I am a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat and I try but I can’t not like Senator John McCain.  I once told my wife that I thought that he would make a good president; I can’t recall if she said anything but she looked at me as if she thought I was crazy.  I didn’t say much to her along those lines about Senator McCain after that.  Most of the thoughts that I have had about him and his politics since then I have kept to myself.  But no matter how hard that I try to not like him I can’t do it.

Senator McCain might be disappointed if he read this article (fat chance) and found out that I still have a lot of respect for him.  I read in some article recently where he had gripped about Democrats trying to recruit him because of how he is standing up to Mr. Trump.  The article said that as he gripped he said “[Democrats’] agenda is certainly not my agenda!”  It probably would not mean much to him or affect him one way or another if he knew that I still believe that he could be a good president (don’t tell my wife that I said that).  There is no doubt that he would be a far better president than Mr. Trump is.  That might be a low bar upon which anyone should base praise but right now, Mr. Trump is president.

In light of the way that I have strongly rebuked Republicans for their political cowardice in many other articles that I have written because they refuse to stand up to Mr. Trump, one might ask why I feel differently about Senator McCain.  After all, Senator McCain has certainly exhibited political cowardice at times and he has also waffled back and forth on a number of issues.  I will tell you why I view him differently from the way that I view a lot of his Republican colleagues.  Yes, Senator McCain is a politician and he like all politicians weigh the political implications of their potential decisions and then act based on their conclusions.  But Senator McCain has a patriotic line in the sand that he has drawn and when it comes to choosing among political ambition, party and country, he inevitably puts country first.  In these times, it is apparent that many politicians do not do this.

I disagree with a lot of the policies that Senator McCain espouses and, to some degree, the way that he envisions moving America forward.  But I have no doubt that he is a patriot and is sincere in his visions as to how to move our country forward and preserve our democracy; even though I, and likely most other Democrats, disagree with him.  I also believe that he would work hard to be the president to all of the people and listen to and be fair to all Americans.

Finally, I suggest that the rest of the Republicans should look to Senator McCain as a strong example of how they should conduct themselves in these perilous times when America truly needs them.  So rather than abandon him and leave him alone out on a limb, they should find the courage to line up behind him.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s and Living Between The Line