Opinion: Trump blows his John McCain moment

Donald Trump over the weekend had his John McCain moment.

Or what could have been his John McCain moment.

You will recall that a gazillion years ago, in 2008, McCain was running for president against a guy named Barack Obama.

It was a hard-fought race, as they all are, held at a time of an unpopular president, an unpopular war and an economic crisis never before seen in our lifetime.

Many of the details of that race have faded over time. But there was that one night in October 2008.

That one night.

Obama was climbing in the polls, and McCain was holding a town hall meeting in a high school gym in Lakeville, Minn. One after another, his supporters came forward to angrily denounce Obama, calling him a “liar” and a “terrorist.”

Then a 75-year-old woman made her way to the microphone.

“I gotta ask you a question,” she said, as McCain nodded. “I can’t trust Obama. I have read about him and he’s not — he’s not — He’s an Arab. And — ”

McCain shook his head and reached for the........

© Arizona Republic