Goldstein . . .

sez, over at Protein Wisdom:

I will not, will not, vote for John McCain.

I will not, will not, vote for Mike Huckabee.

I will not, will not, vote for Ron Paul — unless he runs for Fuhrer. In which case, he’s got my full support.

I might hold my nose and vote for Mitt Romney, but to be perfectly honest, I have no confidence in him, and my vote would be moot, anyway: there’s no way he wins a national election. Because let’s face it: the average US voter is simply not ready to give the White House to a guy named after a first baseman’s glove.

Which means that if Fred Thompson drops out of the race (aside: I have no idea what Republican primary voters are thinking — other than that they are no longer interested in conservatism, and have become every bit as statist as their progressive counterparts), I’m resigning myself to a Democratic presidency in 2008 — and to the years of pain that will follow should the Dems maintain control of both the Executive and Legislative branches of government. Who knows? Maybe they even get the courts, too.

In other words, Hello “progressivism”! Which, as Ezra Levant and Mark Steyn can tell you, is simply another word for tyranny of bureaucracy under the auspices of an anti-individualistic, centralized coalition government — and is about as “American” (in the strictest, foundational sense) as caviar or goulash or the Yugo. Decline and fall.

So, what to do? Well, my first thought is to buy some remote land in Idaho and try to hole up for the next decade or so, learning to sustain myself with nothing but a bowie knife and some animal pelts. And maybe Dish Network and a HD DVR receiver.

Well, that won't sound too bad if Awesome Thompson drops out and Rudy doesn't win his Forida gamble (a possibility Jeff doesn't address).

The difference is, I may be able to vote for McCain, through sheer force of will, by reminding myself that "I'm voting on national defense, I'm voting on national defense, I'm voting on national defense; om om om; hail, Mary, full of grace."

And I could definitely vote for Rudy with the same attitude, too—adding "at least he cross-dresses and didn't sponsor McCain-Feingold" to my mantra.

Because at the end of the day, the War Against Islamo-Fascism trumps everything.

But it will be a sad moment, no?

"Shine, perishing Republic."

Boys, be in nothing so moderate as in love of man, a clever servant, insufferable master.
There is the trap that catches noblest spirits, that caught—they say—
God, when he walked on earth.

Yeah, yeah: Jeffers' theology is shaky. But the dude had a way with words, and sometimes I'm a sucker for that.

He died, by the way, the same year I was born.