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By scorpio Posted in Archived — Comments (5) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

reck·on·ing –noun 1. count; computation; calculation.
2. the settlement of accounts, as between two companies.
3. a statement of an amount due; bill.
4. an accounting, as for things received or done.
5. an appraisal or judgment.

When we lost control of Congress last year, the results threw a monkey wrench into the race to succeed GWB. Names like Allen, Frist and Santorum were thrown out. For a small time, I wavered between Romney and Rudy. Before early March, I came very close to supporting Romney, despite my worries about his "conversions".

News of McCain's victory in South Carolina has been shocking to many, including me. I, who had been supporting Fred since March, waiting on him to get in the race, to shine and to to take the nomination and the country by storm, was even hoping against all hope that he would prove the polls wrong.

But he did not.

Therefore:

To conservatives:
It is not with joy that I write this. But barring an incredible resurrection, Thompson will NOT be our nominee. I would have to guess he won’t be VP either, as I think he wants to see his kids grow up. I will not begrudge him that. He did his best, and I continue to have nothing but the utmost respect for the man. In a different world it may have worked, but in this it was not to be. To Senator Thompson I say this: if you like, you may go back to your plow and your family.

The writing is pretty much on the wall now. Barring an unforeseen collapse of the Straight Talk Express, McCain will be our nominee. He will win Florida, as Rudy’s support among his sector of the voting populace will likely collapse in the coming days. With all the momentum with McCain, the only one who can challenge McCain is Romney, and considering Mitt’s position in national polls and Super Tuesday primaries, it would seem extremely difficult for him to do so. The most the rest of the candidates can do is prevent McCain from getting the majority of delegates, and at this point even that would be difficult. With McCain leading in most of the Super Tuesday states, especially the winner-take-all ones, it is hard to see who can challenge him. Rudy’s money will dry up after his likely loss of Florida, after which he will either drop out or will pose no threat to McCain. Huckabee may serve as a spoiler in the South, but it is hard to see how long that will last, as in primary after primary he has shown limited appeal outside of his evangelical Baptist base.

Now we can sit around and mope about this like little children and tell each other how “principled” we are. That seems to be the approach of a few around here. I was somewhat tempted to do that myself, but it did not take me long to get over that. It is because of that I propose this: if this is to be the end of conservatism, then let us make it an end worth remembering. Not that I believe this is our end, although clearly others do. We as conservatives still have vast power. We can accept McCain as our nominee, but we can force him to do what we want by owning his victory. If McCain wins the general without our support, he has no obligation to us, except as a general one: a president to the citizens of the Republic he is beholden to. Our power is only gone if we let it go. If we give him the same support as any other Republican, he will have to remember that, or risk facing a world of hurt. Remember Harriet Miers? She would be on the Court today, not Alito, if there had not been a massive conservative outcry and as a result, certain conservative Senators had not threatened to block her nomination.

This leads me to another point. If you cannot stand to support McCain’s bid, then do not focus on the Presidential level. There are many good conservatives who are running or that we can recruit to run for Congress. If you can’t give your money to McCain, give it to them. They are the ones who, if push comes to shove, will force McCain to hold true to the principles he has campaigned on. Adam C, a supporter of McCain himself, to his credit, has pushed this point; the GOP will not win back Congress by sitting on a%^ and whining about the collective state of things. We as conservatives, even if we lose a race, should maintain our dignity. We don’t need to pursue a campaign of scorched earth to get our objectives; we are not the Kos kids, in spirit or body.

Finally.

To Senator McCain,
Congratulations! Barring the unforeseen happenstance mentioned above, you will likely win this party’s nomination. This is not time to skate on success, mind you, but it is time to work doubly hard. With your past I have no doubt that you can do this. But like many have said before me, the Republican Party needs a leader. You sir, if you like, CAN be that leader; you CAN take the disparate wings of the Reagan Coalition and heal the raw wounds from the disillusionment of yesteryears; you CAN reassure those whom you have opposed before to seek common ground with you; you CAN do this. Considering the low at which you found yourself but months ago, you have led a very effective resurrection. Create an alliance like Lincoln did, use this one opportunity to recreate a recurring Republican Coalition, like the man whom you owe your legacy to, Ronald Reagan. Many conservatives may not like you. Acknowledge their concerns, and most important, allay them once you get into office.

In summary:

If John McCain does these things, he will get the office he failed to get eight years ago. To all those who believe a McCain ticket is doomed, look again. With Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee (Obama failing in Nevada is likely the silent deathblow of his campaign) it is hard to see her path to victory if the Rs stay united.

Together we can crush the Democrats in a fifty state landslide and recapture the House.