Trust but Verify, a Conservative’s Guide to Dealing with a McCain Presidency
Jonah Goldberg makes some instructive points regarding conservatives’ reaction to a possible McCain nomination and presidency. He argues, as others have, that McCain, despite his many shortcomings, would at least continue to fight the war responsibly, the number one issue facing the nation. But the most interesting point he makes is that it would benefit the conservative movement to have a Republican in the White House who is not one of us. Bush hasn’t governed as a conservative, and the fact that he claims to be one makes it harder to fight his policies that fall outside conservative orthodoxy. It muddles distinctions, and catches us unawares. With McCain, there’s no doubt going in he can’t be trusted, but at the same time, as a Republican, he must rely on the GOP’s base to some extent, giving conservatives leverage that would be non-existent with a Democratic president. A quid-pro-quo, “transactional” relationship would be established between McCain and conservatives, not much different from how Reagan dealt with Gorbachev, trust but verify.