In Praise of John McCain
I am not writing a premature obit for John. The condition he has is almost always fatal, but I fervently hope that he is the miraculous exception. I write in hopes that somebody who reads this knows somebody who can pass it along to him.
John is a genuine American hero. The babbling of our President notwithstanding, John displayed extreme heroism on numerous occasions. Anyone who has stood on the flight deck of a carrier in high seas and observed plane recovery knows that the Navy and Marine jet jockeys are heroes. Anyone who has read John’s account in his autobiography about his time in the Hanoi Hilton knows the meaning of heroism in the face of intense physical and psychological cruelty.
As with all humans, John has his flaws. Had he not been the the son and grandson of admirals, he would have been tossed out of the Naval Academy in a heartbeat. His treatment of his first wife was beyond shabby. He should never have broken bread with Charles Keating. His grasp of economic issues did not match his grasp of foreign policy and military issues. Unlike most of us, and almost all politicians, he freely admits his errors in judgement and behavior. The ability to acknowledge mistakes and learn from them, and the ability to change a position in the face of changing circumstances are huge assets in any leader.
That characteristic allowed John to display integrity and flexibility simultaneously. For example, John was a major supporter of Senator Rubio’s efforts to effect comprehensive immigration reform. When that support resulted in a firestorm of opposition from his constituents in Arizona, he neither changed his position nor refused to listen to their viewpoint. His response was to say that reform was not possible until the citizenry was convinced that the border was secure — that granting amnesty to 11 million illegal immigrants would not result in the illegal entry of 11 million more. Border security had to be the first step in the process, and executed in a credible fashion. The other issues could then be addressed.
He has a sense of humor, also very rare in a politician. Most importantly, his sense of humor is not focused on those who disagree with him. Aside from his comments about Putin (which are richly deserved), most jokes I ever heard from him did not have a target, and, when there was a target, it was himself.
Most politicians are instructed by their handlers to poll and focus group test a set of talking points, and spout those talking points relentlessly — stay on message. John doesn’t do that. He speaks his mind. He’s always made himself available to the media and taken questions until there were no reporters left standing. You might not agree with John on any given topic, but you know where he stands, and why, if you pay the least bit of attention.
Unlike most folks in political life, both elected and appointed, and unlike a large percentage of the human race, John is not vindictive. He led the delegation that restored our diplomatic relations with Vietnam. He reached out to the very people who had tortured him for years on end. That’s more than I could do. He was on the receiving end of one of the most brutal and racist campaigns in 20th century political history in the South Carolina primary contest against George W. Bush. He reconciled with George and worked with him during his presidency. According to an interview I recently heard with Joe Lieberman, he has not requested that Trump not attend his funeral. Turns out that widely circulated report may qualify as “fake news”.
He is a man of immense range. He was a Navy jet jockey (a profession with a major washout ratio). He was a POW who stood tall under the most brutal of conditions. He was a successful congressional liaison for the Navy. He was a diligent congressman and senator. He was twice a credible and serious candidate for the presidency. He is an elder statesman, with a parade of America’s elite pilgrimaging to Arizona to pay respects. Not many human beings I know, or know about, could have successfully played all those roles on life’s stage.
We had two opportunities to put a good man in the White House. The fact that we failed to do so on both occasions is an American tragedy.
