I really don’t know how strong the feeling is among conservatives to possibly sit out this election out. The whole Republican primary season has been a zoo. Conservatives were never really happy with anyone who put himself in the race. Romney was looking better. Giuliani flopped (never really had a chance nationally). Then in comes Huck a Doodle as the golden boy of the evangelicals (many of whom do have a problem with Mormonism, even if they won’t admit it) who mucked up the process even further. McCain is and has been part of the party Establishment, and that estbalishment is not conservative or as conservative any longer. Tactically, if he wins the White House, how can conservatives hold his feet to the fire. I still believe McCain has conservatives over the barrel at this point. It could change but I don’t see it yet.
I don't know any conservatives who are going to sit out the 2008 election. I do, however, know plenty of conservatives who are not going to vote for a backstabbing liberal who happens to have an 'R' by his name.
Conservatives were never really happy with anyone who put himself in the race.
Unfortunately, conservative support was divided among several early conservative contenders: Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, et al. But it was the RNC's ridiculously misguided allowance of open primaries in Blue States that really killed the conservative candidacies and allowed a trojan horse like McCain to get the nod.
I still believe McCain has conservatives over the barrel at this point.
I disagree. McCain knows he needs conservative support in order to win. And it's his race to lose, considering the nutburgers the Democrats are fighting over. If McCain wants to fritter away the support of the Republican base, he does so at his own peril.