john mccain would be the happy warrior. warrior and a fighter always but always with so much optimism and joy and passion. passion because he believes so much in his country in the people of our country. and he believed in a greater vision of america. >> tom, there's every generation has this handful and it is literally a small handful of people that don't become president but become bigger than life. john mccain is one of those people. patrick moynahan was probably best representative of the generation previously. how did he achieve that status in your mind? >> i think you achieve that by sailing against the winds that are prevailing. for example, now, both parties, they are more ideologues than they are authentic people in terms of looking at a problem not just through the prism of being a democrat or republican but what needed to be done. john mccain would do that. not trapped by his party label.