When one looks at US politics, one might describe it in various terms. One might describe it as a fragile house of cards, while others might see it as a landscape carved up between multiple fractious relationships. Within all such descriptions, a common theme of division and partisanship is apparent. With the current President’s vexation and focus on various feuds and inflammatory tweets targeting various entities, ranging from the “dishonest” Press to unfair neighbors such as Canada, the state of US politics is certainly an ungainly mix of politicking, sightless protectionism, and blind partisanship.
In such circumstances, it can seem that politicians often come out to mix their personal ambitions and beliefs with their fiduciary duty to stand in good faith as a representative of their constituents. From the standpoint of the ordinary citizen, a certain empathy must be felt for what their helplessness must feel like, where their votes might seem to not animate into any change. While American politics have long been adversarial and polarizing, a common sense of human dignity and compassion, long upheld by unwritten rules of respect and empathy, has certainly been found lacking in recent years. As the limelight of contemporary partisan infighting has thrown greater emphasis on the struggle between larger political entities, it has in turn taken away from the broader understanding of a greater humanity and its continual improvement that underlines the purpose of politics and politicians.
With the recent passing of Senator John McCain, the media and politicians have been drawn towards a nostalgic reflection of his political career, developing a rhetoric that seems to illustrate an image of consistent political honesty and well-intentioned constructive political debate. While such nostalgia is certainly biased and whitewashed, considering the unusual toxicity and ultra-partisanship defining the contemporary political climate, the contrast as illustrated by Senator McCain’s life and political career does serve to show the loss of a sense of political humility and integrity which previously anchored such politics with its intended purpose to serve the greater public.
Although having a prominent political record, McCain cannot be stated as a perfect person. McCain himself was a product of his times, being a chronological amalgam of modern American history. Born into a prominent military family, he was regarded as a pompous brat with a short temper. Serving in the Vietnam War, he was captured and kept as a prisoner of war. After being released, he went onto to be elected into the US House of Representatives and US Senate. Especially in his role as a politician, he was widely described by some as hawkish, a war-monger, and a staunch neo-conservative. McCain was a keen supporter of military action against Iraq and was cited as one who regularly fell back to doing things through “the barrel of a gun.” Furthermore, McCain was defined by some fellow politicians as an opportunist, flip-flopping between opinions so as to advance his own political career.
While certain issues and practices supported by McCain may bring the ire of some and the jubilation of others, McCain’s political achievements aren’t the true highlights of his career. Rather what should be celebrated is McCain’s ability to maintain a sense of humility and understanding in his political manners, illustrated by his ability to traverse party lines, political quarrels, and personal conflicts, and go on to maintain himself as “a man with a code.” Often described as a maverick and unwilling to toe the party line when it conflicted with his own personal beliefs, McCain became a key influential go-between man between Republic and Democrats. As former President George Bush stated, McCain was “honest, no matter whom it offended.” It is such honesty and integrity that should be the true celebration of his life.
While McCain had real differences with his contemporaries such as Obama and John Kerry, he took note of such differences and served to transform them into healthy dialogue and purposeful change. As stated by McCain in a letter written shortly before his death, he called for people to “tear down walls rather than stand behind them.” Throughout his career, McCain stood by such words. Ranging from political opponents such as John Kerry, to his Vietnamese prison guard during the Vietnam War, their common high opinions of McCain illustrates his respect for difference, but his uncanny ability to connect with others on a human level.
For us millennials whom keenly followed the last Presidential elections and the Trump Presidency, one of the most pertinent moments was his famous stand during the vote to repeal Obamacare. Against the strong words of Trump and Penn, McCain refused to uphold the adamant Republican effort to repeal Obamacare. While McCain’s reason was to return to the “correct way of legislating and send the bill back to committee” rather than ramming it through Congress, which he equated to how Obamacare made it through, it demonstrates that McCain himself would often stick to his own beliefs to a fault and in turn maintain an unwritten code of political integrity and responsibility.
While politics will nevertheless be a divided array of opinions and perspectives, some of which may offend or be supported by others, the ability for a politician to be independently minded and provide a sense of political integrity, which is especially devoted to their constituents, is what drives forward our perception of both democratic representation and a responsible government. Despite numerous criticisms of McCain in both his political practices and views, his unwavering commitment to his own ideals and belief in a greater American state garnered his the respect of numerous allies and opponents alike. While we all may have differing opinions of McCain, his ability to take such criticism and seek to constructively discuss those differences gave him a sense of humility and understanding that brought him down from his highly political pedestal to the level of a common civilian. In looking at his life, we should all strive to remember his consistent human approach to politics. Rising above the ungainly mess that we call politics, it is such humility and integrity which we respect and we should certainly learn from.
By Timothy Law