Like it or not, there is no other GOP candidate. I’m disgusted, but that’s how it is. The three front runners were all weak candidates, in any case.
McCain is horrible and I cannot stand the thought of voting for him. However, I’d be happier if he had somebody good as VP, because he’s in his mid-70s, has had recurrent melanoma, and IMHO may not last out his term. So the VP is important.
I think it should be a governor. Personally, I think Palin would be wonderful.
She recently had her fifth child, a boy who has Down’s Syndrome, but she has the full support of a (non-politician) husband and I think she is conservative enough and has both the smarts and the appeal to gain confidence and win over a lot of voters.
McCain is unlikeable and unpredictable, but that could be an advantage. Osama Obama is obviously going to run a campaign that is simultaneously deceptive and scorched-earth, as he was taught by his mentor, Saul Alinsky, and maybe somebody like McCain is just what is needed to come back against this.
Possibly the only good thing about this is that it claws at the guts of the two party system. You’re going to have legions of sane democrats bolting their party to vote for McCain, while you have legions of conservatives boycotting, or at most weakly supporting Crazy John. I don’t see any way to predict what’s going to happen. I will probably be undecided until the moment I’m in the booth, and I doubt I’m alone.
Every morning I wake up knowing I need to support McCain for the good of the country, and by evening he’s opened his mouth and I’m doubting if I can vote for him again.
No, it isn't how it is. There are several, qualified GOP candidates. You know their names.
Just because the early, Republican nominating process was hijacked by northeastern liberals doesn't mean that conservatives are stuck with an little, old, angry, libreal for their standard bearer.
Conservatives should work hard during the next 5 months to defeat liberals in both parties, but should be especially vigilant that a liberal does not represent the GOP.
To give up on a republican process without a fight isn't very curageous or very conservative. Go back to the beadroom, look into the full length mirror and repeat: "I won't let a liberal like John Mccain lead my political party. We've sacraficed too much and come too far to give in to popular fads".
I would like to quibble on one small point. McCain is very likeable. A bit arrogant, but so are most pols (and many fighter jocks) and he looks like a paragon of humility next to Obama. Much of his humor is self-deprecating...if it wasn’t for his politics, I think I would like him very much, but I can’t imagine liking Obama if he were a conservative.