John McCain Inaugural Tickets

In March of 2008, very few Americans would have guessed that Arizona Senator John McCain would be the Republican contender for President. The seasoned senator, described by many as a maverick, was a long shot from the beginning, but somehow stayed in the primary race and is pacing himself through November.


McCain is often noted for his military upbringing and service. Both his father and paternal grandfather were four-star United States Navy admirals, and many members of his family also joined the Navy. He followed suit and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1958, after he earned a reputation for conflict with higher-ranking personnel and not always applying himself academically.

McCain began his career in the Navy, serving in North Vietnam. While on the USS Forrestal, he almost lost his lift during a fire, and in the same year was taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese. He was held from 1967 through 1973, and stayed in the Navy through 1981.

His life in politics began with a spot in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 and in 1986 he became a Senator. Over his tenure, he has gone against the Republican Party on a number of issues, including his work on the McCain-Feingold Act in 2002, a somewhat unpopular bipartisan effort on campaign finance reform. He has also taken an active stand against pork barrel spending as well as limiting Senate filibusters of judicial nominations.

In 2000, McCain ran for the Republican nomination and lost to George W. Bush. In 2007 he announced that he would run again, saying "Im not running for President to be somebody, but to do something; to do the hard but necessary things not the easy but needless things."

McCain focused on the New Hampshire Primary, winning independents over with his views and gaining traction across the country and with the press. He traveled on his Straight Talk Express, holding town hall meetings and interacting with as many citizens as possible.

He continues to trek across the country, spreading his views to anyone who will listen as part of an extremely important election that will change the fact of politics in America. McCain, a seasoned political veteran with an independent record, is up against Barack Obama, a newer face to the political scene with strong views on what America can achieve. Two very different men with two very distinctive backgrounds and voices will be sure to make this campaign season an interesting one.