John McCain
John McCain was an American politician and military officer who served as a U.S.
Senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018.
He was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, losing to Barack Obama.
McCain spent over five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, an experience that shaped his reputation for resilience.
He was known for occasional breaks from party orthodoxy, calling himself a "maverick"—a self-description that drew both admiration and skepticism.
High regard, moral dignity
- courageFortitude facing danger
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- dignityInnate personal worth
character · service · patriot · hero · statesman · role model · inspiration · brain cancer
Southeast Asian coastal nation
- POWCaptured military personnel
- Hanoi HiltonNotorious Vietnamese prisoner facility
- pilotOne who steers aircraft
- shot downRejected or discredited
prisoner · torture · solitary confinement · Annapolis · lieutenant commander · aircraft carrier · combat · squadron
Involving both major parties
- independentFree from external control
- immigration reformChanging laws governing newcomers
- campaign financeMoney raised for elections
- torture banProhibition on inflicting severe pain
reaching across the aisle · moderate · centrist · compromise · renegade · unpredictable · contrarian · outspoken
Official enactment of statutes
- CongressU.S. lawmaking body
- bipartisanInvolving both major parties
- filibusterDelaying tactic through speech
- CapitolLegislative assembly building
Senate · constituents · reelection · floor speech · vote · colleague · seniority · Republican
Year before 2009
- presidentialOf the highest office
- ObamaForty-fourth president's family name
- primaryChief in importance
- nomineeOne proposed for position
Palin · debate · rally · town hall · New Hampshire · South Carolina · Super Tuesday · convention
Arizona's capital city
- TucsonSouthern Arizona city
- SedonaArizona resort amid sandstone
- Grand CanyonMassive Arizona gorge
- Sonoran DesertArid region, Arizona-Mexico
Navajo Nation · Saguaro · Monument Valley · Colorado River · Flagstaff · Scottsdale · Sun Belt · Barry Goldwater
honor
High regard, moral dignity
- courageFortitude facing danger
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
dignity · character · service · patriot · hero · statesman · role model · inspiration · brain cancer · lying in state
Vietnam
Southeast Asian coastal nation
- POWCaptured military personnel
- Hanoi HiltonNotorious Vietnamese prisoner facility
- pilotOne who steers aircraft
shot down · prisoner · torture · solitary confinement · Annapolis · lieutenant commander · aircraft carrier · combat · squadron · captivity
bipartisan
Involving both major parties
- independentFree from external control
- immigration reformChanging laws governing newcomers
- campaign financeMoney raised for elections
torture ban · reaching across the aisle · moderate · centrist · compromise · renegade · unpredictable · contrarian · outspoken · principled
legislation
Official enactment of statutes
- CongressU.S. lawmaking body
- bipartisanInvolving both major parties
- filibusterDelaying tactic through speech
Capitol · Senate · constituents · reelection · floor speech · vote · colleague · seniority · Republican · confirmation
2008
Year before 2009
- presidentialOf the highest office
- ObamaForty-fourth president's family name
- primaryChief in importance
Palin · nominee · debate · rally · town hall · New Hampshire · South Carolina · Super Tuesday · convention · concession speech
Phoenix
Arizona's capital city
- TucsonSouthern Arizona city
- SedonaArizona resort amid sandstone
- Grand CanyonMassive Arizona gorge
Sonoran Desert · Navajo Nation · Saguaro · Monument Valley · Colorado River · Flagstaff · Scottsdale · Sun Belt · Barry Goldwater · desert
- politicianspoliticians, Joe Biden, congressman, Nancy Pelosi, senator
- naval figuresadmirals, captains, commanders, commodores, naval officers
- Vietnam War FiguresHo Chi Minh, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger
- electionsballot, ballots, voter registration, candidates, polls
- American IconsAbraham Lincoln, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr.
- U.S. GeneralsEisenhower, Patton, MacArthur, Grant, Lee
John McCainBernie Sanders
Elizabeth Warren · Ted Kennedy · Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez · Barack Obama · Nancy Pelosi
John McCainTed Cruz
Marjorie Taylor Greene · Donald Trump · Mitch McConnell · Matt Gaetz · Newt Gingrich
John McCainDonald Trump
Dick Cheney · draft dodger · coward · bone spurs · chickenhawk