Monday, August 27, 2018

John McCain

Arizona Senator John McCain died Saturday.  Brain cancer.  81.

John McCain served his country well-- sailor, prisoner of war, congressman, senator, presidential candidate...

There are some really well done McCain obituaries out there, so I will not rehash what others have already done, and done better.

No one will dispute that John McCain was a great American.  There is debate over his skills as a presidential candidate.  I will give McCain credit for breaking with his party on several issues.  Yes, he was a maverick.  On the other hand, John McCain lacked the warmth, charm, and charisma to win over voters on a national scale.  It was especially evident in the 2008 race against Barack Obama-- a made for television presidential candidate.  The charm factor was less evident in the 2000 primaries, when he battled Texas governor George W. Bush.  He simply came across as a cranky man who said "no" to everything.  Americans like candidates can be hopeful about the future, express optimism.  Obama nailed it.  McCain might have felt it, but he wasn't very good at expressing it.

His judgement?  The Sarah Palin vice presidential candidate selection can be argued over for days.

The bottom line is that John McCain appeared to be a good and decent person, and our government is better because he was a part of it.