Sincere Question for Conservatives: How Can You Vote for McCain?

I have recently heard more than one conservative say something along the lines of, "I'm going to hold my nose, and vote for McCain."

I'm seriously wondering about the reasoning. John McCain strongly supported the $700 billion bailout, which includes the government literally buying out and taking over banks. If this isn't a step on the road to socialism, I don't know what is.

Now, it certainly is not socialism - our free enterprise system is in no danger - and neither McCain nor Barack Obama, who also supported the bailout, are even remotely socialists. And I can well understand why a conservative would have problems with Obama's progressive view that the government should be a source of improvement in our society - a view I share, as a progressive libertarian -

But I don't see how any true, thoughtful, principled conservative could bring him or herself to vote for McCain. There were people in Congress, Republican as well as Democratic, who voted against the bailout - who held to their conservative or other principles. But not John McCain.

I'm enthusiastically voting for Obama. But I believe that, were I conservative, I would vote either for the Libertarian or the Constitution Party, or sit this one out.