Mourners the world over are remembering the life of John McCain, who died over the weekend at 81. Locally, McCain made two prominent appearances at Wake Forest University. It included a presidential campaign stop in 2008 that outlined his plans for the Supreme Court.
Many conservative Republicans were unsure of McCain's campaign when he came to Wake Forest to speak in May of 2008. Key among their concerns was what he would do with any Supreme Court picks that could come his way as president.
That speech was a turning point for many of them. In it, McCain decried what he called “judicial activism” and called instead for the court to show restraint. He used Republican-nominated justices John Roberts, Samuel Alito and William Rehnquist as models of judges who see the limits of federal power.
As the national economy faltered late in the campaign, though, the issue of judicial appointees faded somewhat. The candidates focused on how to fix the looming financial crisis. Ultimately, McCain lost to Barack Obama.
That wasn't McCain's only Wake Forest appearance. He also gave the 2002 commencement address. He encouraged graduates not to be undone by failure, echoing words by Winston Churchill that “it's courage that counts.”