But as in an old-fashioned marital setup, we’re going to have to learn to love him — whoever he (or she) may be. So here’s some advice that many on the Republican side (including myself) will have to take:

First, apply the old adage, “Keep your eyes wide open before marriage and half-closed after.” In the case of Romney, conservatives have kept their eyes peeled for flip-flops, inconsistencies and screwups, and we’ve found plenty. Perhaps most egregious of his missteps was a Massachusetts health plan that has been called the blueprint for Obamacare. Romney says he’ll reverse Obamacare if he wins the White House and would not implement such an expensive disaster on a national level. For this union to work, we must take him at his word.

Second, take to heart the Greek wisdom: “The man may be the head of the house, but the woman is the neck, and she can turn the head any way she wants.” We, the voters, are the neck. It’s our job — in the tradition of the Tea Party — to hold our candidate accountable with political pressure, so that he makes the right choices. The GOP is also likely to retain control of the House of Representatives, and could assume control of the Senate. These bodies are designed to represent us (the neck) and turn the head — assuming a President Romney takes the helm.

Third: Don’t sweat the small stuff.