John McCain is going to be our nominee. There, I said it. But I am not happy about it. I am, however, going to dial down the vitriol towards him because it is akin to shouting into the void - it makes no difference whatsoever. He is going to be the nominee. I can't stop it. I can't change it. It is what it is.

So, what's next?

Well, I think it would be a good idea for all Republicans, anti-McCain or not, to read John Hawkins @ Right Wing News: A Double Edged Warning For The Conservative Media About John McCain. It is a few words of caution to the conservative media, but I think it will serve us all well to keep these things in mind.

Here's the honest truth: John McCain is not a conservative and he's not a candidate who is going to make conservatives particularly happy if he gets in the White House. Does that mean he's worse than Obama or Hillary? No, but it does mean he will disappoint and infuriate conservatives over and over again if he gets in the White House on a wide variety of issues -- and conservatives in the media should be honest enough to admit that.

If you sell people a bill of goods about McCain being a conservative, what are you going to do if he gets into office and people find out that you weren't honest with them? Where is your credibility going to be then? Think about it, tell the truth about McCain's record, and if GOP voters choose him, let them understand exactly what they're really getting.

It is very important for me that John McCain makes a good VP selection. It will be through this choice that John McCain can speak to me. He could give a thousand speeches at CPAC and I would not believe him because of his long record of acting contrary to Republican values and principles. From this point forward it will only be his actions that can alter my opinion of him. If he selects Lindsey Graham (SC) or Mike Huckabee (AR) or one of their ilk as VP then that would not be a good move. It would more than likely cause severe apathy to set in and I would not be motivated in any way whatsoever to go out and vote for him in November. However, if McCain selects someone who is an actual conservative then that may change my mind. Fred Thompson (TN), J.C. Watts (OK), or Jim DeMint (NC) would all be stellar choices. I would love to see my own Senator, John Cornyn (TX), be the VP pick but I don't think that is realistic given the McCain/Cornyn history.

John McCain is the nominee. John McCain is not a conservative. I am not thrilled with his qualifying to be our nominee on what can only be categorized as a technicality (winning 30% of the vote in most states is not much of a rallying point). But that is the reality of John McCain. I am trying to face that reality.