McCain Reflects on Afghanistan and on 2008 Campaign

I've had the opportunity twice in the past couple of months to sit down with Sen. John McCain and discuss his position on Afghanistan for a story in this week's issue of the magazine. McCain's response to Obama's strategy is a divided one. He strongly supports the surge, but feels almost equally as strongly that setting a date for withdrawal is a mistake. He believes that the administration should set benchmarks and only begin a drawdown once those are met. In McCain's view, a withdrawal that isn't based on conditions in-country is just to risky. Regardless, McCain feels bound to support the troops and the overall mission. Indeed, as Jeff Bartholet and I write, McCain is helping to hold the Republican party together on Afghanistan, helping ensure the conflict doesn't just become "Obama's war." Rather, McCain believes that it is nations, not presidents, that win and lose wars.

Afghanistan aside, one of the more revealing moments from these interviews was hearing McCain's reflections on the 2008 campaign. McCain isn't one for rehashing the past. He's a man who lives in the present and sees little use for relitigating his political history. McCain likes to move forward, but he offered Jeff and I a rare glimpse into his campaign memories and ruminations. We asked him how he managed to pick himself up and keep going after such a long and hard-fought campaign. Here is his answer:

In some respects it is devastating in that you devote so much, you know, everything you have, to a campaign like that and you and I have observed people who take the loss and become angry, bitter, look around for somebody to blame for the failures. I've watched those individuals and how they reacted, and frankly I didn't admire that. So, I meant every word that I said on election night. And I did spend about 48 hours wallowing in self-pity, which is one of the more enjoyable experiences that you can have [smiles ruefully]. But I really believe the best thing I can do is get back into the arena. One thing that makes that possible is to look at the fact that here's a guy that stood fifth from the bottom of his class at the naval academy, was able to get the nomination of our party, and was written off several times during that process.

[I remember] the incredible, unforgettable experience [only doable] as the nominee. To go to Gee's Bend, Ala., and meet the ladies that make the quilts. To go to town-hall meetings in New Hampshire, where people are sizing you up as only the people of New Hampshire have done for the last 50 years or more. To travel to places in America ... To be at the University of Miami at midnight, a couple of days before the election—you remember—and everybody was really having a good time, whether I showed up or not. The exuberance there. The people. Maybe one of the most moving and memorable to me was the old guys who show up with the hats on that are our greatest generation, you know?

So I really, of course—I wish we'd had done better. Of course we made mistakes and of course there were all kinds of things, if you had to do over again, I would do X or Y. But I look back on it in its entirety as a remarkable, incredibly wonderful experience. So, looking at it that way, you respect the winner and try to assume the role of loyal opposition. And obviously that means that when you can be loyal and find ways to be loyal, do it. There are too many things happening domestically and national securitywise not to do that. At the same time, if you disagree, vigorously disagree, but try—and I don't always succeed—try to be respectful as you do that.

To be a senator from Arizona, it does help to go back to the job in the Senate. That's been very helpful too. But I really have tried to throw myself back into the arena, as our beloved TR used to call it, and then you don't think about the pain of the loss.