John McCain (1936– ) is a US senator from Arizona who ran as the Republican candidate for president against Barack Obama in 2008. Born in the Panama Canal Zone, McCain had a long military career in the US Navy before entering politics. He served during the Vietnam War, during which he was captured, tortured, and held as a prisoner of war for more than five years in North Vietnam. He was released in 1973 and retired from the Navy in 1981. The following year, he was elected to the House of Representative from Arizona. In 1986, McCain was...