From a reader:

Hi Jonah, It became too late for McCain when he betrayed this country with his amnesty vote (and his other bipartisan betrayal of the GOP). He is the epitome of RINO—and this makes the election seem like one party is running: liberal socialism. McCain is way to smoochy with the Democrats, as bipartisan seems a little bipolar these days. I will have to think long and hard before I would vote for him in November—-yes, even against Hillary. I will vote GOP in all other elections but may leave the presidential one blank. I have voted GOP my entire life (except for a college moment of regret for Carter). This is the most angst I have ever felt. If the GOP loses in November I can’t help but feel that we deserve it. McCain does not represent me. I am hoping Romney will not drop out and will keep fighting until the convention.

I don’t mean to pick on this reader because she is so typical. But you basically have to believe that every one of Romney’s flips were sincere and none of McCain’s were. Moreover, the idea that McCain is a RINO means that Republicans are all about immigration, campaign finance reform and global warming. I disagree with McCain on each of these issues, but I think being a Republican is about more than that (and — for the record – I don’t particularly care about being a Republican, I’m a conservative). McCain is a conservative on many issues, a centrist on other issues and a “liberal” on a couple. I’m at a loss as to how you couldn’t say the same thing about George W. Bush, Bob Dole, George HW Bush and pretty much every other Republican president since Herbert Hoover save Reagan (and even there, some would disagree). If you’re a single issue voter on immigration then I think you can make a rational case for being opposed to McCain in the general election. John O’Sullivan made that case as well as anybody I’ve seen. But you need to believe that McCain is flat-out lying when he says he learned his lesson on immigration. Maybe he is lying. But again, why you think McCain is an obvious liar while Romney is an obvious truth-teller is beyond me. I’m not saying that we should be ecstatic about McCain. I’ve got real problems with him. But the idea that he spells unprecedented doom for all we hold dear still strikes me as silly.