Loyalty is defined as faithfulness or a devotion to a person or cause. 

The Republican Party is an organization.  Conservatism is an ideology.  There are Republicans, those individuals whose primary loyalty lies with the Republican Party, and there are Conservatives, those individuals whose primary loyalty lies with the Conservative ideology.  Reagan was a Conservative, Bush 41 a Republican.  Parties seek to control governments, ideologies seek to control nations.  To party first people, membership in the party is paramount, loyalty to the party is secondary.  To ideology first people, loyalty to the ideology is paramount; membership is a very distant second.  For the past 40 some years the two have largely overlapped, this year that overlap will be less than normal.

John McCain is a Republican first, he has membership so that’s what counts to other Republicans, and his loyalty to the party is only a secondary consideration.  To the party firsters, membership is more important than loyalty.  McCain may taunt his Conservative “membership”, but he has a very weak loyalty to Conservative principle.  To Conservatives, who believe in ideology first, loyalty to principle is paramount.

McCain despite his record of disloyalty will get the Republican vote come November, but the Conservative vote is another matter.  Despite the gruesome alternative, many conservatives may not be able to hold their nose long enough to pull the McCain lever.

I have to note that now that John McCain has all but secured the nomination of the Republican Party, a seemingly infinite number of party statesmen have begun to criticize, demean, and/or condemn conservatives for not falling in line and support Mr. McCain.  If they think they bully someone who is an ideology first person, they are way off the mark.  It will have the opposite effect.  The only thing that will work is to admit the “error” of his ways, change his position(s), or rationally/thoughtfully argue his case.  To the party minions who are trying to influence Conservatives through criticism, condemnation or other harsh rhetoric, I suggest they do John McCain & the Republican a big favor & shut up.