"... In one interesting possible future, McCain reaches the conclusion that he's got the GOP nomination and conservatives have nowhere to go so he brings back the "agents of intolerance" talk, maybe picks a pro-choice running mate, and makes a serious high-risk high-reward effort to definitively separate himself from the mire into which the rest of the party is sinking."
... By the way, let me state once again for the record that I never "endorsed" or "supported" John McCain in the primary. What I did do was (1.) Refuse to be a Romney sycophant, and (2.) CORRECTLY predict that John McCain would win New Hampshire -- and that he had a good shot at the nomination (even when others were predicting he would drop out of the race by Labor Day). Accurate campaign analysis should not be confused with support.
I also tried to be fair to him, just as I am doing now. Even in 2007, when McCain did things like skip CPAC, for example, I criticized him for it. I also gave him credit when he did things I thought were smart or good.