FWIS3

Senator John McCain passed away on Saturday, August 25.

He was one of the last conservative politicians that I felt was genuine.

One of the things I've read in a few obituaries was how, after the 2000 South Carolina primary where McCain waffled on the idea of taking the Confederate flag down on the state capitol grounds, he stated that he had violated his principles and not been honest. He said he had thought telling the truth about his position on the flag would result in his losing the primary (he lost to W anyway). He apologized for failing to live up to his own standards of honesty, calling himself a coward.

How many politicians do you know that have described their own actions as cowardly? McCain was a principled man. He occasionally slipped (e.g., Keating scandal) but he owned up to his failures and did not try to make excuses.

Yes. I don't know why the Internet shocks me still but I was kinda surprised at how much vitriol was out from the far right and the far left about his dying. Most of it seemed to be because a. hindsight is 20/20 and they would have done better, and b. 80-something year old men are still going to be a product of their times. JFC.

I think we all make mistakes, but McCain always struck me as someone trying to do his best. And he certainly did a better job of it than most of us ever do.

Sadly, most of the vitriol is being fueled by the man in the White House. Although it started with the Mad Hatter Tea Party adherents. They hate people with principles and who are willing to actually work with others.

And while I hated the direction McCain went after the MHTP started gaining power he was definitely a better man than most.