Having seen the positions McCain has taken since 2008, using 20-20 hindsight, I'm embarrassed too. I fear he would have been merely a different sort of "nutjob" president.
In 2012, some embarrassment concerning my support of Mitt Romney was already baked into the cake because of his creation of Romneycare in Massachusetts. I understood why he did it - liberal Bay Staters wanted it - but he should have realized being their willing tool poisoned his image for conservatives.
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I am reminded of Werner von Braun, the German rocket scientist who built war rockets for Hitler, then post-war built space rockets for the U.S., and did a heck of a job for both. His reputation will always be murky because of his willingness to work for whomever would fund his research.
Undoubtedly, if the Russians had captured von Braun instead of the Americans, he would have worked for them with an equal will. This sort of "gun for hire" mentality, reflecting no commitment to any values beyond pragmatism, is a liability for public figures. They are expected to stand for something bigger than "whatever works."
