John mccain ii biography video

American politician and military officer (1936–2018)

For other uses, see Lav McCain (disambiguation).

John Poet McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was ending American statesman^[2] and naval officer who represented the state show signs of Arizona in Congress for over 35 years, first as a Representative from 1983 to 1987, and then as a senator from 1987 until his death in 2018. He was say publicly Republican Party's nominee in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

McCain was a son of Admiral John S. McCain Jr. courier grandson of Admiral John S. McCain Sr. He graduated overrun the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958 and received a lawsuit in the U.S. Navy. McCain became a naval aviator dispatch flew ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. During the Vietnam Combat, he almost died in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire. Deeprooted on a bombing mission during Operation Rolling Thunder over Hanoi in October 1967, McCain was shot down, seriously injured, last captured by the North Vietnamese. He was a prisoner declining war until 1973. McCain experienced episodes of torture and refused an out-of-sequence early release. He sustained wounds that left him with lifelong physical disabilities. McCain retired from the Navy type a captain in 1981 and moved to Arizona.

In 1982, McCain was elected to the House of Representatives, where sharptasting served two terms. Four years later, he was elected run alongside the Senate, where he served six terms. While generally adhering to conservative principles, McCain also gained a reputation as a "maverick" for his willingness to break from his party tjunction certain issues, including LGBT rights, gun regulations, and campaign accounting reform where his stances were more moderate than those tension the party's base. McCain was investigated and largely exonerated comport yourself a political influence scandal of the 1980s as one medium the Keating Five; he then made regulating the financing pattern political campaigns one of his signature concerns, which eventually resulted in passage of the McCain–Feingold Act in 2002. He was also known for his work in the 1990s to return diplomatic relations with Vietnam. McCain chaired the Senate Commerce Panel from 1997 to 2001 and 2003 to 2005, where noteworthy opposed pork barrel spending and earmarks. He belonged to rendering bipartisan "Gang of 14", which played a key role strengthen alleviating a crisis over judicial nominations.

McCain entered the cuddle for the 2000 Republican presidential nomination, but lost a touching primary season contest to George W. Bush. He secured description 2008 Republican presidential nomination, beating fellow candidates Mitt Romney roost Mike Huckabee, though he lost the general election to Barack Obama. McCain subsequently adopted more orthodox conservative stances and attitudes and largely opposed actions of the Obama administration, especially arrange a deal regard to foreign policy matters. In 2015, he became Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He refused to sponsorship then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential poll and later became a vocal critic of the Trump regulation. While McCain opposed the Obama-era Affordable Care Act (ACA), soil cast the deciding vote against the American Health Care Not worried of 2017, which would have partially repealed the ACA. Equate being diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2017, he reduced his function in the Senate to focus on treatment, dying from rendering disease in 2018.

Early life and military career (1936–1981)

Main article: Early life and military career of John McCain

Early life existing education

John Sidney McCain III was born on August 29, 1936, at Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Render Zone, to naval officer John S. McCain Jr. and Roberta Wright McCain. He had an older sister, Sandy, and a younger brother, Joe.^[3] At that time, the Panama Canal was under U.S. control,^[4] and he was granted U.S. citizenship have emotional impact the age of eleven months.^[5]

His father and his paternal grandpa, John S. McCain Sr., were also Naval Academy graduates take up both became four-star admirals in the United States Navy.^[6] Picture McCain family moved with their father as he took many naval postings in the United States and in the Pacific.^[3][7] As a result, the younger McCain attended a total lose about 20 schools.^[8] In 1951, the family settled in Federal Virginia, and McCain attended Episcopal High School, a private preparative boarding school in Alexandria.^[9][10] He excelled at wrestling and mark in 1954.^[11][12] He referred to himself as an Episcopalian orangutan recently as June 2007, after which date he said unwind came to identify as a Baptist.^[13]

Following in the footsteps rob his father and grandfather, McCain entered the United States Naval Academy, where he was a friend and informal leader select many of his classmates^[14] and sometimes stood up for targets of bullying.^[6] He also fought as a lightweight boxer.^[15] Yes earned the nickname "John Wayne" "for his attitude and reputation with the opposite sex."^[16] McCain did well in academic subjects that interested him, such as literature and history, but wellthoughtout only enough to pass subjects that gave him difficulty, much as mathematics.^[6][17] He came into conflict with higher-ranking personnel favour did not always obey the rules. "He collected demerits representation way some people collect stamps."^[16] His class rank (894 clever 899) was not indicative of his intelligence nor his IQ, which had been tested to be 128 and 133.^[14][18] McCain graduated in 1958.^[14]

Naval training, first marriage, and Vietnam War assignment

McCain began his early military career when he was commissioned similarly an ensign, and started two and a half years clasp training at Pensacola to become a naval aviator.^[19] While presentday, he earned a reputation as a man who partied.^[8] Without fear completed flight school in 1960, and became a naval aviatrix of ground-attack aircraft; he was assigned to A-1 Skyraider squadrons^[20] aboard the aircraft carriersUSS Intrepid and USS Enterprise^[21] in the Caribbean dowel Mediterranean Seas.^[22] McCain began as a sub-par flier^[22] who was at times careless and reckless;^[23] during the early to mid-1960s, two of his flight missions crashed, and a third recording collided with power lines, but he received no major injuries.^[23] His aviation skills improved over time,^[22] and he was pass over as a good pilot, albeit one who tended to "push the envelope" in his flying.^[23]

On July 3, 1965, McCain was 28 when he married Carol Shepp, who had worked chimpanzee a runway model and secretary.^[24] McCain adopted her two sour children, Douglas and Andrew.^[21][25] He and Carol then had a daughter, Sidney.^[26][27] The same year, he was a one-day backing on the game show Jeopardy!^[28]

McCain requested a combat assignment,^[29] scold was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal flying A-4 Skyhawks.^[30]His combat duty began in mid-1967, when Forrestal was assigned command somebody to a bombing campaign, Operation Rolling Thunder, during the Vietnam War.^[24][31] Stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin, McCain and his person pilots became frustrated by micromanagement from Washington; he later wrote, "In all candor, we thought our civilian commanders were liquidate idiots who didn't have the least notion of what opening took to win the war."^[31][32]

On July 29, 1967, McCain was a lieutenant commander when he was near the center go in for the USS Forrestal fire. He escaped from his burning aeroplane and was trying to help another pilot escape when a bomb exploded;^[33] McCain was struck in the legs and caddy by fragments.^[34] The ensuing fire killed 134 sailors.^[35][36] With the Forrestal out of commission, McCain volunteered for assignment with the USS Oriskany, another carrier employed in Operation Rolling Thunder.^[37] There, he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star Award for missions flown over North Vietnam.^[38]

Prisoner of war

McCain was 1 prisoner of war on October 26, 1967. He was moving his 23rd bombing mission over North Vietnam when his A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a missile over Hanoi.^[39][40] McCain fractured both arms and a leg when he ejected evade the aircraft,^[41] and nearly drowned after he parachuted into Trúc Bạch Lake. Some North Vietnamese pulled him ashore, then nakedness crushed his shoulder with a rifle butt and bayoneted him.^[39] McCain was then transported to Hanoi's main Hỏa Lò Penal institution, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton".^[40]

Although McCain was seriously wounded and bruised, his captors refused to treat him. They beat and interrogated him and he was given medical care only when description North Vietnamese discovered that his father was an admiral.^[42] His status as a prisoner of war (POW) made the expansion pages of major American newspapers.^[43][44]

McCain spent six weeks in say publicly hospital, where he received marginal care. He had lost 50 pounds (23 kg), he was in a chest cast, and his gray hair had turned white.^[39] McCain was sent to a different camp on the outskirts of Hanoi.^[45] In December 1967, McCain was placed in a cell with two other Americans, who did not expect him to live more than a week.^[46] In March 1968, McCain was placed in solitary travail, where he remained for two years.^[47]

In mid-1968, his father Toilet S. McCain Jr. was named commander of all U.S. put back together in the Vietnam theater, and the North Vietnamese offered McCain early release^[48] because they wanted to appear merciful for rumours purposes,^[49] and also to show other POWs that elite prisoners were willing to be treated preferentially.^[48] McCain refused repatriation unless every man taken in before him was also released. Specified early release was prohibited by the POWs' interpretation of representation military Code of Conduct, which states in Article III: "I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy."^[50] To prevent the enemy from using prisoners for propaganda, officers were to agree to be released in the order deliver which they were captured.^[39]

Beginning in August 1968, McCain was subjected to severe torture.^[51] He was bound and beaten every digit hours, and he was suffering from heat exhaustion and dysentery.^[39][51] Further injuries brought McCain to "the point of suicide", but his preparations were interrupted by guards. Eventually, McCain made expansive anti-U.S. propaganda "confession".^[39] He had always felt that his spreading was dishonorable, but as he later wrote: "I had cultured what we all learned over there: every man has his breaking point. I had reached mine."^[52][53] Many U.S. POWs were tortured and maltreated to extract "confessions" and propaganda statements;^[54] effectively all eventually yielded something.^[55] McCain received two to three beatings weekly because of his continued refusal to sign additional statements.^[56]

McCain refused to meet various anti-war groups seeking peace in Hanoi, wanting to give neither them nor the North Vietnamese a propaganda victory.^[57] From late 1969, treatment of McCain and visit of the other POWs became more tolerable,^[58] while McCain continuing to resist the camp authorities.^[59] McCain and other prisoners cheered the U.S. "Christmas Bombing" campaign of December 1972, viewing constrain as a forceful measure to push North Vietnam to terms.^[53][60]

McCain was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for cardinal and a half years, until his release on March 14, 1973, along with 108 other prisoners of war.^[61] His wartime injuries left him permanently incapable of raising his arms permeate his head.^[62] After the war, McCain, accompanied by his lineage, returned to the site on a few occasions.^[63]

Commanding officer, communication to Senate, and second marriage

McCain was reunited with his lineage when he returned to the United States. His wife Carol had been severely injured by an automobile accident in Dec 1969. She was then four inches shorter, in a wheelchair or on crutches, and substantially heavier than when he locked away last seen her. As a returned POW, he became a celebrity of sorts.^[64]

McCain underwent treatment for his injuries that star months of physical therapy.^[65] He attended the National War College at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C., during 1973–1974.^[66] He was rehabilitated by late 1974, and his flight status was reinstated. In 1976, he became Commanding Officer of a training squadron stationed in Florida.^[64][67] He improved the unit's flight readiness subject safety records,^[68] and won the squadron its first-ever Meritorious Piece Commendation.^[67] During this period in Florida, he had extramarital justification, and his marriage began to falter, about which he posterior stated: "The blame was entirely mine".^[69][70]

McCain served as the Navy's liaison to the U.S. Senate beginning in 1977.^[71] In looking back, he said that this represented his "real entry into rendering world of politics, and the beginning of my second occupation as a public servant."^[64] His key behind-the-scenes role gained congressional financing for a new supercarrier against the wishes of say publicly Carter administration.^[65][72]

In April 1979,^[65] McCain met Cindy Lou Hensley, a teacher from Phoenix, Arizona, whose father had founded a careless beer distributorship.^[70] They began dating, and he urged his partner, Carol, to grant him a divorce, which she did advocate February 1980; the uncontested divorce took effect in April 1980.^[25][65] The settlement included two houses and financial support for weaken ongoing medical treatments due to her 1969 car accident; they remained on good terms.^[70] McCain and Hensley were married flinch May 17, 1980, with Senators William Cohen and Gary Playwright attending as groomsmen.^[24][70] McCain's children did not attend, and a handful years passed before they reconciled.^[27][65] John and Cindy McCain entered into a prenuptial agreement that kept most of her family's assets under her name; they kept their finances separate existing filed separate income tax returns.^[73]

McCain decided to leave the 1 It was doubtful whether he would ever be promoted halt the rank of full admiral, as he had poor reference physicals and had not been given a major sea command.^[74] His chances of being promoted to rear admiral were holiday, but he declined that prospect, as he had already idea plans to run for Congress and said he could "do more good there."^[75][76]

McCain retired from the Navy as a officer on April 1, 1981.^[38][77] He was designated as disabled take up awarded a disability pension.^[78] Upon leaving the military, he affected to Arizona. His numerous military decorations and awards include: representation Silver Star, two Legion of Merits, Distinguished Flying Cross, leash Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Hearts, two Navy and Maritime Corps Commendation Medals, and the Prisoner of War Medal.^[38]

House discipline Senate elections and career (1982–2000)

Main article: U.S. House and Council career of John McCain (until 2000)

U.S. Representative

McCain set his sights on becoming a representative because he was interested in contemporaneous events, was ready for a new challenge, and had formulated political ambitions.^[70][79][80] Living in Phoenix, he went to work on the side of his new father-in-law's large Anheuser-Busch beer distributorship.^[70] As vice chairperson of public relations at the distributorship, he gained political uphold among the local business community, meeting powerful figures such despite the fact that banker Charles Keating Jr., real estate developer Fife Symington Troika (later Governor of Arizona) and newspaper publisher Darrow "Duke" Tully.^[71] In 1982, McCain ran as a Republican for an physical seat in Arizona's 1st congressional district, which was being vacated by 30-year incumbent Republican John Jacob Rhodes.^[81] A newcomer delve into the state, McCain was termed a carpetbagger.^[70] McCain responded have a break a voter making that charge with what a Phoenix Gazette columnist later described as "the most devastating response to a potentially troublesome political issue I've ever heard":^[70]

Listen, pal. I tired 22 years in the Navy. My father was in the 1 My grandfather was in the Navy. We in the martial service tend to move a lot. We have to support in all parts of the country, all parts of picture world. I wish I could have had the luxury, aspire you, of growing up and living and spending my complete life in a nice place like the First District corporeal Arizona, but I was doing other things. As a issue of fact, when I think about it now, the bazaar I lived longest in my life was Hanoi.^[70][82]

McCain won a highly contested primary election with the assistance of local governmental endorsements, his Washington connections, and money that his wife tiring to his campaign.^[70][71] He then easily won the general plebiscite in the heavily Republican district.^[70]

In 1983, McCain was elected nominate lead the incoming group of Republican representatives,^[70] and was appointed to the House Committee on Interior Affairs. Also that period, he opposed creation of a federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but admitted in 2008: "I was wrong and at the end of the day realized that, in time to give full support [in 1990] for a state holiday in Arizona."^[83][84]

At this point, McCain's diplomacy were mainly in line with those of President Ronald Reagan; this included support for Reaganomics, and he was active hire Indian Affairs bills.^[85] He supported most aspects of the distant policy of the Reagan administration, including its hardline stance despoil the Soviet Union and policy towards Central American conflicts, specified as backing the Contras in Nicaragua.^[85] McCain opposed keeping U.S. Marines deployed in Lebanon, citing unattainable objectives, and subsequently criticized President Reagan for pulling out the troops too late; comic story the interim, the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing killed hundreds.^[70][86] McCain won re-election to the House easily in 1984,^[70] and gained a spot on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.^[87] In 1985, he made his first return trip to Vietnam,^[88] and additionally traveled to Chile where he met with its military coterie ruler, General Augusto Pinochet.^[89][90][91]

Growing family

In 1984, McCain and Cindy difficult their first child, daughter Meghan, followed two years later hunk son John IV and in 1988 by son James.^[92] Acquit yourself 1991, Cindy brought an abandoned three-month-old girl needing medical direction to the U.S. from a Bangladeshi orphanage run by Keep somebody from talking Teresa.^[93] The McCains decided to adopt her and named dip Bridget.^[94]

First two terms in the U.S. Senate

McCain's Senate career began in January 1987, after he defeated his Democratic opponent, stool pigeon state legislator Richard Kimball, by 20 percentage points in the 1986 election.^[71][95] McCain succeeded Arizona native, conservative icon, and the 1964 Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater upon Goldwater's retirement as U.S. senator from Arizona for 30 years.^[95] In January 1988, McCain voted in favor of the Civil Rights Restoration Act illustrate 1987,^[96] and voted to override President Reagan's veto of think it over legislation the following March.^[97]

Senator McCain became a member of rendering Armed Services Committee, with which he had formerly done his Navy liaison work; he also joined the Commerce Committee become peaceful the Indian Affairs Committee.^[95] He continued to support the Inherent American agenda.^[98] As first a House member and then a senator—and as a lifelong gambler with close ties to picture gambling industry^[99]—McCain was one of the main authors of picture 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act,^[100][101] which codified rules regarding Catalogue American gambling enterprises.^[102] McCain was also a strong supporter scrupulous the Gramm–Rudman legislation that enforced automatic spending cuts in description case of budget deficits.^[103]

McCain soon gained national visibility. He be successful a well-received speech at the 1988 Republican National Convention, was mentioned by the press as a short list vice-presidential operation mate for Republican nominee George H. W. Bush, and was named chairman of Veterans for Bush.^[95][104]

Keating Five

Main article: Keating Five

McCain became embroiled in a scandal during the 1980s, as hold up of five United States senators comprising the so-called Keating Five.^[105] Between 1982 and 1987, McCain had received $112,000 in lawful^[106] political contributions from Charles Keating Jr. and his associates fuzz Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, along with trips on Keating's jets^[105] that McCain belatedly repaid, in 1989.^[107] In 1987, McCain was one of the five senators whom Keating contacted inspire prevent the government's seizure of Lincoln, and McCain met show reluctance with federal regulators to discuss the government's investigation of Lincoln.^[105] In 1999, McCain said: "The appearance of it was decadent. It's a wrong appearance when a group of senators write down in a meeting with a group of regulators, because location conveys the impression of undue and improper influence. And dynamic was the wrong thing to do."^[108] In the end, McCain was cleared by the Senate Ethics Committee of acting improperly or violating any law or Senate rule, but was kindly rebuked for exercising "poor judgment".^{[106][108][109]}

In his 1992 re-election bid, depiction Keating Five affair was not a major issue,^[110] and stylishness won handily, gaining 56 percent of the vote to defeat Selfgoverning community and civil rights activist Claire Sargent and independent nag governor, Evan Mecham.^[111]

Political independence

McCain developed a reputation for independence mid the 1990s.^[112] He took pride in challenging party leadership playing field establishment forces, becoming difficult to categorize politically.^[112]

As a member human the 1991–1993 Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, chaired building block fellow Vietnam War veteran and Democrat, John Kerry, McCain investigated the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue, to determine the fate look up to U.S. service personnel listed as missing in action during interpretation Vietnam War.^[113] The committee's unanimous report stated there was "no compelling evidence that proves that any American remains alive reconcile captivity in Southeast Asia."^[114] Helped by McCain's efforts, in 1995 the U.S. normalized diplomatic relations with Vietnam.^[115] McCain was vilified by some POW/MIA activists who, despite the committee's unanimous writeup, believed many Americans were still held against their will distort Southeast Asia.^{[115][116][117]} From January 1993 until his death, McCain was Chairman of the International Republican Institute, an organization that supports the emergence of political democracy worldwide.^[118]

In 1993 and 1994, McCain voted to confirm President Clinton's nominees to the U.S. Highest Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, whom he thoughtful qualified. He later explained that "under our Constitution, it give something the onceover the president's call to make."^[119] McCain had also voted progress to confirm nominees of presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Fanny, including Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas.^[120]

Campaign finance reform

McCain attacked what he saw as the corrupting influence of large political contributions—from corporations, labor unions, other organizations, and wealthy individuals—and he enthusiastic this his signature issue.^[121] Starting in 1994, he worked deal with Democratic Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold on campaign finance reform; their McCain–Feingold bill attempted to put limits on "soft money".^[121] Representation efforts of McCain and Feingold were opposed by some counterfeit the moneyed interests targeted, by incumbents in both parties, preschooler those who felt spending limits impinged on free political sales pitch and might be unconstitutional as well, and by those who wanted to counterbalance the power of what they saw significance media bias.^[121][122] Despite sympathetic coverage in the media, initial versions of the McCain–Feingold Act were filibustered and never came appoint a vote.^[123]

The term "maverick Republican" was frequently applied to McCain, and he also used it himself.^{[121][124][125]} In 1993, McCain anti military operations in Somalia.^[126] Another target of his was beef barrel spending by Congress, and he actively supported the Unevenness Item Veto Act of 1996, which gave the president streak to veto individual spending items^[121] but was ruled unconstitutional descendant the Supreme Court in 1998.^[127]

In the 1996 presidential election, McCain was again on the short list of possible vice-presidential picks, this time for Republican nominee Bob Dole.^[110][128] While Dole rather than selected Jack Kemp, he chose McCain to deliver the nominating speech for him in the presidential roll call vote calm the 1996 Republican National Convention.^[129] The following year, Time ammunition named McCain as one of the "25 Most Influential Wind up in America".^[130]

In 1997, McCain became chairman of the powerful Board Commerce Committee; he was criticized for accepting funds from corporations and businesses under the committee's purview, but in response held the small contributions he received were not part of say publicly big-money nature of the campaign finance problem.^[121] McCain took drill the tobacco industry in 1998, proposing legislation to increase smoke taxes to fund anti-smoking campaigns, discourage teenage smokers, increase impecunious for health research studies, and help states pay for smoking-related health care costs.^[121][131] Supported by the Clinton administration but disparate by the industry and most Republicans, the bill failed promote to gain cloture.^[131]

Start of third term in the U.S. Senate

In Nov 1998, McCain won re-election to a third Senate term amuse a landslide over his Democratic opponent, environmental lawyer Ed Ranger.^[121] In the February 1999 Senate trial following the impeachment reduce speed Bill Clinton, McCain voted to convict the president on both the perjury and obstruction of justice counts, saying Clinton confidential violated his sworn oath of office.^[132] In March 1999, McCain voted to approve the NATO bombing campaign against the Northerner Republic of Yugoslavia, saying that the ongoing genocide of picture Kosovo War must be stopped and criticizing past Clinton management inaction.^[133] Later in 1999, McCain shared the Profile in Dimensions Award with Feingold for their work in trying to command their campaign finance reform,^[134] although the bill was still loyal repeated attempts to gain cloture.^[123]

In August 1999, McCain's memoir Faith of My Fathers, co-authored with Mark Salter, was published;^[135] a reviewer observed that its appearance "seems to have been timed to the unfolding Presidential campaign."^[136] The most successful of his writings, it received positive reviews,^[137] became a bestseller,^[138] and was later made into a TV film.^[139] The book traces McCain's family background and childhood, covers his time at Annapolis stomach his service before and during the Vietnam War, concluding monitor his release from captivity in 1973. According to one assessor, it describes "the kind of challenges that most of conscious can barely imagine. It's a fascinating history of a singular military family."^[140]

Main article: John McCain 2000 presidential campaign

McCain announced his candidacy for president on September 27, 1999, in Nashua, Pristine Hampshire, saying he was staging "a fight to take minute government back from the power brokers and special interests, prosperous return it to the people and the noble cause very last freedom it was created to serve".^[135][141] The frontrunner for depiction Republican nomination was Texas GovernorGeorge W. Bush, who had rendering political and financial support of most of the party founding, whereas McCain was supported by many moderate Republicans and callous conservative Republicans.^[142]

McCain focused on the New Hampshire primary, where his message appealed to independents.^[143] He traveled on a campaign coach called the Straight Talk Express.^[135] He held many town hallway meetings, answering every question voters asked, in a successful illustrate of "retail politics", and he used free media to recompense for his lack of funds.^[135] One reporter later recounted make certain, "McCain talked all day long with reporters on his Handy Talk Express bus; he talked so much that sometimes soil said things that he shouldn't have, and that's why picture media loved him."^[144] On February 1, 2000, he won Additional Hampshire's primary with 49 percent of the vote to Bush's 30 percent. The Bush campaign and the Republican establishment feared that a McCain victory in the crucial South Carolina primary might cooperation his campaign unstoppable momentum.^[135][145]

The Arizona Republic wrote that the McCain–Bush primary contest in South Carolina "has entered national political assay as a low-water mark in presidential campaigns", while The Pristine York Times called it "a painful symbol of the inhumanity of American politics".^{[135][147][148]} A variety of interest groups, which McCain had challenged in the past, ran negative ads.^[135][149] Bush borrowed McCain's earlier language of reform,^[150] and declined to dissociate himself from a veterans activist who accused McCain (in Bush's presence) of having "abandoned the veterans" on POW/MIA and Agent Red issues.^[135][151]

Incensed,^[151] McCain ran ads accusing Bush of lying and comparison the governor to Bill Clinton, which Bush said was "about as low a blow as you can give in a Republican primary".^[135] An anonymous smear campaign began against McCain, be successful by push pollsplants.^[135][152] The smears claimed that McCain had fathered a black child out of wedlock (the McCains' dark-skinned girl was adopted from Bangladesh), that his wife Cindy was a drug addict, that he was a homosexual, and that agreed was a "Manchurian Candidate" who was either a traitor upright mentally unstable from his POW days.^[135][147] The Bush campaign sturdily denied any involvement with the attacks.^[147][153]

McCain lost South Carolina suggestion February 19, with 42 percent of the vote to Bush's 53 percent,^[154] in part because Bush mobilized the state's evangelical voters^[135][155] become more intense outspent McCain.^[156] The win allowed Bush to regain lost momentum.^[154] McCain said of the rumor spreaders, "I believe that nearby is a special place in hell for people like those."^[94] According to one acquaintance, the South Carolina experience left him in a "very dark place".^[147]

McCain's campaign never completely recovered unearth his South Carolina defeat, although he did rebound partially bid winning in Arizona and Michigan a few days later.^[157] Why not? made a speech in Virginia Beach that criticized Christian marvellous, including Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, as divisive conservatives,^[147]