yes, I know his death was a few months ago!
I just didn't have time to blog about it then! Better late than never!
=========
John McCain came from a family with a long line of veterans. He was born in the Panama Canal Zone, which was then a U.S. occupied territory that was later given back to Panama's control. Ironically, it was he that was born outside the50 states, when his opponent was born in the 50th state but was accused of being born elsewhere.
McCain became a Vietnam War veteran who got captured and tortured for years.
He joined Congress in the 1980s and built a profile as a "maverick" which he used to run for President in 2000. He lost the Republican nomination to George W Bush who had more money and more connections.
He tried again in 2008, this time winning the Republican nomination. However, he was up against Barack Obama who was out to make history as the first African-American president. McCain tried to make his own version of "history" by picking for VP, Sarah Palin who had the potential to become the first female vice-president. However, she wasn't ready for prime time and was an easy target for ridicule for her various gaffes.
John McCain was an advocate for an aggressive foreign policy, which helped aligned with his former rival George W Bush after 9/11. However, since then, the public has less patience for military adventures overseas.
He was an advocate for campaign-finance reform, with his proposed bill becoming law. However, it was over-ruled by the Supreme Courts in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case.
He had a mixed record on race relations. He generally supported civil rights laws and a more lenient immigration policy. However, he generated much controversy over his use of the racial slur "gooks" to refer to the Vietnamese guards who tortured him. McCain continued to use that slur until the California primary was coming up in his first run for president. Then he apologized.
learn more at
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/08/27/when-mccains-anti-asian-slur-stalled-his-straight-talk-express-he-doubled-down-then-he-apologized/
McCain and Bush also tried to have it both ways in 2000 when the South Carolina primary was coming up. They were both asked about the Confederate flag appearing in front of South Carolina's state capitol. They both just said "it's up to the people of South Carolina to decide", which just goes to show what cowards both were. They talk a good game about a more lenient immigration policy when campaigning in places like Texas and New Mexico, but were too scared to criticize the Confederate flag in South Carolina. McCain later apologized for his cowardice.
Later in 2008, during his presidential campaign, a woman at McCain's rally said she didn't trust Barack Obama because "he's an Arab" (actually, he's of Kenyan and European ancestries). McCain responded by saying
No ma’am,” he says. “[Obama’s] a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues.”This response gave the impression that being "Arab" and being a "decent family man" is somehow mutually exclusive (it isn't). Granted, many of us don't always give the best response when someone catches us off guard with really idiotic statements. Especially when you're not given time to think of a response. However, it would be more appropriate had McCain said "Obama isn't Arab, but there's nothing wrong being an Arab and that his ancestry is irrelevant to whether he's the right president. Now let's focus on policy rather his race!"
more on that issue:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-uptake/mccain-responds-to-arab-a_b_133820.html
McCain criticized the Jones Act, the protectionist shipping law that hurts the US access to international trade. McCain correctly pointed out that the Jones Act was benefitting shipping companies over the American people. However, the 2 old Dan's (Inouye and Akaka) from Hawaii were supported by the shipping companies and refused to speak up about how the Jones Act gave special harm to Hawaii and other US-occupied islands.
Towards the end of his life, it must've broken John McCain's heart that the Republican base supported Donald Trump. Trump, a tough-talking pansy who avoided military service during the Vietnam War taunted McCain about being captured during that war. Usually, that kind of disrespect would end the career of the person doing the disrespecting. It didn't hurt Trump much, as I noted in a February 2016 post
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2016/01/trump-and-real-conservatism.html
"Conservatives" are usually appalled if the Radical Left Wing protesters disrespect the troops! But many didn't seem bothered at all when Donald Trump insulted Jon McCain for being captured as Prisoner of War!
Insulting a veteran over his/her war-time traumas is usually a fatal mistake for any politician!
It didn't hurt Trump much!
Why? Because for many "conservatives", hating Mexicans and Muslims is more important than respecting the veterans!
The Republican Party has become a cult of personality, making excuses for Donald Trump no matter what he does.
The Republican Party traditionally distrusted Russian tyrants. John McCain famously distrusted Vladimir Putin and offered support to Georgia (the nation, not the state) and Ukrained when invaded by Russian troops. Donald Trump basically praised Vladimir Putin and only offered insincere weasel-word criticisms when pressured by the media!
John Mcain and Donald Trump had never made peace. Trump isn't worth making peace with!
More articles on John McCain
(note: the inclusion of these articles in this list DOES NOT mean I agree with everything written in those articles. just that I found it well-written and interesting)
first, from the more pro-McCain side
Jonah Goldberg, “How Mccain's Patriotism Can Still Best Trump's Nationalism,” Townhall, August 29, 2018,
https://townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2018/08/29/how-mccains-patriotism-can-still-best-trumps-nationalism-n2513750.
Erich Reimer, “Remembering Senator Mccain’s Patriotism and Duty to Country,” Townhall, August 28, 2018,
https://townhall.com/columnists/erichreimer/2018/08/28/remembering-senator-mccains-patriotism-and-duty-to-country-n2513561
Charles Djou, “The Courage and Resolve of John Mccain,” Honolulu Civil Beat, August 27, 2018
https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/08/charles-djou-the-courage-and-resolve-of-john-mccain/
Max Boot, “John Mccain Leaves the Stage When We Need Him Most,” Washington Post, July 25, 2018,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mccain-leaves-the-stage-when-we-need-him-most/2018/08/25/a67793c0-a8cd-11e8-97ce-cc9042272f07_story.html.
---
from center-left writer Nicholas Kristof
Nicholas Kristof, “John Mccain, a Maverick We Can Learn From,” New York Times, August 25, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/25/opinion/john-mccain-death.html.
-----
from the left-wing writers critical of John McCain
Bob Hennelly, “Another American Happy Warrior Laid to Rest: John Mccain’s Legacy of Gung-Ho Militarism,” Salon, August 29, 2018, https://www.salon.com/2018/08/29/another-american-happy-warrior-laid-to-rest-john-mccains-supremely-mixed-legacy/.
Timothy Patrick McCarthy, “Reckoning with John Mccain: Respecting the best of Mccain requires grappling with the rest of Mccain.,” The Nation, August 27, 2018, https://www.thenation.com/article/reckoning-with-john-mccain/.
