We've observed George Bush for seven years, four months now...88 long months. There are many things I have learned to expect from him. All bad, and all about feeding the massive George Bush ego. John McCain will not be allowed to separate himself from Bush, even if the former had the inclination to do so. If McCain runs for President, he'll do it on the Decider's terms.
I predict, the 2008 GOP Convention is going to be George Bush's love note to himself. It's possible we will see John McCain read badly from a teleprompter at some point...and yelling at a cloud.
This is probably what will happen. Unlike in 2000 (Gore and Clinton), the media won't spend the next several months obsessing about whether McCain will distance himself from Bush despite the fact that everybody hates him. Normally this would bother me, but I think at this point the disconnect between the media narrative and what the rest of us think is actually helpful. The RNC convention will be broadcast from another planet and be directed at the 28 percenters, as the rest of us look on in horror.