Extraordinary

John McCain was a maverick in life, politics

There was a time when John McCain was the promise of the Republican Party. The senator from Arizona was the 2008 GOP nominee for president in the race against a relatively unknown senator from Illinois, Barack Obama.

McCain had name recognition and experience. He was viewed favorably by many in both parties. Plus he was a war hero and former POW.

But just as Obama had improbably defeated Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, he won the election over McCain.

The defeat might have crushed some politicians. But for McCain it was just another chapter in an extraordinary life. A life that ended Saturday after a battle with brain cancer..

The son of a U.S. Navy admiral and grandson of another, he entered the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in 1958. He became a pilot, flying missions in Vietnam and winning the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts and two Navy Commendation medals for his service.

During one mission his plane was struck by a missile over Hanoi. McCain ejected but was captured and spent 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war.

He came home in 1973 and continued his Navy career, but his independence—and at times reckless personal behavior—meant he wasn’t going to make it to admiral. Instead, politics called. He ran for Congress in 1982 and won, serving two terms. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986.

In Washington he sometimes delighted and sometimes infuriated his own party. He had an independent streak and didn’t hesitate to speak his mind. He didn’t mind rocking the boat.

McCain’s political path wasn’t always smooth. He was investigated and cleared by the Senate Ethics Committee as part of the Keating Five. (The panel ruled he broke no laws but showed bad judgment.) And stories about his fondness for partying and his marital problems before entering politics dogged him for years.

But he never let that worry him. He fought for the causes he supported and against those he did not—which sometimes put him at odds with his own party and sitting presidents.

But it also won him support from across the aisle. Democrats and their voters could find common ground with McCain. But that solidarity did not help him in the 2008 race for the White House.

In the years after that presidential run, many former supporters turned on McCain, calling him a “Republican in Name Only” and even disgracefully impugning his character and military record because he refused to tow the Trump line.

But McCain stood firm in his principles. He had never really towed anyone’s line anyway.

John McCain was not perfect. He had his share of missteps. But he lived and died a maverick— something we’d like to see more of in our twoparty system.