Steve Benen believes John McCain cannot win the Republican nomination after this exchange:

Q: "What about grants for sex education in the United States? Should they include instructions about using contraceptives? Or should it be Bush’s policy, which is just abstinence?"�

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) "Ahhh. I think I support the president’s policy."

Q: "So no contraception, no counseling on contraception. Just abstinence. Do you think contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV?"

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) "You’ve stumped me."

Q: "I mean, I think you’d probably agree it probably does help stop it?"

Mr. McCain: (Laughs) "Are we on the Straight Talk express? I’m not informed enough on it. Let me find out. You know, I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. [Speaking to Press Secretary Brian Jones], would you find out what my position is on contraception "" I’m sure I’m opposed to government spending on it, I’m sure I support the president’s policies on it."

Q: "But you would agree that condoms do stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Would you say: "ËœNo, we’re not going to distribute them,’ knowing that?"

Mr. McCain: (Twelve-second pause) "Get me [Sen. Tom Coburn’s] thing, ask [senior adviser John Weaver] to get me Coburn’s paper that he just gave me in the last couple of days. I’ve never gotten into these issues before."

We all know that many politicians take positions based upon what is politically expedient, but at least there is some pretense of actually believing what they say. I’m not sure which is worse-the standard Republican line of giving absurd answers that only a Republican could believe or pretending that after all these years in the Senate he’s never considered such issues. I’m not sure if McCain’s real problem is that he really needs to check with his handlers to find out what he believes, or that he realizes that the only answer that will please Republican voters is one that is totally counter to reality.