Anecdote about McCain

About 18-20 months ago I was flipping channels (my wife loves it when I do this) and I stopped on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" because I saw that he was introducing John McCain as his next guest.  Anyone who watches the daily show knows that over the years John McCain has been a regular guest on the hit news parody show.  At this point in time, John McCain had already begun his campaign for the Republican nomination but the campaign was off to a horrible start.  The polls showed him running fifth behind his republican rivals and only garnering single digits in those polls.  Most pundits said McCain simply didn't have a chance because he had centered his campaign around winning the war in Iraq.  At that time the war was going terribly and it's unpopularity had led to a massive republican defeat in the 2006 elections.

John Stewart almost immediately began peppering John McCain about his failing campaign strategy and more generally about the war.  As McCain attempted to respond to Stewart's questions Stewart often interrupted him, making light of his responses.  Finally, toward the end of this awkward interview Jon Stewart essentially asked Senator McCain why he chose to hitch his campaign to this disastrous war.  Senator McCain, looked at the audience and said with conviction, "I'd rather lose a campaign than see my country lose a war".  The heckling audience then grew quiet and Stewart stopped joking, while Senator McCain explained that he felt it was his responsibility to do everything within his power to ensure that the U.S. adopted and executed a winning strategy in Iraq, even if it meant sacrificing his aspirations to be president.

Regardless of what one thinks about the war in Iraq, it is refreshing to see a politician take a stand that appears contrary to that politician's own political interests.

If in fact Senator McCain actually was the election in November that will be moment I remember from this campaign more than any other.