Why Should I Believe?

This post from Mona Charen well and truly confuses me.

McCain promises to be a small government conservative who will appoint conservative justices, respect life, do border enforcement before any other immigration reform, and win the war on terror. Nary a word about global warming or Guantanamo. He “humbly” asks for our votes. If this is a hint of what is coming at CPAC, it suggests that McCain’s famous vanity is not getting the better of him this time. He seems to be willing to meet conservatives more than halfway.

If I am reading this correctly, I’m being asked to believe that now John McCain is being truly sincere. I’m also being asked to mostly ignore that he’s going to need my vote, that half his promises run against what he’s said and what he’s done for the past ten years in the Senate.

What I’m not being told is why. Why, if John McCain is a man of such sterling integrity, is he willing to change so radically on at least two closely-held beliefs? What makes his change of heart any different from the alleged flip-flops for which he has so castigated Mitt Romney? Why, if he always sticks to his guns and keeps his own counsel, should I believe that now is th time he’s decided to finally listen? Why shouldn’t I be highly skeptical and demand, as conservatives are supposed to, that he show me his change of heart instead of tell me?

Yes, you could say that he seems to be willing to meet me more than halfway. On the other hand, you could take the more simple explanation that he’s willing to say whatever he needs to say to maintain that meticulously-kept role of maverick that he’s built for a decade. The latter explanation has a whole lot more evidence behind it. Ms. Charen could probably forgive me for not leaping to her assumption. I’m a bit puzzled why she has .

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Category: The 2008 Horse Race