John McCain might be the conservatives' default nominee, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have work to do. National Review thinks delegates can flex some political muscle while here for the upcoming Republican National Convention, to make sure McCain picks the right VP candidate:

With the names of unacceptable candidates being bandied about as possible picks, conservatives should bear in mind that they are not powerless with respect to McCain’s choice. The delegates to the Republican convention have real clout. Even McCain’s own delegates should be willing to use their power, if necessary, to pursue the party’s (and McCain’s) best interests.

Those rules are such that delegates cannot vote against the presidential candidate’s vice-presidential pick. But that pick needs a majority of all delegates to win the nomination, and delegates are allowed to abstain. If a majority of six states’ delegations support another vice-presidential candidate, meanwhile, they can force a floor vote on that alternative. Six delegations are all that is required to contest a portion of the platform, too.

Most conservatives are willing to support McCain this fall, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, and are willing to work with him before and afterward. But conservatives are not, and should not be, willing to go along with McCain no matter what. Delegates should be prepared to stand for their principles, and the party’s future.

Carpetbagger Report thinks this could mean their convention won't be the only mess:

As a Dem, I find this vaguely reassuring. I assume that the Democratic convention will be contentious and divisive, possibly weakening the party for November. It never occurred to me the Republican convention could be a mess, too.

Realistically, will McCain delegates throw a procedural fit if he picks a running mate they don’t like? No, probably not. But if National Review pushes the idea, and talk radio and the blogs pick up on it, we can at least prolong Republican schisms for a while, right? Maybe? Please?

Ha! Fat chance, my friend. The DNC's convention will be a much bigger headache than ours now that there's no possibility for a brokered convention, and their chances for one have increased dramatically. While I think delegates could revolt a bit, I don't think they will because McCain will be astute enough to pick a solid choice.

What do you think?