The New Republic

Victor Davis Hanson at the Corner:

[S]o far today I have gotten the usual daily spam e-mail from various
fringe and self-acclaimed conservative groups and personages —
variously alleging that McCain was not a real war hero, questioning his
conduct during capture, commenting on his marital situation, and
suggesting he was unhinged and identical to Ted Kennedy, Hillary (fill
in the blanks). I think for most the level of vituperation is
astounding and completely unforeseen...

The McCain animus apparently transcends ideology. He has admitted his
mistakes on immigration, and would not raise taxes, while his ACU
ratings are good, and his ADA/ACLU scores are lousy — nearly the exact
opposite of those of Obama and Clinton. Again, the anger apparently
derives from his gratuitous past snubbing of prominent conservatives
(especially the notion that a rude McCain didn't need them then, but a
conciliatory one does now) and can't be assuaged. At this point, I take
the base's claims they will sit out — or that Hillary or Obama is no
worse than McCain--as genuine....

[T]he McCain animus is deeply ingrained and apparently can't be
retracted. It only makes things worse either to attack sincere
anti-McCainites or to ask them to reconsider, or to ask them to vote
for the lesser of what they see as the two evils. As they say, the die has been cast, and everyone will have to live with the results.

--Christopher Orr

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