...and perhaps another question to ask would be if the response to McCain would have been as great if not for the nightmare that is Chump?

Excellent.

And no, I don't think the response would have been as strong. Some of the same things would have happened. Barack Obama would have been there, delivering just as gracious a eulogy as IRL. But you hit the nail on the head. There would not have been a need to repudiate the coarse, vulgar, profane, ignorant, racist tone our country has adopted since 2016.

It's really Democrats who are driving this, trying to send a message to Republicans as to what kind of scum they have in the White House and at least McCain stood for diversity and served his country in the military. McCain also occasionally reached across the aisle.

Except for senator Linsay Graham I did not notice a lot of repuke senators there.
Of course the Speaker & majority leader & VP were required to attend based on protocol.

And Jeff FlKe but I admit I wasn't really looking for them.

there is no question he was a good person, a patriot, and a hero. The things said about him today were all true.

However, had we not lived through the seeming eternity of Trump in the WH, I suspect that there are many of us who would not have spent a Saturday morning watching the McCain funeral - all of it. As you say, we hunger for an affirmation that we as a people are better than Trump and what he stands for.

We needed the assurance that Trump is not America. Sure, Trump has his supporters that will stand behind him no matter what. They are not, however, America.

My hope is renewed. We will survive - I simply cannot accept the alternative.

a two time presidential candidate, and a war hero.

I would have still said "Though I disagreed with McCain on almost every issue I honor his long service to this country. You can honor and praise someones service without subscribing to their beliefs."


The difference would be there wouldn't be the fear that the foundation of the Republic is under threat.