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Meghan McCain Gets Comforted By Unlikely Guest On ‘The View’

Heidi Gutman (Getty Images)

Jena Greene Reporter
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While much of the country is engaged in a bitter bipartisan fight after an unexpected Doug Jones victory in Alabama, a rare duo came together on daytime television Wednesday to discuss something that supersedes politics.

Joe Biden was a guest on “The View” and he talked about a variety of things, including his recent book “Promise Me Dad.” So when Meghan McCain likened his book to her father’s battle with cancer, politics seemed to escape the room for a moment.

“This is the hard part. Bear with me, ok?” she began. “I couldn’t get through your book, I tried. Your son Beau had the same cancer that my father was diagnosed with six months ago. I think about Beau almost every day, and I was told – I’m sorry – that this doesn’t get easier. But that you cultivate the tools to work with this and live with this.”

As McCain broke down further, Biden got up from his seat to hold her hand and comfort her, telling her that “if anybody can make it, your dad can.”

The whole exchange is pretty touching and serves as an important reminder that beneath the bitter partisan arguments and relentless mudslinging, we’re still Americans and we’re still human beings.

Now I know Biden might be criticized for using this appearance as a publicity op but this goes beyond publicity and book tours. Losing your father — or the fear of losing him — is one of the most difficult things a person can go through. And having someone to hear you out and tell you there’s hope, sometimes that’s the best cure of all.

John McCain is 81 years old and was diagnosed with glioblastoma cancer in July 2017. And while there are certainly medical advancements that may help to treat his cancer, McCain told “60 Minutes” this summer that his odds of survival are slim.

“Some say 3 percent, some say 14 percent. It’s a very poor prognosis,” he said. “So, I just said, ‘I understand, now we’re going to do what we can, get the best doctors we can find, and do the best we can.’ And, at the same time, celebrate with gratitude a life well-lived.”