The news of John McCain’s death left me rather double-minded. I do think his vanity overcame his reputation as an upstanding man rather thoroughly, and his moral compromises were less than admirable. I remember him being feted for that famous exchange with a supporter who said she was worried Obama was Arab, and he replied “No, ma’am, he’s a decent family man, citizen.” It was hard to ignore that both he and media took it as read that being called Arab or Muslim was an accusation.
Most of all, though, I find his clinging to his seat hard to forgive. I know American politics is different from our parliamentary systems, but anyone with any familiarity with glioblastoma will know that for one who aims to serve his constituents or country it would have been responsible to step down after the diagnosis. Even those who live for a while are in no condition to fulfil their duties to the fullest.