Time To Get Real

Joe Carter has an excellent post on the differences between pundit-based and voter-based reality at the evangelical outpost:

Pundit-based reality: McCain will destroy the GOP.

Voter-based reality: McCain is the leading choice for a majority of the GOP.

Listen, McCain is not my first choice. But he appears to be the inevitable choice of our party. If he's nominated I'll vote for him for the simple fact that his is far better than Obama or Clinton. If you disagree, then quietly vote for the third party candidate of your choice. But for heaven's sakes, stop whining, stop hyperventilating, and stop all the hyperbolic, Tony-award worthy dramatics. It's unbecoming.

The animosity toward McCain is even more bizarre when you consider that he's not that different than the other "acceptable" candidates. Fred Thompson co-sponsored McCain-Feingold and no one accused him of tearing up the 1st Amendment. Romney was for abortion, amnesty, and an assault weapons ban until--what, last week?--and no one seems to hold that against him. And Giuliani, a candidate that really would have rent the party in two, was once touted as the only alternative to Hillary the Inevitable.

It's amusing to listen to Hugh Hewitt and Laura Ingraham complain about the "elites" who are forcing John McCain on us. The reality is that the two radio hosts (and a score of other pundits) are part of the conservative elite that has been desperately pushing Romney as the true conservative choice. They may not like it (and I don't necessarily either), but it seems to be time for them to bow to the wisdom of the crowds.

Speaking of whining, enough already with the Romney camp complaining about what happened in West Virginia. It ain't beanbag people and if you can't handle rather basic back-room maneuvers like this, I shudder to think what would happen in the general if Team Romney went head to head with Team Clinton.

UPDATE-- It looks like Hugh has decided to get real:

At the same time, Romney and Huckabee ought to begin to note Senator McCain's lead and urge their followers to recognize that if they cannot come back they and their followers will have to come in and join the party's eventual nominee. Senator McCain would do well to make a similar statement though his lead is significant and his collapse unlikely. Putting Humpty Dumpty together again cannot wait for St. Paul. Each of the three need to strike some common chords again and again, beginning with why the GOP needs to retain the White House, regardless of who its nominee is.

There are seven reasons for anyone to support the eventual nominee no matter who it is: The war and six Supreme Court justices over the age of 68.

Folks who want to take their ball and go home have to realize that even three SCOTUS appointments could revolutionize the way elections are handled in this country in a stroke, mandating the submission of redistricting lines to court scrutiny for "fairness."

Kudos to Mr. Hewitt for keeping the proper perspective.

UPDATE II-- Mr. Hinderaker calls for a Reality Check as well:

John McCain will not be a perfect Presidential nominee. Then again, we didn't have any perfect candidates this year. (Funny how often that seems to happen.) How odd, though, for conservatives, of all people, to be the ones to hold out for perfection in human affairs. And despite his flaws as a candidate, John McCain has at least one major strength: he might actually win.

So, let's finish out the primary season. It's not over yet, lightning could strike, and Romney might wind up as our nominee. Most likely, though, John McCain will be the Republican standard-bearer. We could do a whole lot worse. Within the party, it's time to dial down the hyperbole, quit burning bridges and start building them.