---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: McCain is significant in the sense that…"
description: "\"McCain is significant in the sense that he has no significance at all on any subject.\" — Gore Vidal"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/gore-vidal-466_he_mccain-is-significant-in-the-sense-that_2531427.jpg"
---

#  McCain is significant in the sense that he has no…

![“McCain is significant in the sense that he has no significance at all on any subject.” quote by Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/gore-vidal-466_he_mccain-is-significant-in-the-sense-that_2531427.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/gore-vidal-466_he_mccain-is-significant-in-the-sense-that_2531427.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/gore-vidal-466_he_mccain-is-significant-in-the-sense-that_2531427.jpg)

> “McCain is significant in the sense that he has no significance at all on any subject.”

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The statement satirically suggests that some public figures lack real influence.

**In simple terms:** Some politicians are irrelevant despite fame.

Key Takeaway

Question the impact of public figures.

Themes

politics satire influence relevance

Mood

critical analytical

Type

political satirical

When to use this quote

- elections
- public discourse
- media analysis

Key Concepts

media studies political theory

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines true significance?
- How does media shape perceived importance?

A Different Perspective

Influence can be subtle, not always obvious.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[He](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/) [Mccain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mccain/) [Mccain Significant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mccain-significant-1347192/) [Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense/) [Sense Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-significance-1347194/) [Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significance/) [Significance Subject](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significance-subject-1347193/) [Significant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significant/) [Subject](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subject/)

## Related quotes

> [“Synchronicity - the sense of significance beyond chance”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-y-fitzhugh/synchronicity-the-sense-of-significance-beyond-chance/)

[Elisabeth Y. Fitzhugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-y-fitzhugh/)

> [The left are not interested in what Chris Christie thinks. They're not interested in what McCain thinks. They're not interested in what Jeb Bush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-left-are-not-interested-in-what-chris-christie-thinks-they-re-not/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Senator John McCain, who spent over five years in a Vietnamese POW camp, publicly releases 1,000 pages of medical records. Now people are left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/senator-john-mccain-who-spent-over-five-years-in-a-vietnamese-pow/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [I need somebody to Trump-xplain(ph) this, because I don't understand it.I've heard people defend him about making fun of a disability, making fun of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/i-need-somebody-to-trump-xplain-ph-this-because-i-don-t-understand-it/)

[Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/)

> [John McCain has refused to ever criticize Sarah Palin, to ever admit there was anything wrong about her choice. He has been capital "L"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/john-mccain-has-refused-to-ever-criticize-sarah-palin-to-ever-admit/)

[Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/)

> [McCain might have suffered hardships in his life, but what had happened to him had nothing to do with his background or his color;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/mccain-might-have-suffered-hardships-in-his-life-but-what-had/)

[Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/)

> [If John McCain were really a war hero he would've won Vietnam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/if-john-mccain-were-really-a-war-hero-he-would-ve-won-vietnam/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

> [There's a statement from several members of the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans, including the Democratic leader, Charles Schumer; John McCain, the chair of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephanopoulos/there-s-a-statement-from-several-members-of-the-senate-both-democrats/)

[George Stephanopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephanopoulos/)

> [Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-with-john-mccain-in-pushing-to/)

[Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/)

> [I would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dobson/i-would-not-vote-for-john-mccain-under-any-circumstances/)

[James Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dobson/)

> [The President? Hmmm, I wonder who that might be? Could it be, perhaps, the sitting two-term incumbent of the same party holding its convention?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/the-president-hmmm-i-wonder-who-that-might-be-could-it-be-perhaps-the/)

[James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/)

> [I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-a-lifetime-of-experience-that-i-will-bring-to-the-white-house/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [John McCain is a liar and flip-flopper and panderer and bully and whiner. And it seems to be working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tomasky/john-mccain-is-a-liar-and-flip-flopper-and-panderer-and-bully-and/)

[Michael Tomasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tomasky/)

> [When the 2008 victory of Barack Obama and the defeat of grumpy old John McCain began looking, um, inevitable, I started fielding inquiries about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/when-the-2008-victory-of-barack-obama-and-the-defeat-of-grumpy-old/)

[Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/)

> [I really like John McCain. He's an awesome dude and was a lot of fun when he hosted "SNL." I'd love to see a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-really-like-john-mccain-he-s-an-awesome-dude-and-was-a-lot-of-fun/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

## More by Gore Vidal

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Many people in the United States happen to believe that United States policy is wrong in Vietnam and the Vietcong are correct in wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/many-people-in-the-united-states-happen-to-believe-that-united-states/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [“It is curious how little interested we are in the sexual desires of those who do not attract us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-little-interested-we-are-in-the-sexual-desires-of/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/style-is-knowing-who-you-are-what-you-want-to-say-and-not-giving-a/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [The oligarchs think that the people are both dangerous and stupid. Their point is moot. But we do know that the oligarchs are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-oligarchs-think-that-the-people-are-both-dangerous-and-stupid/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [It is curious how often one prefers his enemies to his friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-often-one-prefers-his-enemies-to-his-friends/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/as-societies-grow-decadent-the-language-grows-decadent-too-words-are/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Rome ... at its most decadent, had never thought of hiring an actor to go through the motions of being an emperor while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/rome-at-its-most-decadent-had-never-thought-of-hiring-an-actor-to-go/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [History is nothing but gossip about the past, with the hope that it might be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/history-is-nothing-but-gossip-about-the-past-with-the-hope-that-it/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [The malady of civilized man is his knowledge of death. The good artist, like the wise man, addresses himself to life and invests with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-malady-of-civilized-man-is-his-knowledge-of-death-the-good-artist/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Sex is a continuum. You go through different phases along life's way... and if you don't, you've been sort of cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/sex-is-a-continuum-you-go-through-different-phases-along-life-s-way/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [All I want is that Americans still be able to read the alphabet in a hundred years. I am not very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/all-i-want-is-that-americans-still-be-able-to-read-the-alphabet-in-a/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [I do not admire 'the people,' as such. No one really does. Their folk wisdom is usually false, their instincts predatory. Even their sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/i-do-not-admire-the-people-as-such-no-one-really-does-their-folk/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [“One of the problems of a society as tightly controlled as ours is that we get so little information about what those of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/one-of-the-problems-of-a-society-as-tightly-controlled-as-ours-is/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

[Explore all 539 Gore Vidal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

## More He quotes

> [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [My coach, Robert Allen, helped me a lot. He had more influence on my growth as a player than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamarcus-aldridge/my-coach-robert-allen-helped-me-a-lot-he-had-more-influence-on-my/)

[LaMarcus Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamarcus-aldridge/)

> [If you're a top 10 guy you should pay a top 10 guy or even a top 5 guy what he deserves, whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aljamain-sterling/if-you-re-a-top-10-guy-you-should-pay-a-top-10-guy-or-even-a-top-5/)

[Aljamain Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aljamain-sterling/)

> [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/)

[Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/)

> [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/)

[Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/)

> [Troy was a sweet, good man. We just were never destined to be married. We just didn't have the same values. But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/)

[Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/)

> [A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-erhard/a-compromise-is-the-art-of-dividing-a-cake-in-such-a-way-that/)

[Ludwig Erhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-erhard/)

> [I was with Dre when he was just selling tapes. He didn't have a car, a license or a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-le/i-was-with-dre-when-he-was-just-selling-tapes-he-didn-t-have-a-car-a/)

[Michel'le](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-le/)

> [An actor doesn't have a regular job. He is dependent upon the roles which are given him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/an-actor-doesn-t-have-a-regular-job-he-is-dependent-upon-the-roles/)

[Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/)

> [It's something he used to say when he was happy. It could be a very, very simple day. We might be sitting out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/it-s-something-he-used-to-say-when-he-was-happy-it-could-be-a-very/)

[Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/)

> [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/)

[Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/)

> [Notoriously outspoken, his sentences always punctuated with profanities, General George S. Patton was the epitome of what a leader should be like - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/notoriously-outspoken-his-sentences-always-punctuated-with/)

[Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/)

> [Nick Saban's legacy is already cemented. He's won six national championships and seven if you include the one in LSU.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ingram-ii/nick-saban-s-legacy-is-already-cemented-he-s-won-six-national/)

[Mark Ingram II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ingram-ii/)

> [You've got a lot of Tupac clones, but I don't think I'm one of them. I just think I give people a little piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-gibbs/you-ve-got-a-lot-of-tupac-clones-but-i-don-t-think-i-m-one-of-them-i/)

[Freddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-gibbs/)

> [I have great respect for Icardi and what he's done for football and Galatasaray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-osimhen/i-have-great-respect-for-icardi-and-what-he-s-done-for-football-and/)

[Victor Osimhen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-osimhen/)

[Browse all 12,613 He quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "McCain is significant in the sense that he has no significance at all on any subject.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gore Vidal"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/mccain-is-significant-in-the-sense-that-he-has-no-significance-at-all/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "He"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/mccain-is-significant-in-the-sense-that-he-has-no-significance-at-all/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/gore-vidal-466_he_mccain-is-significant-in-the-sense-that_2531427.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/gore-vidal-466_he_mccain-is-significant-in-the-sense-that_2531427.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/gore-vidal-466_he_mccain-is-significant-in-the-sense-that_2531427.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“McCain is significant in the sense that he has no significance at all on any subject.” — Gore Vidal",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Gore Vidal",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "McCain is significant in the sense...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/mccain-is-significant-in-the-sense-that-he-has-no-significance-at-all/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/mccain-is-significant-in-the-sense-that-he-has-no-significance-at-all/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
