John McCain

McCain appears in Kyle’s notes as Mitt Romney’s 2008 rival turned kindred pragmatist. In the Data Over Dogma concept — drawn from Romney — A Reckoning — McCain and Romney are paired as sharing a pragmatism “skeptical of ideological dogmas,” part of the book’s institutional-norms thread that judges policy by human outcomes rather than partisan signaling.

Context: John McCain (1936–2018) was a U.S. Senator from Arizona, Navy veteran and Vietnam POW, and the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. He cultivated a reputation as a “maverick” willing to break with party orthodoxy.

Where this appears

• Romney — A Reckoning — 2008 rival turned kindred pragmatist; part of the book’s institutional-norms thread.
• Data Over Dogma — paired with Mitt Romney as sharing a pragmatism “skeptical of ideological dogmas.”