John McCain is dead. Long live John McCain.
 
There are times when someone rises to the pinnacle of his or her career, not by virtue of a slick PR firm. Not by creating a personal brand. Not by brandishing a varnished, people-pleasing veneer. Nor by towing the line.
 
John McCain did not suffer fools gladly, but the with understanding that fools are part of the equation of any free democracy. He was principled. He was considerate.
 
John McCain was a war hero, and a statesman. Moreover, John McCain was a decent human being.
 
I choose to remember him as a man who weighed his decisions against his principles, not the latest polls. As a man who could listen. As a confident man who showed respect to his adversaries.
 
Too bad he had to self-identify as a maverick. He was really just a thinking man, who weighed the pro and cons. Who could debate without rancor. Who knew the difference between right and wrong.
 
John McCain was true to himself, and thus, a true human being.
 
I didn’t always agree with John McCain. But I recognize that we have lost a good man.