I agree that he is untrustworthy. And even if he did make the promises I suggest, I don't think for one second that he would necessarily keep them once he got to nominate a SCOTUS judge.
But the promise to nominate conservative judges who won't legislate from the bench has been a part (to varying degrees) of every GOP Presidential campaign since at least Reagan. The base has believed these promises, and we were duped. We got just two good justices out of five picks, with the current pick, Roberts, remaining a mystery.
I may be crazy, but if McCain the 'tell it like it is maverick' made a similar promise, then I think people would buy it.
And I've thought ever since 2000 that the media's love and adoration for McCain would take serious hit if he were to actually win the nomination. Afterall, its one thing for the media to support a Republican when he's facing off against evil fellow Repulicans, but its another thing entirely when he faces their preferred Democrats. The only question is whether the support and good press would completely evaporate, or if it would hold to a level that for a Republican at least, is good?
And McCain would never be my first pick. There are several potential GOP candidates I'd much prefer.
But if he did win the nomination and he faced off against Hillary, then if I voted I would vote for McCain, and even if I didnt' vote I would pull for McCain in that circumstance. With McCain there would at least be a small chance that good justices would be appointed to the federal bench, whereas with Hillary there is no chance; the Democrats haven't screwed up and picked a good Sup Court justice since JFK's selection of Byron White.
It may seem as though I am fixated on the judiciary at the expense of other issues. To an extent I would agree with that assessment, but on the other hand,since we live under a system of judicial supremacy, I don't think its possible to pay too much attention to it.
The repubs who vote in primaries in red states would not buy it.
Primary voters are a small subset of voters and they are both more politically aware and more conservative than registered Republican voters as a whole.
McCain has no chance with them at all. He has pi$$ed on them many times and they have long memories. He is also too old and he looks it, unlike RR.
The leftist media loves him because he stabs the base in the back with predictable reliability, but the truth is, he hasn't enough charm to schmooze the base on the primary circuit, doesn't matter how much journalistic KY jelly the media heaps on him.