Political wisdom says senators are by nature more moderate since they haven't the luxury of gerrymandering their district, that they have to have across the aisle appeal, a record of bipartisanship, play well with others, not be too out there. Well, yeah, and when republicans run one of these little paragons for president, one the media loved when he/she was bucking it's party line, same media participates has a psychotic episode, forgets all the love, and gets down to villainizing the suckup they glowingly described as a 'maverick' so, so many times.
McCain honestly concerned, for policy reasons, about the possible national appeal of the son of an isolationist? Feelings of irrelevance creeping up on him? Looking for a little media love since he knows he'll never make the white house? Whatever it is, he's been a national figure in the party now for a long time and considering where the party and the nation are after his time on watch, maybe it's time he moved on along, before both sink out of sight.
Could McCain just fade back into the background, just a little more? Take Lindsey with him when he does?
I'll concede Paul's dad was just a little too eccentric for broad appeal but the day I need McCain and Co running down the son, for their own reasons, has yet to arrive.