Now the GOP voter is faced with the possible nomination of the guy whose turn it is --- again. It worked real well with Bob Dole in 1996. Dole thought it was his turn in 1988, but he wasn’t vice-president. Dole also had to wait for eight more years when there was a mixed field. But it was his turn and no one had the right to interfere. When he lost one of the early primaries to Steve Forbes he bitterly retorted to reporters, “He’s trying to buy the nomination.” Sounds a little like a recent debate when John McCain snorted to Mitt Romney, “My friend, you can spend your entire fortune on attack ads…” By the way, when McCain says “my friend(s)” watch out, you’re not getting “straight talk”. John McCain is no friend of Mitt Romney.

            McCain is no friend of conservatives, either. Making the case for him, his GOP friends always start out, “Well, you have to concede he’s been great on the war.” After we concede that, there isn’t much else. The great Thomas Sowell wrote last week about the betrayal factor that has happened with GOP presidents. Both Bushes went back on conservative ideals or pledges (“No new taxes” and too much spending). With McCain there is a long track record. Not a track record of being a “maverick”. It is a track record of siding with democrats on major idiotic legislation. First there was the assault on the first amendment with McCain-Feinmess, which in part was a not so cleverly disguised incumbent protection measure.  This from the guy who wants to change Washington. Yes, he wants to change Washington so much he conspired with democrats to attempt to ram through the shamnesty immigration bill last summer without the normal committee hearings or public debate. This in order to whitewash the look-the-other-way illegal immigration travesty that had been encouraged by the business lobby over several decades with willing democrats not objecting in hopes of getting more illegal voters into elections.

            Where would President McCain let down conservatives? First off, he is just not a tax cutter. Supporters say he has not voted for tax increases. He has not voted for tax cuts and that is a non-starter for a Republican president. But I think the biggest surprise would be poor judicial choices because McCain has no guiding core conservative principles. He’s voted pro-life, but has never been an outspoken supporter on the life issue, including embryonic stem cells. Judges are about law and order and McCain’s dubious immigration posture raises questions about this area. Lastly, you conservatives, if you liked Brent Scowcroft, you’ll love President McCain. McCain loves Scowcroft.

            We’re here because the conservative vote has been split and Rudy Giuliani deferred his efforts until Florida. The two strongest conservatives, Romney and Thompson stumbled with flawed strategies. Romney wasted millions on advertising family values themes. Great message. Wrong time. Wrong office. And the Corrupt Mainstream Media bogged him down early with incessant questioning on his religion.

What else could differentiate Romney from the rest of these guys? He isn’t a career politician! He’s held one elective office, governor. Even with that, he could say he’s the real outsider with all the business experience of a Ross Perot, and more. There is no one more inside the beltway than John McCain. Instead, Romney got into silly attacks on the other major governor candidate, Mike Huckabee. Records of governors, especially on taxes, are always tricky, because all have to balance their budgets. Those squabbles settled nothing for the early voters.

Thompson simply let tremendous excitement in the spring for his potential announcement slip away by waiting, not until early summer, and not until July 4, but September to start his campaign. He looked indecisive and allowed other candidates to take over the debate.

Let’s hope it’s not too late. McCain will court the democrat crossovers and independents and let them guide the nomination for the GOP unless a clear choice conservative breaks out. The virtual four way polling tie in Florida is amazing. The race could make history. What would be an awful outcome would be déjà vu 1996 – old Republican against a Clinton. We can do better.