For those conservatives coming to grips with the prospects of a John McCain nomination, I would suggest the following approach. In a recent column, Jim Antle advised conservatives to keep McCain at arm's length. I agree, but would put things slightly differently. I propose abiding by the McCain Rule.
The McCain Rule, simply stated, is:
Conservatives should take their cue from him. That is, when he is taking a position they agree with him on--such as opposing pork barrel spending or pursuing victory in Iraq--they should rally around him, but when he is pushing policies they abhor, they should oppose him fiercely and put principle ahead of loyalty to the leader of a political party.