Just to be fair here, a reader who makes a point about David’s view:
Conservatives for years have been critical of McCain’s judgment and have criticized him on a variety of issues (the current lovefest notwithstanding). So why is it so inconceivable that a conservative like Frum has serious concerns about McCain’s judgment regarding Palin? This seems entirely reasonable and expected for a group of people that (used to) have serious problems with McCain.
Frum’s not pushing conservatism aside, as you imply. Like many, he wanted someone who matched or surpassed McCain in terms of experience, ability, world view, etc. Palin doesn’t even come close. Frum has a certain standard and he doesn’t think Palin meets it. It’s possible to be fervently pro-McCain and anti-Palin, but if you really want McCain to win, I guess you’re supposed to hide the latter.