Now I realize many conservatives have serious reservations about McCain, and I share some of them. His campaign finance ideas are terrible and he seems to pander too much to the liberals. Even so I don’t understand the criticism that says McCain isn’t conservative. If Bush is a conservative, then McCain is a conservative. He’s very strong on defense, he’s fiscally conservative, and he’s pro-life. He may be too old and he may be too conciliatory. If there’s a problem with McCain it’s not that he’s a liberal in disguise.
Let’s also remember that electability remains a valid issue. Politics is a choice among the options that are actually on the table.
Consider what’s happening on the Democratic side. The naive Obama continues to attack the wily Hillary for voting for the Iraq war, and Hillary continues to duck and weave in that distinctively Clinton fashion. Her response is essentially, "Well, I'm not sure I voted for it. It all depends on your definition of the term vote." These two are both hoping and staking their candidacy on an American loss in Iraq. If America wins in Baghdad, their chances to recapture the Oval Office are sorely diminished. It's hard for me to see how Americans can sympathize with such partisans of defeat. Compared to these two, McCain cannot help but stand tall.