ST. PAUL, MINN.
If you looked in the right direction, at just the right moment, you could see the realization officially sink in.
It was evident in the facial expressions of the roughly 30 members of John McCain’s family present at the Xcel Energy Center on Thursday night to hear the Arizona senator accept the Republican nomination for president.
That unmistakably joyous reaction was this: Their son/husband/father/brother/grandfather is two months away from possibly being elected president of the United States.
“Immense pride” is how Virginia Beach resident Doug McCain, the oldest son of the nominee, described the feeling in an interview.
On the eve of the speech, he predicted there would be “some misty eyes .”
Signs of relief and satisfaction were also etched on their faces as McCain spoke of his vision for the country and completed one leg of the political journey he has been on for years.
Then, as the red, white and blue balloons dropped and confetti filled the air, the McCain family savored the sounds and sights of their patriarch’s moment.
Doug McCain, 48, his wife and two children – a daughter in college and a son in ninth grade at Norfolk Academy – have been in St. Paul since Sunday, basking in the atmosphere .
Doug McCain anticipates strong support for his father in Hampton Roads, where the candidate performed well in the 2000 primary, despite losing the state to Bush.
He believes the region’s voters – many with connections to the military – will relate to McCain’s “honor and integrity” and his habit of doing “what he thinks is best for the country” regardless of “the political consequences.”
This convention – the third the family has attended since 2000, when McCain lost the GOP nomination to George W. Bush – appears to be the one they’ve enjoyed the most, for obvious reasons.
They’ve received star treatment as relatives of the party standard bearer: McCain, 72, a U.S. senator and former Navy pilot who survived more than five years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.
Doug McCain said his children were “enjoying some of the perks of being related to … the nominee.”
Those benefits include “not being asked to stand in line or go through security,”
he said, noting they also better understand and appreciate the experience because they are older than they were in 2000.
Doug McCain, who was adopted by his father, is one of seven McCain children. The University of Virginia graduate was raised in Florida.
A 1985 assignment to Oceana Naval Air Station brought him to Hampton Roads, where he planted permanent roots after finishing his career as a naval aviator several years later.
Today, he works as a commercial pilot for American Airlines, often flying to far-flung destinations such as London and Tokyo.
In his spare time, he can often be found surfing. It’s an avocation that he’s ready to return to before the water gets too cold.
Once back in Virginia, Doug McCain also will work on his father’s campaign, doing everything from exalted tasks such as courting donors to mundane but necessary chores such as putting signs in storefronts and sending e-mails and making telephone calls to supporters.
So now, eight years and three conventions removed from the disappointment of 2000, is the third time the charm for his father?
“Let’s hope,” he said.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
sadder
The generic Democrat beats the stuffing out of the generic Republican in polling data. Yet Obama and McCain are tied at 42%. How sad.
sad
All that money spent for a guy that will never see the White House.
I always seem to chuckle when I see some interview with McCain and he states "once I'm elected..." ROFL.
He lost the election the second G. Bush put his arm around him and said, "This is my guy"...
Ok
So then the man you have railed on for being divorced and supposedly mistreatinig his ex-wife is a social conservative?
Between you and I...I am not socially conservative. Pro-pot, not very religious, lack morals(although they don't actually exist in a definable way except in philosophy)...
Always remember my goal in these election posts is the money and results. Nothing more.
IRA
Nietzsche was deeply concerned about coercive forces that depend on superstition to rule and limit the power of an individual. The context is dependent on one's own perceptions and interpretations. Social conservatives are as hell bent on totalitarianism as any other movement in history.
Libertarianism is primarily about individual liberty and not the unlimited power of the corporate oligarchy.
Don't worry about it. You do
Don't worry about it. You do not need to interject every other post to counter arguments. No one sells the bitter and hypocritical side of Obama's supporters better than them. The comments are rabid and w/o basis. The empty comments and personal attacks will sway reasonable out of their camp. Remember when Ches37 said:
"The Obama's faced more personal stress and acted more heoric than Mccain did during his detetion in a enemy facility"
Now you have George K quoting Nietzsche out of context. George, Niettzche existenstial struggle was w/ god. BTW, he killed himself.
My point is, how would you like to save their quotes after their screams of rasicm and the lack of substance and show them to your children? I wouldn't. It's horrible. Keep selling it guys. Keep selling it.
Play another song
Chris, this isn't the first time that you've used those remarks. I'm assuming that is all you have on McCain and his wife. Face the REAL facts people, the Republican ticket IS more experienced and capable of running this country. I find it funny that everyone is against the Bush administration even though the Democrtatic congress has a lower approval rating. Is being taxed more so we can spend more really sound like a good idea? I'll take the tax breaks that in case you missed created a spike in the gross domestic product (GDP). By the way, I'm just scratching the surface but then again I'm done. If you are so blinded by the BS that Obama is spreading then God help you because you obviously need it. I myself don't need government telling me how to spend MY money.
documented where?
Obama is a Muslim. He refused to swear on the Bible when he was sworn into the Senate, instead using a Qur'an. He refused to wear a flag pin so he's no patriot. These are all 'well documented,' too, but it doesn't make them true.
mapatty, you betray that you either didn't watch his speech last night or you weren't listening. He specifically thanked his fellow captives for saving his life. You also asked what he did to put his country first, saying "Don't tell me he join [sic] the military or ran for political office." If serving your country in the military or in the national legislature doesn't count, what does?
Mccain-No Hero
You don't have to die for your country to be called a hero, but if you were a pow you don't have to talk about it for 40 years, when those that did die cannot defend there patriotism. I never heard McCain show his gratitude for them. Its always I,I,I. I,.By the way, how did his country save him and what did he do to put his country first? Don't tell me he join the military or ran for political office.
Facing Realty
Most of what Chris stated, like the Keating scandal and McCain's involvement, is well documented. Those are not personal attacks, they are relevant public activity. I guess true believers desperate for a great leader will ignore what they don't want to know.
obama hates white people
thank you for pointing out that obama went to a hate filled racist "church" for 20 years. this so called church was led by someone who is the equivalent of a black ku klux klan leader, someone obama loves dearly. now if you listen to that hate-filled racist rhetoric for 52 weeks a year for 20 years, most of it will rub off on you. if John McCain had attended klan meetings for 20 years and was best friends with the grand dragon, we wouldnt even be hearing his name anymore. funny how 2 faced the liberal leftist media is. and funny the double standard the media and the libs have for this black messiah. veterans for obama? what a joke. this puke hasn't spent a day in the uniform.
The visual and vocal support for McCain from his fellow POWs...
...is headed up by Colonel George E. “Bud” Day, Medal of Honor winner decorated with more military honors then any service member since General MacArthur. Day was shot down two months before McCain and spent two years in the same cell with him as a POW, suffering similar injuries from the torture they both endured. Day has been featured in print and broadcast media for months now since he (and other ex-POWs) ENDORSED McCain for President of the United States. He was pictured prominently on TV during the Republican Convention for all to see, complete with his Medal of Honor around his neck. Other POWs have chosen to keep their political preferences private, which is one of the things they served their country for.
write something new
Chris, you must have this little diatribe of yours on your desktop or something because you've posted it several times. The NY Times ran that "affair" story on McCain and later admitted it had no evidence. Do you have proof of this mob conspiracy of yours? Or the drugs charges? How in the world do you know Palin will "probably be indicted on Oct 31st?" "He is so out of it, that his staff will no longer let him talk to the press unscripted" Well, except for all of his town meetings. I can't help but notice that Obama has turned down McCain's numerous offers for 'town hall' debates. Presumably because HE doesn't want to do anything that's too unscripted.
No one is interested
Really...no one is interested in your cut and paste from the Daily Kos. If we wanted that irrational personal attack nonsense, we would just go there an read it. You're just making liberals look like hateful, petty people.
McCain's past
When McCain came back from Vietnam, he cheated repeatedly on his crippled wife, and then divorced her to marry Cindy Hensley. In the 1980's McCain lobbied for Charles Keating, the saving and loan felon who stole billions in pension money, and took numerous jet set vacations at Keating's expense. In the 1990's McCain had an affair with a lobbyist that so scared his staff, that they told her to stay away from him. His campaigns for the Senate were all financed with his wife Cindy's mob money. In 1994 Cindy McCain forged prescriptions in the names of her employees and stole drugs from her own charity. McCain's campaign this year is getting huge amounts of oil company money. His pick for vice president is under an ethics investigation and will probably be indicted on Oct 31st. McCain is 72 years old, has had cancer 5 times and is on 5 different medications. He is so out of it, that his staff will no long
Stand up for America ! Stand Up !
Instead of all this whining about McCain's personal life,why don't you people do what McCain told you to do? STAND UP ! STAND UP For AMERICA ! STAND UP And FIGHT for AMERICA !
BTW,It was just reported on tv that McCain brought in more viewers last night than Obama or Palin did. He had an audience of 40 MILLION people tune in to watch his acceptance speech !
Mr. Markowitz
John McCain's exwife campaigns for him. Her two sons, whom he adopted, are quoted in this article. Bet you can't even tell which two kids they are of the seven. Odd that there are people more angry with him about his divorce than his ex is. Cheers, MGM
Cutting and pasting and googling through the day!
"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way."
Bertrand Russell
A Little Hypocrisy
Doesn't the handicapped wife he abandoned for the wealthy heiress live in Virginia Beach too? All the blathering about family pride rings hollow to me.
Free to cut and paste, even in the echo chamber.
"The irrationality of a thing is no argument against its existence, rather a condition of it."
Friedrich Nietzsche
Mary
some of the rumors about mob ties to the business, in addition to John McCain's campaign funding tied to terrorist organizations arise from the "work" of Corsi, the "gentleman" who published a recent book about Obama. Right wingers jumped on the Corsi bandwagon when his book trashed Obama, not realizing that earlier in the year, Corsi made allegations connecting McCain was tied to the mob and terrorism. Corsi is a hack.