Say It Ain’t So

National Review is reporting that officials in the McCain campaign are calling state Republican officials around the country to gauge how much support they would lose if McCain named a pro-choice politician as his vice-presidential running mate.

National Review ‘s editorial today lays out some of the reasons that this would be a disaster. (Compare, as well, this sensible note from Jay Nordlinger on Friday.)

And U.C.L.A. law professor Stephen Bainbridge, over on his website , adds the important point that Obama’s answers at the Saddleback Forum this weekend have finally removed any ground on which the pro-lifers supporting Obama could stand. “Personally,” Bainbridge writes, “I think they’re going to have to punt on abortion and try making a double effect argument.”

What kind of political suicide would it be for McCain to choose this moment to undo the gains he’s made?