
In 2008, as a candidate for the Republican nomination for President, McCain staved off early elimination to win the nomination and carry the party standard against the popular Illinois Senator Barack Obama in the race for the presidency. It was an uphill battle for McCain. The nation was in the early stages of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Incumbent Republican President George W. Bush's popularity ratings had sunk to lows not seen since the Presidency of Harry Truman. Many voters were captivated by the charismatic campaign of Obama, who was poised to become the first African-American President and whose youth and message of "hope and change" contrasted with the then 72 year-old McCain and his call for an experienced hand at the helm.
Among certain segments of the population, Obama was the target of unfounded personal attacks, many of them racially motivated. Some of these alleged that Obama was born in Kenya and not in his actual birthplace of Honolulu. Others accused Senator Obama of being a Muslim terrorist and a "Manchurian Candidate", a sleeper spy for Islamic extremist groups. The most public display of this conduct took place on August 10, 2008 when McCain was speaking at a Town Hall meeting in Lakeville, Minnesota. Backed by a supportive and approving crowd, a woman speaking at the meeting referred to McCain's Democratic opponent as "an Arab" and said that she was scared of the prospect of Obama being elected President. This appeared to be red meat to the crowd, who enthusiastically applauded the woman. But rather than play to his audience, McCain did the decent thing and defended his opponent. His answer was met with a round of boos, but McCain did not back down from his position. After taking the microphone back from the woman, he told her, "I have to tell you. Senator Obama is a decent person and a person you don’t have to be scared of as president of the United States."
The audience did not like McCain's answer. Someone loudly yelled, “Come on, John!” The Republican crowd expressed dismay at their nominee, with some yelling "liar" at McCain and others shouting "he's a terrorist," referring to Obama.
McCain had passed his wireless microphone to the woman who said, "I can't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's not, he's not uh — he's an Arab. He's not — " McCain retook the microphone and replied: "No, ma'am. He's a decent family man and citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign's all about. He's not an Arab."
Here is a YouTube video of McCain's remarks:
According to contemporary news reports, the woman was not alone in her disparagement of McCain's opponent. Republicans at other events for McCain and his running mate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin expressed similar sentiments.
At the same meeting in Lakeville, another man said that he feared that Obama as president would “lead the country to socialism.” McCain promised the audience he wouldn’t back down in the fight, but once again tried to tamp down emotions. He said, "We want to fight, and I will fight. But I will be respectful. I admire Senator Obama and his accomplishments, and I will respect him." This answer was met with more boos.
Obama won the election soundly as many had predicted, receiving 365 electoral votes, compared with 173 for McCain. He received over nine and a half million more votes overall (Obama received 69,498,516 votes and McCain received 59,948,323). McCain graciously accepted his defeat, conceding that the people had spoken. In his concession speech he not only acknowledged his opponent’s hard-won victory and wished him the best; he also remarked on the historic nature of Obama’s election, particularly on its significance for African Americans. He said:
"This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight. I’ve always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that, too. But we both recognize that though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation’s reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.
"A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt’s invitation of Booker T. Washington to visit — to dine at the White House — was taken as an outrage in many quarters. America today is a world away from the cruel and prideful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African American to the presidency of the United States. Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth.
"Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country."