Senator John McCain, My Memories

It has taken a few days for it to sink in for me. During these past days, I have read and seen so many
wonderful testaments from people about the impact Senator John McCain had on them, whether it was
up close and personal or even from a distance. In my case, I have struggled to find the right words, if
any, that I might write down that would do any justice for Senator John McCain. So, this is my attempt
to try to write down my own feelings and from the perspective of what John has meant to me personally
and that bring deserved honor to the man. While some of my memories will remain between he and I,
the opportunity to express my gratitude in a small way is certainly cathartic for me.

This week marks a significant time of importance to our nation, to the state of Arizona and even our
world with the passing and celebration of the life of an Arizona icon, John Sidney McCain. However, that
importance, pales in its significance to this good man’s family, his staff (past and present) and his
countless friends. No doubt about it, as we have already seen this past weekend, the passing of Senator
John McCain set off much media coverage and discussion about his legacy that has been ubiquitous. It
makes sense, because this fine man impacted an entire nation, a state and even the world at a level
rarely achieved. Yet, for me, on a personal level, the passing of John McCain marks a passing of a friend,
the passing of an era in my professional life that so often intersected with him and with it, a flood of
cherished memories.

Of course, I share the political or public policy memories, with so many others. Campaign meetings,
fundraisers, meetings with clients in Washington or Phoenix to discuss policy issues and numerous
opportunities to hear John McCain’s oft-repeated jokes, that still make me laugh, just thinking about
them. I can clearly hear… “As Chairman Mao once said, it is darkest, just before it goes totally black.”
But, I also hold memories dear of being the punching bag of some of his humor. “Hello my friends, I
appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today and by the way, I have traveling with me today,
my friend, Kurt Davis. Kurt recently left prison through a work release program. So, give him a round of
applause”. Or at a meeting on behalf of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, “You know, Kurt may
be the worst Game and Fish Commissioner our state has ever had.” To be roasted by him was a sincere
honor I am glad to have earned a place as someone he felt comfortable to use me as the butt of a joke. I
still hear his voice, like I am sitting next to him, right now.

There are also the memories of entering his office in Washington, D.C. with a client to discuss their
issues concerning legislation, but after the meeting, John McCain would always take a moment to
invariably say, “Hey Scumbag (one of John’s words of affection for lobbyists), what is going out there?”
because of his penchant to keep track of who was doing what and to whom on the political battlefield.
Or the time he asked me if I would co-chair his Arizona campaign for President in 2008, he jokingly
informed me of the dire consequences I would suffer, if I were to help co-chair a campaign of a
presidential candidate that lost his home state.

However, having met John Sidney McCain since 1982, while a Northern Arizona University College
Republican, and then, he becoming Barry Goldwater’s successor in the U.S. Senate and I the newly
minted Executive Director of the Arizona Republican Party; my most cherished memories occurred later
in our lives and involve smart phones, planes, long lost highways, otters, bison, wolves, burros, trout and
stunning landscapes and sunsets across a vast Arizona landscape. I had the good fortune of sharing his
passion for Arizona’s wildlife and her landscapes and we did numerous tours, briefings and meetings
across Arizona regarding policy issues related to land designations, the stocking of sport fish, bison
management issues on the North Rim, wolf reintroduction efforts, the impact of non-native burros on
Arizona’s habitat, California condor reintroduction, federal land policy and forest health issues. John
McCain didn’t just learn these issues in an office, he got out there and examined them for himself. His
inquisitiveness about the natural world, which is so often overlooked, has always been personally
compelling for me and the place that Senator John McCain and I intersected the most and shared a
passion.

We flew in small planes together (even lost an engine once where I was about to lose my mind, along
with others on the flight and he calmly reminded us there were two engines, it was no big deal and
“Hopefully the pilot is Navy”) and we drove distances to reach faraway places and spent evenings, up
close with Arizona, in places such as the Vermillion Cliffs. It was there on a perfectly still, beautiful
Arizona evening, that I watched a friend, in a moment of unusual quietness, take his iPhone, saunter out
to the middle of Highway 89 and snap numerous pictures of an unbelievable Arizona sunset rising above
the Grand Canyon and North Rim. We sat that evening on the front porch of the lodge and spoke about
God’s handiwork in the creation of our natural world and he joked (often) about the intelligence of the
otters residing in the Verde River how they feasted on the Koi fish Cindy had put in their ponds near his
cabin at their beloved ranch. (His term for those otters, was not a Latin word or scientific label, but
instead a profane description of these highly proficient thieves and is something we shared a laugh
about often).

We often spoke of his strong connection to Arizona, its beauty and its wildlife. We often pondered the
impact of wildlife and its implications for the future of our state. For me, these were powerful moments
with a friend, not a politician. Just a guy, not a celebrity. An Arizonan who loved this unique place. They
were simply awesome opportunities to speak of things that mattered to both of us.

Shortly before John got sick, we were planning a trip to the Wilcox Playa to go see the thousands of
sandhill cranes that call Arizona home during the winter and the wonder of watching these creatures
that traverse 1,000’s of miles to visit our state in the winter It was a trip that we didn’t get to take, and I
will always feel great sadness for having lost that opportunity.

John McCain’s personal creed was evident in his oft-spoken words of, “Nothing in life is more liberating
than to fight for a cause larger than yourself, something that encompasses you but is not defined by
your existence alone.” And did he ever live out that creed, every day of his public service, but also in his
personal life story. He viewed mankind, his constituents, his family, his friends, his state and his country
as a cause larger than himself. But, he also believed conservation is a cause worth fighting for and he set
as a iconic example, when he and his friend, Congressmen Mo Udall passed the seminal Arizona
Wilderness Act and other bills that helped protect Arizona through Congress in the 80's and early 90’s.
These things are in themselves, a monument of sorts to both these men for having a lasting impact on
Arizona.
My life has been undeniably richer for having known him. I, too, like so many Americans, look back with
utter amazement of what John McCain did with his nearly 82 years on this planet. The imprint, the
impact, and the legacy of a life so well lived. One chapter out of the life of John McCain surpasses the
entire book of most of our lives. But for me personally, there will always be a piece of John McCain that
will come with me on hunting or fishing trips and his voice will ring in my head when traversing Arizona’s
landscape as a gentle reminder of the important work of conservation for our state’s wildlife. And now
with his passing, I recently recalled discussing with Senator McCain a quote from a President, we both
claimed as our own favorite, Teddy Roosevelt, because it reminded me so much of him and his little
piece of heaven near Cornville:

"My home ranch-house stands on the river brink. From the low, long veranda, shaded by leafy cotton-
woods, one looks across sand bars and shallows to a strip of meadowland, behind which rises a line of
sheer cliffs and grassy plateaus. This veranda is a pleasant place in the summer evenings when a cool
breeze stirs along the river and blows in the faces of the tired men, who loll back in their rocking-chairs
(what true American does not enjoy a rocking-chair?), book in hand--though they do not often read the
books, but rock gently to and fro, gazing sleepily out at the weird-looking buttes opposite, until their
sharp outlines grow indistinct and purple in the after-glow of the sunset." – Teddy Roosevelt

I am sure John McCain is now, temporarily sitting in a rocking chair on the edge of a river, with a
stunning landscape in the background, and asking our Creator, “What’s next? Where are we going and
what are we doing next?”

Kurt R. Davis, is a founding partner at the public affairs firm, FirstStrategic. He served as Co-Chairman of
John McCain’s Arizona campaign for President in 2008 and previously on the staffs of AZ Attorney
General Grant Woods and Governor Fife Symington. Kurt was a Regent for Arizona’s public university
system and currently serves on the Arizona Game and Fish Commission.