Giving unsolicited advice to John McCain.

Elsewhere on NRO, I write, in part:

Mitt Romney is fighting today and tomorrow for the three legs of the stool — keeping the Republican party conservative on foreign policy, economics, and social issues. I hope he succeeds. With close races in some Super Tuesday states and with what we’ve seen so far (few would have put their money on McCain being anything close to a front-runner a few months ago), it’s possible. But if he doesn’t succeed and steps aside, John McCain would be wise not to pretend to be the guy that Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney supporters have been dreaming would be their nominee. He’s not the man of conservatives’ dreams, nor does he want to be. So, play it straight, Senator. Take some advice from someone who wants you defeated tomorrow (me), but who also wants the good guys to win in November.
John McCain’s “True Conservative” commercial claims he is “A proud social conservative who will never waver.” It was jarring for a conservative to watch this weekend. Senator, the Washington Post reported this weekend that you’ve told reporters “It’s not social issues I care about.” That rings true. I suspect it is true. Give conservatives that “straight talk” you talk about; we can take it. And we’ll try to work with you from there if it comes to that.

More here.