8am…1/30… As I write this, I am listening to Bill Bennett interview John McCain. It is Wednesday morning after McCain’s Florida victory. McCain is patiently making his case to Bennett’s conservative audience. Looking out six days from today, Senator McCain is leading in most of the Super Tuesday states. Rudy Giuliani will drop out of the race today and endorse McCain. Rumors are that Fred Thompson will endorse him as well. This nomination is all but over. Mitt Romney will do well to make a decent showing on Super Tuesday. He deserves to continue, having pushed McCain hard up till now. Barring a miracle, Romney should then drop out and endorse McCain as well. We Republicans have our nominee.

   What disturbs me is that Bill Bennett is in the minority in his even-handedness. He is attempting to be a voice of reason in a sea of whiney talk radio that has gone over the edge on McCain. Talk radio is always best when it focuses on ideas, worst when it opines on personalities. Talk radio hosts would do well to remember Reagan’s 11th commandment. ( Thou shalt not speak evil of a fellow Republican) In fact, Republican whiners, on talk radio, web sites and blogs, (including the Apostles of Ron Paul) are threatening to torpedo an excellent chance to win the White House in 2008 in their search for the next Ronald Reagan. They should remember that Elections are about embracing the big tent, even though your favorite animal act is diminished at the circus.

   When the children of Israel went into the promised land, God said some very important words to Joshua. “Moses is dead.” Joshua knew this, of course. But he needed to face it. Conservatives are not facing the facts here. Ronald Reagan isn’t coming back. There is no Reagan in this field. By his wooden, pre-programmed demeanor and recent voting history, Mitt Romney made it abundantly clear he is no Ronald Reagan. But no one else is either. Get over it. Romney’s endless repetition of his stump speech showed a lack of imagination and spontaneity. Watching his concession speech last night, my wife and I looked at each other and said “no way.” Depth of character is lacking. In too many voter’s minds, Romney is Bush redux, another CEO president. If few wanted a third Reagan term, even fewer want a third Bush term. Even if Romney were the nominee, defeating Hillary or Obama would be a long shot. In a time of war, Romney’s gleaming presence contrasts superficially with McCain’s broken body. This an election about character. Edge McCain.

   The truth of the matter is that Republicans know exactly what they are doing in getting behind McCain. They are getting behind a candidate who can defeat the Democrat nominee and oppose what will certainly be a Democrat Congress. In a time of war and big government spending, McCain is the best candidate in the field. In the age of terror, he will be the right commander-in-chief. He will also be a different president than he was a senator. Should he win, he will be a leader, not a horse-trader. No more gang of fourteen. No more hyphenated bills with Ted Kennedy. We will find out just what he believes. Conservatives may be pleasantly surprised. But we will not get everything. We never do.

   For the time being, talk radio and the bloggers need to grow up, get real and get behind McCain. We’ve got work to do and every foot-soldier is needed for the coming battle with the Democrats. McCain needs us and he knows it. What conservatives should have learned from the Harriet Miers, Dubai Ports and immigration battles of the past few years should encourage us in the fight for our principles. We can win on these issues over the politicians. We’ve done it before and can do it again. Don’t fret about McCain. He is more afraid of you than you should be of him. And that is good for America.

John Pendleton