Will a Conservative Running Mate Help Conservatives Embrace McCain?

Before I answer I'd like to point out three historical statistics with regards to The Democratic and Republican parties and the Presidency in the post Civil War era.

1. A party holding the presidency for sixteen years (or more) is rare and has occurred only three times in American history (post Civil War). The Republicans accomplished this twice; the most recent occurring nearly a century ago. The Democrats have held the office for four terms only once in post Civil War history (1933-1953).

2. The Republicans have been limited to four years (or less), when elected only twice; both over a century ago a one was due to assassination. The Democrats, however are quite the opposite in that the eight periods of post Civil War History that they controlled office half of them were held to four years before a Republican was elected.

3. Only eight times in Post Civil War history has the VP gone on to become The President of the US. Only one occurred by elections, four were results of assassination, two to natural deaths while in office and one by resignation.

With that said, a list of potential candidates for a running mate is already being bandied about. Some of the names are conservative favorites like Rick Santorum, Kaye Bailey Hutchinson and George Allen. In my opinion, the choice of one of these a true conservatives, will only succeed at lessening the margin of victory for the Democrats and more importantly it would destroy any hopes of his conservative running mate becoming President in forward elections(if history holds true). The conservative party has truly reached an impasse; do we discard our principles and succumb to the desires of the moderates and support McCain or do we hold to our beliefs and hold out which would assure a Democratic victory in hopes that in four years a conservative messiah will emerge to lead us as Ronald Reagan did? Had the Republican candidate been anyone but McCain I would have chosen the former, but will instead opt for the latter regardless of the bad taste it will leave in my mouth. With regards to Senator McCain, I have the utmost respect for him as an honorable American and his service to our country could be described as nothing but admirable and heroic. His actions following his military service as a Senator have been nothing but one continual poke in the eye after another to the conservative party that he now claims as his own.

It is for that reason that this November I will be writing in Rush Limbaugh for President. Rush on numerous occasions, using his often misunderstood tongue in cheek humor, that he could not take such a massive pay cut but I can not/will not allow myself to vote for McCain. Many will say that is a foolish thing to do and some may liken it to what Ross Perot did to the party in 1992 and indeed it may well be, never the less I will loner eat the sandwich that is shoved in my face. Maybe it is due to my fond memories of Ronald Reagan and that era, but I have to believe that there are still politicians with character, conviction and conservative principles.