Conservatives and Republicans are preparing to go into a minimum of a four-year mourning period.  Obituaries for Republican office holders are being written a month in advance of the elections.  John McCain, they claim, is already beyond all hope and some are close to issuing a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) Order.  Since there is no, or limited mention of the pet pit bull, Sarah Palin in these preliminary obituaries, it can only be assumed that she will be turned over to the pit-bull lovers of Alaska where she may still have some credibility. Alaska, and of course America by extension, will be safe once again from Russia with Palin once again vigilantly watching them from her Wasilla lakefront home.

Some of the more committed conservatives -- though not 100% committed -- are considering, or at least giving lip service to the possibility of moving out of the country.  Some appear to be resigned to the situation, and are considering moving to China.   They say that it is logical to go and live with America’s previously much maligned landlord.  They probably will receive a warm reception, despite their reputations and rhetoric.  It is part of Chinese tradition and culture.  Foreign political dissidents can be rehabilitated subtly.  For most, given their support for tearing up the Constitution and government infringing on everyone’s privacy and rights, in the name of security, the transition should be very easy for these soon-to-be-reformed conservatives.  They should find relatively few differences between life in America and life in China.  They would have to acclimate themselves to living under fewer laws and being able to afford top notch medical care on a budget of less than $1,000 per month. 

There is a slim possibility that the rumors of Sen. McCain’s demise are premature.  His illness is not all of his doing.  The economy has been going to hell in a handbasket for at least 20 years.  It isn’t his fault that he didn’t see the signs of it more than two years ago.  It isn’t really his fault that he supported the Commander-in-Chief the majority of the time.  That is what the military teaches its soldiers, especially a war-time Commander-in-Chief.  “It is not for us to question why.  It is for us to do or die.”

It isn’t McCain's fault that he picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate.  Desperate people do desperate things.  That is human nature.  Had he gone with his “gut instinct,” such as with Sen. Lieberman, he may have stood a better chance.  Of course, now it is too late for him to change horses.  That would be even a bigger political disaster than Sarah Palin proved to be.

It is always sad to see a warrior on his death bed.  No one can really fault John McCain for what he has done in his life.  He was a survivor all the way through.  Had he stayed out of Washington these last few years, maybe Arizona wouldn’t have so many illegal immigrants, as he would have been there watching the border.  After all, Palin has proven that this works given the almost total lack of illegal Russian and Canadian immigrants in Alaska.

Hopefully Sen. McCain can recover.  Even if he loses, he still will be able to hold his head high.  Good Old Boys are just like Good Old Girls.  There isn’t too much demand for them.  He tried his best, and should be recognized for that.  He tried to do it all ethically and honestly.

What remains to be seen is how the conservatives will treat Obama if he wins.  He will, after all, by no choice of his, be a war-time president.  Will the conservatives demand that he be shown the same respect that was demanded for George Bush as a war-time Commander-in-Chief?

It is doubtful.  George Bush was extremely successful at dividing the country.  Unfortunately, that division will probably continue no matter who is elected.  There is too much at risk.  Jobs.  Homes.  Savings.  Pensions.  Problems that no one seems to be willing to fix.  Getting elected and re-elected is more important than making the real tough decisions, and following through with them.

The Old Codger has left the room.