pilloried by those who seem to have trouble getting out of gutter politics. I heard Hannity ask a liberal caller from MD Friday what happened to her, did her parents beat or abuse her? It was a sick and disrespectful joke. It was another immature and insecure stab at someone who simply disagrees. It ranks right up there with Michelle and others going after the Baltimore family for speaking positively about S-CHIP.
I was wrong. I underestimated the damage the hyper-partisans have done to the GOP. It sounds like America is ready to destroy the party Rush holds dear and are inviting him to sit out 2008. McCain is a poke in the eye to the far right and America seems hell bent on poking that eye. Heck, he is the pick of the NY Times! I did not expect this. I feel good about McCain on national defense, pork spending and immigration. Some might expect me to be happy about his rise, but he is not really my top choice (or second or third). No, I am not happy to see how utterly destroyed the party is because of some hot-heads without self control and dignity and honor.
In the end I don’t think this matters much, because if Obama wins the dem nomination he will steam roll McCain. But it is interesting to see how much success the Amnesty hypochondriacs have had in 2008. Not only have their standard bearers all been forced out of the race, their nemesis is leading the pack to the nomination. Now that I did not expect, but then again I underestimated how much rejection the hypochondriacs where able to build up amongst their one time allies. I did not expect it or want it, but it is here.
Addendum: In case people missed all the news regarding the tsunami of democrat voter turnout I have posts on the matter from SC Dem and SC GOP (where the dems had enormous increases to record highs), New Hampshire and Iowa.
Given the early voting numbers in FL, where Dems are competing with the GOP numbers though their primary supposedly doesn’t count, I would say this trend is continuing. If the FL turnout numbers continue to show this kind of massive turnout differential favoring the dems all the GOP is doing is re-arranging deck chairs on their Titanic.
Update: National Review still thinks immigration works for them and against McCain. Boy, are they in for a shock.
Although McCain isn’t my first pick either, I don’t think his nomination would be as “catastrophic” as you do. First of all, I think he *can* win, even against Obama. (although I still think Hillary will be the nominee) Second, don’t count out Romney yet – he could still take it as well.
If these polls are right, though, Rudy’s sit-out-the-early-ones strategy will turn out to have been one of the greatest campaign blunders since Dukakis took a ride in a tank. Rudy had it, and he blew it.
AJ
My personal opinion is you over rate this split issue because of your background.
My outside view of VA I can only read about not being a local is that simple migration and growth of libs in northern Va for housing tipped a lot of the changes more than anything else I have read about, but again that’s an outsider perspective taken with some salt.
To me Huck has skewed this whole race making classic conservatives look weaker than they actually are by holding them on religious grounds they put slightly above conservative loyalty but not likely to be center right leaners. Can’t imagine Falwell endorsing McCain for example. Huck is throwing the whole perception off and few realize how much.
Interesting to see Lynn Cheney endorse Mitt today because if you look Mitt has a lot of campaign staff in common with Jeb and GWB.
I think Jeb might endorse Mitt soon in FL to counter the Christ/Martinez endorsement but they really don’t want a strong link of Mitt to the Bush family so Mitt doesn’t have to fight the combined BDS/mormon twofer in the general.
Correction that was Liz Cheney the daughter who endorsed Mitt.
Believe she is being used as a signal like Caroline Kennedy for Obama same manner.
Captains Quarters endorsed Mitt today also.
You’re right about dislike for the GOP brand, continuing from 2006, but you are 100% on the immigration issue. Profligate spending, Foley-gate, “culture of corruption”, weariness with the Iraq War, and Bush’s very low approval were the main contributors to an anti-GOP wave that was too much to overcome. On illegal immigration, however, talking tough was & is a winning position. In the 2006 elections where illegal immigration was key, the dem challengers took the issue away by being equally tough or even going to the right of the repub. Why do you think McCain has flipped & now talks tougher? If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be in the position he is in.
You’re inference about Thompson not catching as being proof of blowback is incorrect. Thompson didn’t catch on because he turned out to be a lousy campaigner; he really didn’t put forth the effort until it was too late. So-called electabilty is perhaps the main reason why McCain is doing so well. Of course, this is advanced by the MSM, partly because they dislike the GOP. Come the general election, their support for McCain will be long-forgotten as they rally behind the dem.
100% “wrong” is what I meant wrt to illegal immigration.
Wiley,
Watch and learn. Once McCain sews up the nomination he will pivot back to the centrist position he holds dear. You do notice all the ‘dirt’ McCain is getting from amnesty hypochondriacs and how it is not sticking?
So let me get this straight, the people felt the GOP spent too much so they went with the Dems???? We could not surrender fast enough in Iraq – and that is why they support McCain who is against pullouts????
LOL! Where do you get these things? That is just denial speaking.
AJ, I largely agree with you here. I can only speak for myself and I freely admit I am finding great pleasure in supporting John McCain, to the consternation of all the pitchforking purists. But that is a *bonus,* NOT the *reason* I’m supporting McCain now. I emphasize: I did NOT travel a spiteful and angry rebound path to John McCain!
Since removing myself from the echo chamber about two years ago, I’ve been seeing everything more clearly and more objectively. I deleted the old data and slogans and spiteful nicknames assigned by Rush, Hannity, Ingraham, et al. Most important, I deleted the old memes and errant strategies and thinking — which long ago replaced actual ideas in the chamber.
What happened to me more than anything is, I learned from you and others that compromise, advancing the ball incrementally, and especially a little thing thing called *winning* are all worthy and intelligent pursuits. I learned to appreciate — and crave — anyone who spoke English, sans the cheap sloganeering, petty namecalling, and hysterical visions of impending doom. I hauled out a few of my books on Reagan and discovered he was the original author of the winning approach. He did it naturally, through his deep and warm understanding of human beings, and with steely resolve on a very small set of universally held desires and principles.
So in 2008, with my cleanly wiped hard drive that left only a basic operating system as a guide, I endorsed Rudy early on, wearing his bumper sticker since last February, 2007. I’ve paid pretty close attention and watched most of the debates. Huckabee threw a major wrench into the mechanics and I was one of the first to tell my friends ‘this is a guy to watch.’ And, ‘he has struck a nerve with me and quite a few other Americans.’ Huck definitely changed the equation, but Rudy did not respond or retool his risky strategy. Rudy began to lose my rapt attention. Rudy also began to fade and lose stature in the debates. Then immigration reared its ugly head, and Rudy, Thompson, Huck & Mitt launched themselves over the cliff. Rudy pulled out of that nose dive, but without impressive courage or clarity. Now he’s in Florida making love to Cubans and perhaps for the first time realizing how badly he miscalculated early on.
Meanwhile, over in the corner stood an Irish guy with a twinkle in his eye that everyone seemed to take for dead — and dead wrong — on immigration. He was dismissed by the choir as “McAmnesty.” Well, he was NOT dead wrong. Matter of fact he was the only guy who spoke for me, and who supported GWB’s reasonable, doable, practical and moral approach all along. So, what *else* might John McCain not be wrong about? Oh yeah. The war.
I find more and more reasons every day to question chamber-think. Gang of 14? Hello Judge Alito and Roberts, plus a list of other judges down the hierarchy. McCain-Feingold? Get over it. It has made no difference in my life whatsoEVER. The worst that can be said about it: dumb, meaningless legislation based on good intentions. And further, you can’t find a dozen normal non-political junkies who even know what the hell it is. Tax and spend liberal? I am laughing out loud now. The same croakers pushing that lie are willing to soil themselves promoting Romney as a conservative warrior! (Which he isn’t, and which by the way I am more than willing to overlook should Mitt seize the nomination.) Hot tempered and maverick? Hell yeah, and I love it. Those are also two of the attributes I most like about Rudy.
Bottom line, I think the wildly shifting political winds, combined with the incessant assault of the Yappers (who I increasingly believe are dead wrong on just about everything) have drawn me into the orbit of John McCain. I find my brain supporting him for strategic and ideological reasons, and with every passing hour I become more enthusiastic about him as a man, a leader, a war hero, and someone who does not suffer fools or pander for affection. I am ashamed to say I once read a bunch of crap about McCain being a traitor and a “Manchurian Candidate.” I learned the truth about the source of those lies (primarily one Ted Sampley) and I was told in person, in Sept. 2004, eyeball-to-eyeball, by a POW who spent over a year in an adjoining dirt cell, that all of those allegations about McCain are completely false. This POW by the way, hastened to add that he did not agree with many of McCain’s political beliefs, but that McCain’s service to our country was without blemish… and further, his service was exceptional and inspirational in the extreme.
Do I want to see the pitchforkers go down in flames? Oh yes. It would be a magnificent two-fer if this nation elected John McCain. He’s a rock solid and reasonable conservative, and he doesn’t take marching orders from fringe lunatics willing to sell us all down the drain for an ego trip. I believe at this moment McCain is the one candidate in the field who can beat both the Right Wing tyrants and either of the Left Wing candidates in November.
I’m as surprised as anyone to have arrived at this juncture. But here I am, and feeling very darn good about it.
Sorry for the long post, but this essay has been bubbling up for awhile now. I will make a donation to offset the intrusion. Seriously! : )
I happen to agree with Wiley. I also think that you put way too much emphasis on the immigration issue as the reason the GOP is in trouble. McCain’s rise is also partially due to heavy coverage from a mainstream media that has chosen to give him a pass on his liberal views and present him as a right of center moderate while at the same time bashing first Fred, Rudy and now they’ve moved on to Mitt.
The Republicans have a wide range of views in the candidates that they are trying to select and one will pull votes from the other when it comes to each persons important issues. McCain also gets votes because he’s been a strong supporter of the war which always polls as a top priority for Republicans, not just because he’s for comprehensive immigration reform. If the media actually covered acurately the fact that Dr. Juan Hernandez is part of his campaign you would probably find some backlash to McCain because the man appears to have very radical views on immigration that won’t sit well with even moderate republicans or independents.(or moderate democrats for that matter) And I am still curious what you think of Dr. Hernandez…
You may be completely right and we will be faced with a McCain…I hope not, but I still believe that you place the immigration issue far to high on voter’s agendas. I still hope that as the field of candidates narrows down that it won’t be McCain rising to the top.
Whippet1,
Of course you agree with Wiley, but listen to yourself. GOP voters, who distrust and despise the media, are flocking to McCain because the liberal media tells them to???
The conservative voters KNOW where McCain sits on illegal immigrants – they are not naive! LOL!
Face it, they know and flock to McCain anyway, or is it because???
Sally Vee,
Please post more! You and agree, as do others like Michael Medved, that some went too far and left the coalition. You say it so well (and if you want you can have a few guest posts here at Strata-Sphere) I am honored you spend the time to share your thoughts.
I am coming to grips with a lot of possibilities – including a President Obama. Clearly the country has moved center left if the two top candidates are Obama and McCain. Too far for my taste, but not so far I am ready to panic.
Many GOP voters (and voters in general) have nothing other than the MSM media as their source for information. They see McCain as a Republican and believe that means he supports Republican issues and the media at this point isn’t going to tell them otherwise…that will come when the Democrats pick their nominee.
Voters are not naive but I would bet that most have no idea what McCain’s views are on immigration. He’s trying to portray himself as more conservative and the willing media is along for the ride. They may mistrust the media but when it’s their primary source of information it’s difficult to sort out the entire truth.
I think this primary season is being affected by so many candidates and that if McCain gets the nomination it will be by default. The GOP primary votes are split between 5 candidates at this point…I’m waiting to see what happens when that field is narrowed.
And if it’s immigration hypocondriacs driving voters to McCain, how would you explain Rassmussen showing McCain and Romney in a dead heat nationally? Unless I’m mistaken, isn’t that a rise for Romney?
Whippet, this is exasperating. I’m quite well informed and quite aware of McCain’s views on immigration. I am also a conservative (even though I refrain from using that label anymore). You seem unable to accept that McCain’s position on immigration is exactly mine, and redounds to his credit on my score sheet! Immigration is not my only reason for supporting McCain, but I think it is the real reason so many hard line “conservatives” oppose him, though they cloak it within layers of other specious reasoning.
As long as we secure the border, I could care less about immigration. I think both McCain and Romney would be effective presidents. Romney would be the greater one — but those are just my thoughts. I am not even sure what I am — an independent, conservative or republican — I’ll tell you where I stand, and leave it to the rest to define me.
The reason why McCain is getting votes is because of the Rudy plunge. And AJ ignores the fact that Romney is gaining momentum. Whippet1 analysis is for the most part right.
SallyVee,
I’m sorry if I have exasperated you with my opinions and I didn’t know that I was accusing you of being uninformed. Since I was commenting to AJ, it was not my intention to accept or not accept that McCain’s position on immigration is exactly yours. I wasn’t referring to you at all.
I have read AJ for quite some time and find his posts to be informative and educational. I value his opinion even though I disagree with him on immigration. After tiring of the over the top rhetoric by many “hard line conservatives” on that particular issue I liked AJ’s more moderate approach and agree with him on some of his immigration stance but not on others. I just do not feel that it is the main reason that McCain is doing well in the primary contests. And I do not think that his position on immigration is the only reason many conservatives oppose him. Of course that’s just my opinion but there are many issues for conservatives to shy away from McCain, immigration being only one of them.
If McCain’s your guy, great! I’m still unsure who my guy is but I do know it’s not McCain. Would I vote for him in the general? Absolutely! Would I hold my nose doing it? Yes…but my big issue is the War on Terror and on that count I can trust McCain.
“Would I vote for him in the general? Absolutely!”
Excellent, that’s something I like to hear and don’t hear often enough these days.
We should all admit that Florida may hold big surprises, and the whole game could once again change next Wednesday morning. But if we agree that *whoever* the GOP nominates is the answer to ‘who gets my vote in November?’ then we can prevail on the big important stuff.
Hi all, As a Christian conservative I will state my reason as to why I, nor my husband and many of my other family members will NEVER vote for Sen. McCain. If it’s between he and Sen. Obama, I would sooner vote for Sen. Obama then McCain. At least I’ll know what I’m getting. I do not agree with almost anything Obama stands for. It would only be his nationality and because I think maybe in some way that can help our Nation. I personally think he would be a bad President. But I could NEVER vote for McCain. Eventhough I admire what he went through as a young man, the man can not be trusted, now as he has proven these past 7 years. He loves the msm and craves there approval too much. In my opinion, he is not a person one can rely on, and that includes the Supreme Court picks. If the Senate rules had been allowed to change, like I feel the Dems will do if needed, Alito and Chief Justice Roberts would have been confirmed anyways. So please don’t use there conformations as his achievement. Because the rules in the Senate were not allowed to change, many of President Bush Judges for the lower court went by the way side thanks ALL to Senator John McCain and the “Gang of 14”. If it’s Hillary and McCain, I will not be voting this year for President. Senator McCain may be strong on the war on terror, but he could have supported our President a lot more instead of playing fast and loose with the President and msm. If he had, maybe public opinion wouldn’t be so bad toward not only President Bush, but the war on Terror in general. Who know. IMHO
Hi all, As a Christian conservative I will state my reason as to why I, nor my husband and many of my other family members will NEVER vote for Sen. McCain. If it’s between he and Sen. Obama, I would sooner vote for Sen. Obama then McCain. At least I’ll know what I’m getting. I do not agree with almost anything Obama stands for. It would only be his nationality and because I think maybe in some way that can help our Nation. I personally think he would be a bad President. But I could NEVER vote for McCain. Eventhough I admire what he went through as a young man, the man can not be trusted, now as he has proven these past 7 years. He loves the msm and craves there approval too much. In my opinion, he is not a person one can rely on, and that includes the Supreme Court picks. If the Senate rules had been allowed to change, like I feel the Dems will do if needed, Alito and Chief Justice Roberts would have been confirmed anyways. So please don’t use there conformations as his achievement. Because the rules in the Senate were not allowed to change, many of President Bush Judges for the lower court went by the way side thanks ALL to Senator John McCain and the “Gang of 14”. If it’s Hillary and McCain, I will not be voting this year for President. Senator McCain may be strong on the war on terror, but he could have supported our President a lot more instead of playing fast and loose with the President and msm. If he had, maybe public opinion wouldn’t be so bad toward not only President Bush, but the war on Terror in general. Who know. IMHO
Ouch SallyVee. I am afraid you nailed my hide to the wall with that “I emphasize: I did NOT travel a spiteful and angry rebound path to John McCain!
I will vote McCain (added plus: and shut my mouth) if he is the candidate. If I had to sum up my observations and why I really hoped for another candidate, it would boil down to his holier-than-thou attitudes. Huck might be the Preacher but McCain has the self rightousness down.
Yes, I have had to give myself political vacations since 2006 because I start going down that ‘spiteful and angry path’. I become so angry when I get hit with a Peggy Noonan or Malkin, I spit.
AJ, you mention Ingraham. Long ago, I said Malkin, Ingraham and Lopez were pushing the GOP over the cliff. O’Reilly has allowed Malkin and Ingraham to host his show several times. My personal theory is that he is hiding behind them to promote his new BDS without taking the heat. Well, Ingraham did a prolonged Purity list in her talking points and then proceeded to lovefest with Noonan about how that bad ole Bush mislead the little darlings. Over a million viewers listened to this drivel.
Hi all, As a Christian conservative I will state my reason as to why I, nor my husband and many of my other family members will NEVER vote for Sen. McCain. If it’s between he and Sen. Obama, I would sooner vote for Sen. Obama then McCain. At least I’ll know what I’m getting. I do not agree with almost anything Obama stands for. It would only be his nationality and because I think maybe in some way that can help our Nation. I personally think he would be a bad President. But I could NEVER vote for McCain. Eventhough I admire what he went through as a young man, the man can not be trusted, now as he has proven. He loves the msm and craves there approval too much. In my opinion, he is not a person one can rely on, and that includes the Supreme Court picks. If the Senate rules had been allowed to change, like I feel the Dems will do if needed, Alito and Chief Justice Roberts would have been confirmed anyways. So please don’t use there conformations as his achievement. Because the rules in the Senate were not allowed to change, many of President Bush Judges for the lower court went by the way side thanks ALL to Senator John McCain and the “Gang of 14”. If it’s Hillary and McCain, I will not be voting this year for President. Senator McCain may be strong on the war on terror, but he could have supported our President a lot more instead of playing fast and loose with the Presided and msm. If he had, maybe public opinion weren’t be so bad toward not only President Bush, but the war on Terror in general. Who know.
SallyVee,
I believe that most conservatives, whoever they currently support, will vote for the nominee even if it’s not their choice of candidate.
I soured on Michelle Malkin and others over the whole Meirs/Dubai Ports deal because she was promoting not voting in the mid terms to send a message to the party. I figure, why cut your nose off to spite your face?
Don’t get me wrong, I personally think McCain is more left of center than a lot of conservative Dems but when faced with an Obama or Hillary? He’s far right of them so you go with the choices you’re left with.
There certainly could be some surprises to come…we’ll see! It certainly makes the primary season more exciting than in years past!