Let's hope Mitt can do to McCain what the Giants did to his Patriots yesterday.   There seems to be a movement about to rally for Romney I hope it isn't too little too late.  The problems with McCain aren't just limited to the McCain-Feingold fiasco, my own personal deal-breaker, but a career of conservative bashing that he seems to enjoy.  

Bill Kristol and others scold us for not compromising our principals and backing McCain citing, and probably correctly, that even McCain would be better than Slick Willie's wife.  Maybe so, but without looking it up I'd wager she voted yea on McCain Feingold, but that's beside the point.  

The point is this, for years I have been arguing against a McCain presidency based on his churlishness and tendencies toward authoritarianism as imposed by a meddling government.  This, folks, by anyones measure, is not conservatism.   

I take Kristol and other unity advocates seriously but they don't seem to be returning the favor.  I spend lot's of time lamenting, decrying, despising, exposing, complaining, and bitching about political expediency and now I am being asked to partake in exactly the same means-justifies-the-ends, winning-is-all-that-matters mentality. 

Sorry, but unlike political careerists and beltway journo-elitists, my integrity just isn't that malleable. 

It's better to lose to Democrats outright than pretending a vote for McCain would be all that different.  The conservative movement is in for a serious bloodletting if McCain wins the GOP nomination, and the ultimate devastation will be heightened and prolonged if he wins the Presidency.   

I really surprise myself by arriving at this conclusion but if McCain is the GOP candidate the country would be better off in Democrat control.  That is only because I have more faith in the Democrats overreaching and getting thumped in the 2010 congressional race than I do in McCain suddenly embracing the conservative movement.  There's also the comforting fact that, as Senate Minority leader, Mitch McConnell would be the defacto national Republican leader.  

Consequences?  Sure.  If the Dems keep their campaign promises the white flag will be unfurled and all the gains made in Iraq will be for naught.  Maybe, but that's a pretty big if.  They talk the retreat and surrender game for political expediency but when push comes to shove and they are confronted with the actual decision of America winning or losing will they confirm our accusations that they are weak on security and defense?  My hunch is they won't allow us to be prov en right and, political fundamentalists that they are, will not be able to resist one-upping conservatives on their strong suit if given the chance.   Unlike us, flip flopping is all in a days work and if that is what it takes to win a short term political battle so what.

Consequences?  Sure. Judgeships will take a hit if we lose so we'll just have to pray for the health of the good guys and hope Senate Republicans grow as much of a spine during the advise and consent phase as the Democrats did for Bush.  Besides, like I said earlier, with McCain's record of abridging free speech, along with his fondness for sticking it to conservatives, how in the hell are we supposed to believe he'll select constructionist judges?   

Any true originalist would have to strike down his signature legislation and McCain has neither the grace or humility to allow for that possibility. 

I was so hoping for a real opportunity for something truly different but as others have pointed out it took four years of Jimmy Carter to get us eight of Ronald Reagan.  And as bad as ether Obama or Willie's wife might be, I don't think they could be as bad as him.

So if McCain wins the nomination it will get worse before it gets better.  If he wins the Presidency the necessary rebuilding of the conservative movement will take all that much longer.  Better to just sweep him of the stage and get after it.