It’s a pity Mr. Limbaugh didn’t see fit to talk like this back when it might have made a difference in the nominating process:
We have David Frum; we have Bill Kristol; we have David Brooks, and all of the learned conservative intelligentsia are all looking for ways to water down conservatism now. He just wrote this book slamming the left, but now we should unite with them, we should unite with the left. McCain, if elected, will be facing a heavily liberal Congress. Regardless what happens, we need a Democrat on our ticket. You know, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we quit tiptoeing through the tulips? Why don’t we just shut down the Republican Party and all become Democrats, if that’s the way to go. If McCain picking a Democrat, if unifying with Democrats, if walking across the aisle to do deals with Democrats, if that’s the way to go, then to hell with Republican Partyism. Let’s just all become Democrats, why put up a fight? Just become Democrats and end it. Because we have to end the partisan rancor. We have to end the partisan rancor and show that we have a big tent. Well, we have rancor in a democracy. Rancor is a good thing in a democracy. Maybe McCain should pick a female Hispanic lesbian Democrat running mate. That would unite us. That’s the way to go.”
It is somewhat amusing that after writing a book demonstrating that the concept of national political unity is a Fascist one, Jonah should float the idea of a unity ticket. But people should get off his back, the fact that he is speculating about how McCain is going to enrage the few remaining conservatives still thinking about voting for him doesn’t mean that Jonah wants him to do that. Has Jonah even said that he’ll vote for McCain in the first place?
People really do need to learn how to distinguish between strategic speculation and strategic advocacy.