It is a rarity to find elected officials playing nice in politics. Bipartisanship in government may be uncommon, but it is not gone.
When news outlets across the country announced the death of John McCain Sunday — a United States senator and past presidential contender — the country lost what many have long called a political maverick.
A prisoner of war, a longtime political figure and a champion of bipartisanship, McCain’s presence will be missed in the U.S. political sphere. His time in politics helped create a culture surrounding positivity toward both parties and their ability to create change — together.
Although he was always a Republican representative and an avid conservative, McCain spent his last years in the political eye opposing much of what President Donald Trump brought to the table.
It has been a contentious 2018, one felt on all political levels. While the bipartisan champion asked for both past presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush to give eulogies at his funeral, he requested Trump not be in attendance. Even in his last wishes, McCain made his thoughts heard: Trump is the main proprietor of ruining the bipartisanship he so long fought for.
Earlier in the year, McCain’s absence in the Senate was felt, but his voice and opinion was still utilized throughout the year. Before McCain’s death, many senators used his thinking as a point of reference when discussing policy, according to Politico.
Even as he continued treatment for a malignant brain tumor, one of McCain’s last appearances on the Senate floor included a literal thumbs-down vote against the Republican party’s quest to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Twitter users took the chance to voice their feelings on the leader’s death, his politics and his ability to bring people from both parties together. Some Twitter voices spent their time questioning, “what happens to bipartisanship now?”
Hailey Stewart
Argonaut
Many people called McCain’s passing the death of bipartisanship. However, his death shows just how important continuing bipartisanship truly is.
Gerald Seib, the Washington bureau chief with The Wall Street Journal, asked similar questions. His response was not about the downfall of bipartisanship, but who to eventually fill the big role McCain created for himself.
In his most prevalent roles as a creator of cooperation between two parties, McCain championed campaign finance reform, bans on torture and climate change legislation, among others.
Seib offered several possible prominent Republican and Democrat leaders to fill McCain’s shoes. But, it shouldn’t be “who” we can find solace in next, it should be “what.”
Although ups and downs followed McCain’s path to political success, he was a force to be reckoned with. His ideals about the nation and what America should stand for ultimately stood the test of time.
The country doesn’t need another John McCain — there is little chance we would be able to find a leader like him. Right now, we should all be enforcing his ideals, his character and his love for bipartisanship rather than finding “another him.”
Just because McCain’s presence in Washington and throughout the U.S. will no longer be physically heard or seen, it is up to our leaders to carry on his legacy in each of their practices.
We can’t replace John McCain, but we can continue with his legacy.
In his parting statement, McCain wrote it best: “Do not despair of our present difficulties. We believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history.”
Hailey Stewart can be reached at [email protected]