McCain's Promise

A sharp, satirical examination of John McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign that explores the tension between political authenticity, media spectacle, and the American public’s desire for an honest leader, from the bestselling author of Infinite Jest.

Is John McCain “for real?”. That's the question David Foster Wallace set out to explore when he first climbed aboard Senator McCain's campaign caravan in February 2000. It was a moment when McCain was increasingly perceived as a harbinger of change, the anti-candidate whose goal was "to inspire young Americans to devote themselves to causes greater than their own self-interest." And many young Americans were beginning to take notice. 

To get at "something riveting and unspinnable and true" about John McCain, Wallace finds he must pierce the smoke screen of spin doctors and media manipulators. And he succeeds-in a characteristically potent blast of journalistic brio that not only captures the lunatic rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign but also delivers a compelling inquiry into John McCain himself: the senator, the POW, the campaign finance reformer, the candidate, the man.

This essay also critiques the American political system and media culture, questioning whether genuine authenticity can survive in a world driven by public relations, sound bites, and spectacle. Ultimately, Wallace explores the difficulty of distinguishing sincere leadership from carefully constructed political performance.