In its broad strokes, McCains life story is oddly similar to that of the current occupant of the White House. John Sidney McCain III and George Walker Bush both represent the third generation of American dynasties. Both were born into positions of privilege against which they rebelled into mediocrity. Both developed an uncanny social intelligence that allowed them to skate by with a minimum of mental exertion. […] In one vital respect, however, the comparison is deeply unfair to the current president: George W. Bush was a much better pilot.

— "Make-Believe Maverick" in Rolling Stone discusses McCain's "disturbing record of recklessness and dishonesty."