A Letter to John McCain

Senator McCain,

First of all, I congratulate you on your pending victory, as it is almost certain you will win the nomination of the Republican party. With the departure of Mitt Romney, there is no candidate of substance that can overtake you. Now it is time to turn your attention to the fight against the Democrats. But, before you do this, it is time to do something you have neglected to do so far. You need to give me, as well as the rest of the conservatives who have opposed you up to this point, the reasons we should vote for you.

First of all, I will acknowledge that you are clearly more conservative than either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. But this is no reason to vote for you. You have crossed the aisle to join with Democrats on key votes. You have sponsored bills that have been clearly against the philosophies of conservatives. And you have made many statements that have been verbal slaps in the faces of conservatives. We have not forgotten this.

But now, you are the assumed nominee. You have a responsibility to explain who you are, what your positions really are, and if you disagree with us on any issue, you need to explain why. Except for some fringe haters who will never accept you no matter what may happen, the rest of us will at least listen. You are not Ronald Reagan, and to try to assume his mantle is to insult us. You must be your own man, and must show us leadership, not try to invoke Reagan and claim you are in that mold. You must stand for something clear, and contrary as well, to the Clinton/Obama vision for the country, not remain the "maverick" who plays on both sides of the aisle. You must be clear in your ideas, not practice political speak.

There are several things you can do to prove your faith to us. Seek out those who argued against you in the primaries, and those who will question you with passion and vociferousness. Speak with Rush Limbaugh, the voice that gave us conservative talk radio. Go to Hannity and Colmes, where you will be grilled from both sides. Seek out Bill O'Reilly, as he will make you answer truthfully. Spend time with Neal Boortz, and speak to our philosophical brothers in the Libertarian party. And come to the blogosphere, where we have savaged you and distilled you down until all your shortcomings were clear. And if you come, come prepared. Make sure you remember your experiences in Vietnam, because we will not be easy on you. But show the testicular fortitude that got you through your stay in Hanoi and face us proudly, take your lumps, and come out as a proper conservative candidate.

Perhaps if you do this, you will earn my vote, and the vote of many of us who have looked for the next great President. Fail to do so, and you will assure that the country will slide into socialism and you will have the same asterisk by your name as Bob Dole, as the defeated candidate riding off into the sunset of his political career. The choice is yours.

I look forward to your response on this matter.