In spite of the fact that a loser image clunked to him while his applications for the White House, John McCain, the white-haired senator from Arizona, was suddenly the front runner of the Republicans for the presidential election in 2008.
The Vietnam veteran was one of a rush forward in Iraq, which itself was unpopular even among many Republicans. Therefore remained donations for his campaign. In July 2007, his campaign was broke. He had to laid off many employees. McCain rose from the elections by jet and receptions in expensive hotels around on his good coach, the "Straight Talk Express" and toured the States early code, now as underdog. In this role, he was more credible. At that time the number of attacks has fallen in Iraq.
McCain was now regarded as the wise man who tells the citizens, "what you do not want to hear, but need to know" - and kept the law.
His sudden popularity might have arose from his complex relationship with the Republican Party and the conservative voters.
They do not love him, because he is too liberal. But they respect his principled, they respect his character and honour him as the war hero of Vietnam.
He has the reputation that he does what he think is right, even if it is politically bad. Often he was called a "Maverick": an outsider, a young animal without a brand, that is uncontrollable.
Sworn conservatives criticize McCain for disregarding the basic republican virtues.
So let's have a look on at his political attidudes:
He repeatedly voted against Bush's tax cut programs. In his opinion, they were not fair and vulnerable to budgetary discipline. He rejects this from abortion, but is also against an absolute ban on abortion. He opposes the claim of the right to ban the gay marriage by law. The State must not interfere in such private relationships.
Even when dealing with around eleven million illegal immigrants from Mexico, Central and South America, he rejects the ideological course of the right - punish, track and deport. He supported a pragmatic solution: the offer of a legalization, if the person concerned taxes.
Own conservative values, but tolerant of differences: This is the typical attitude in the west of the country, including Arizona, which McCain represents more than 20 years in the U.S. Senate.
Fierce battles he has delivered with Bush, who wanted some kind of "torture light" prevail against terror suspects. McCain spoke against: America must not betray its values in the fight against extremists. Torture "confessions" were also unreliable. Each man has a grievance border, from which he say all you want to hear the tormentors.
This was particularly credible because he himself had been tortured in North Vietnamese prisoner of war five and a half years. Until today he can not lift his arms above his head.
He comes from a military family and is seen as a fighter. Several stories from captivity has moved religious and conservative Americans.
For example the story about one of his missions as pilot during the vietnam war: He was shot down and came in captivity. Initially he was treated courteously, just as his father had become Commander in Chief Pacific, the Navy and the North Vietnamese a propaganda success when they release McCain. But he refused preferential treatment. He wanted released only with his comrades.
McCain was in 2008 also known as a moderate conservative and a pragmatist, not an ideologue.
He wanted correct Bush's domestic policy, for example, taxes and budget. He wanted withdraw the restriction of civil rights in parts and seek to close the Guantanamo prison camp, because he sees how much it harms America's standing in the world.
But he wanted continue the course of a strong military in Iraq and Afghanistan. He believes that the U.S. can end both conflicts with a clever strategy still victorious - and that they also have to do all because the consequences of failure would be fatal.
McCain wanted also do more for climate protection. He has announced that climate change is a fact, but wants no principle dispute with conservatives who do not believe it. “Let us not argue about it. What's the harm if we try to leave our children the earth cleaner than we found it?” McCain was aware of the fact that he cannot win without the votes of the Right.
In 1984 McCain and his wife Cindy had their first child together, daughter Meghan. She was followed two years later by son John Sidney McCain IV (known as Jack), and in 1988 by son James (Jimmy). In 1991, Cindy McCain brought an abandoned three-month old girl needing medical treatment to the U.S. from a Bangladeshi orphanage run by Mother Teresa The McCains decided to adopt her, and named her Bridget.
