In yesterday’s diary, I made a case for why George "Macacca" Allen would be a strategic choice for the Republican VP slot. McCain lacks the conservative credentials and probably intends to serve only one term in office if elected. So, for all intents and purposes, a McCain presidency would serve not only to perpetuate the Bush/Cheney regime and all its excesses, including torturing, but to keep the seat warm for a real conservative in 2012.
Whether it’s Allen or some other right-wing tool like Santorum, is immaterial. The likelihood of a death or retirement of a Supreme Court justice during a possible McCain four-year presidency is considerable. By 2012, the odds will increase substantially for multiple vacancies. There is no doubt what an Allen or Santorum would do in terms of court appointments, both for the SCOTUS and the Federal Bench in general. Let’s face it; the Senate Democrats have not been adequate goalkeepers during Bush’s tenure. Roberts and Alito managed to slide by with little real opposition. A unified, conservative majority on the Supreme Court would be a disaster that persists for decades.
After eight years of Bush/Cheney, and their various "special interests," the conservative brand is tarnished. The election of a Democrat to the White House, as George Tenet might put it, should be a "slam dunk." Maybe it’s no surprise that the last man standing on the GOP side is the one, although scary in his own right, with the least viable conservative credentials. For those who think that a McCain presidency would not be so bad, and perhaps preferable to Hillary, think twice! McCain is eminently electable, but just consider what we would get in the bargain. Could John McCain be a "Trojan Horse" for the Right Wing?
It is going to be a tight race regardless of who the Democratic candidate is. There will be a bloody battle for the hearts and minds of Independents. Neither McCain nor Obama can lay exclusive claim to their critical support, although McCain has considerably more appeal to Independents than any of the other Republican candidates could have hoped for. But bear in mind, a successful McCain candidacy, and retention of the White House by the Goopers, for 4, 8, or 12 more years, will breathe new life into an otherwise dying conservative movement. Let the voters beware!