John McCain
An Essay in Military and Political History, by John Karaagac


(Click for Amazon book review)

BOOK REVIEW by OnTheIssues.org:

This is not a political biography but instead an academic study. It's unclear to OnTheIssues.org what the difference is, since it reads just like a political biography. In theory, the difference is that the author, an academic, reviews other literature and analyzes it, like a literary analyst instead of like a writer. In practice, there's no difference.

Well, there is one difference -- the book's price is $87, which is only possible in the academic book world. That cover price means no one will read this book except other academics and students who are required to purchase it for a class. Since McCain lost, even that is unlikely. That's too bad, because if this book were accessible to the public, a lot of people would enjoy it.

-- Jesse Gordon, jesse@OnTheIssues.org, November 2008

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Budget & Economy     John McCain: Consistent conservative voting on free-market principles.

Civil Rights     John McCain: 1987: 1st Senate committee was Indian affairs, crucial to AZ.

Corporations     John McCain: Skilled chair of Senate Commerce Committee since 1997.

Environment     John McCain: 1980s: 1st House committee was water rights, crucial to AZ.

Foreign Policy     John McCain: 2000: Internationalist vision with populist caution.

Government Reform     John McCain: 2000: Theme "reformer & outsider" attacked as Senate insider.     John McCain: Early Congressional races included large war chests.     John McCain: McCain-Feingold reforms never appealed to GOP base.     John McCain: Reform focus endears him to many, but alienates GOP insiders.     John McCain: Reform was a lonely message in 2000.

Health Care     John Ashcroft: Sole committee vote against 1998 McCain tobacco bill.     John McCain: 1998 tobacco bill attempted regulation via $1.10/pack tax.

Homeland Security     John McCain: Focuses on issue-specific waste, not overall Pentagon reform.

Principles & Values     John McCain: To understand McCain, understand grandfather Slew.     John McCain: Community of origin is the Navy, not a geographic community.     John McCain: Described himself as a "jock," but not exceptional.     John McCain: Temper usually directed at those higher; seldom at underling.     John McCain: From Hanoi to C.F.R., never chose path of least resistance.     John McCain: War injuries left him unable to raise arms above head.     John McCain: Won 1992 AZ House election as newcomer & confident war hero.     John McCain: 1990: McCain & Glenn exonerated in Keating 5 scandal.     John McCain: Identifies with Teddy Roosevelt, but only some reforms apply.     John McCain: Re-adjusted to civilian life after POW years: no "imbalance".

War & Peace     Donald Trump: John McCain's actions in Vietnam were not "heroic".     John McCain: 1966: Part of no-win situation in Operation Rolling Thunder.     John McCain: 1967: Survived USS Forrestal fire that killed over 100.     John McCain: 1967: Shot down on first mission over central Hanoi.     John McCain: 1967: POW son of admiral was propaganda coup for N. Vietnam.     John McCain: 1967:Refused making propaganda film in exchange for medicine.     John McCain: 1968: Under torture, wrote coerced "confession".     John McCain: Silent about origins & necessity of Vietnam.     Lyndon Johnson: 1965-1968: Operation Rolling Thunder air campaign.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Donald Trump John Ashcroft John McCain Lyndon Johnson