On the Other Hand...
Hugh Hewitt sometimes says of John McCain that he is a great American, a lousy Senator and a terrible Republican. McCain certainly has his faults, but I think that formula overstates them. While he differs with most conservatives on important issues like immigration and freedom of speech, he is rock-solid on defense, is a genuine spending hawk, and has been conservative on social issues. That's not perfect, but it's far from lousy, as his 80% 2005 rating from the American Conservative Union attests.
But there's no denying that one reason lots of conservatives--like me--wouldn't mind seeing McCain as the Republican nominee in '08 is that no Democrat currently on the scene has the chance of a snowball in a warm place of beating him. Evidence: Rasmussen Reports currently shows McCain leading Hillary Clinton 44% to 43% in Massachusetts.
