John McCain: The Last Republican Who Knew It Takes Two Wings to Fly

X Facebook Email Flipboard Pinterest Print Reddit

Last updated on September 26th, 2018 at 02:25 pm

John McCain was the last Republican who understood that good politics is about compromise, and without it, you’re left with tyranny.

It takes two wings for a bird or an airplane to fly and ultimately it takes two wings for a policy to be sustained.

We’re seeing what the absence of compromise in politics looks like. It means people and the country come behind pandering to a select few – foreign or domestic. It means a political segregation between Trump’s supporters and everyone ranging from liberals to libertarians.

Good policy, or at least better policy, addresses an issue to benefit most people while ideally doing no harm, or as little as possible. It’s the polar opposite of the Trump Republican Party’s agenda, be it healthcare; tax cuts (not reform); or foreign policy.

The thing about compromise is you need to recognize there are other valid voices in the room and find a way to listen to them.

One cannot comment on John McCain without acknowledging the fact that he was a war hero in every sense of the term. Yes, war heroes get caught, sustain life long injuries, endure torture and spend the rest of their lives serving their country.

As a liberal, many a time I questioned John McCain’s judgement – like when he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. As a liberal, I disagreed with him on many policy areas.

Yet, it was clear that McCain was someone who, while imperfect, I never had to question let alone doubt his love of and loyalty to America. I never doubted his desire to serve the public.

I never doubted his desire to work with Democrats to find solutions to problems. It doesn’t mean he didn’t have values or principles. But he recognized that other people do too.

He was the only Republican politician I could say that about.

We lost something precious when John McCain died. I hope we find it again before it’s too late.