--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I spent several years in a North…" description: "\"I spent several years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, in the dark, fed with scraps. Do you think I want to do that all over again as vice president ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/john-mccain-465_campaigns_i-spent-several-years-in-a-north-vietnam_487937.jpg" --- # I spent several years in a North Vietnamese prison camp… ![“I spent several years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, in the dark, fed with scraps. Do you think I want to do that all over again as vice president of the United States?” quote by John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/john-mccain-465_campaigns_i-spent-several-years-in-a-north-vietnam_487937.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/john-mccain-465_campaigns_i-spent-several-years-in-a-north-vietnam_487937.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/john-mccain-465_campaigns_i-spent-several-years-in-a-north-vietnam_487937.jpg) > “I spent several years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, in the dark, fed with scraps. Do you think I want to do that all over again as vice president of the United States?” [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He contrasts his past suffering with the responsibilities of high office, emphasizing the gravity of leadership decisions. **In simple terms:** He endured hardship, now faces tough choices as VP candidate. Key Takeaway Recognize the weight of public service. Themes leadership responsibility politics Mood serious reflective Type political personal narrative When to use this quote - campaign speeches - policy debates - media interviews Key Concepts public service ethical decision‑making Questions to Reflect On - How does personal hardship shape policy views? - What responsibilities should leaders prioritize? A Different Perspective His experience may not fully capture modern political complexities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Feds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feds/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [Vices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vices/) ## Related quotes > [Although I wasn't able to get a visa for Vietnam, I was able to talk with swift boat veterans to get a feel for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hillerman/although-i-wasn-t-able-to-get-a-visa-for-vietnam-i-was-able-to-talk/) [Tony Hillerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hillerman/) > [President Johnson did not want the Vietnam War to broaden. He wanted the North Vietnamese to leave their brothers in the South alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/president-johnson-did-not-want-the-vietnam-war-to-broaden-he-wanted/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [The National Liberation Front was not...a viable, autonomous organization with a life of its own; it was a facade, a "front," by means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/the-national-liberation-front-was-not-a-viable-autonomous/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [My principal battle with the North Vietnamese was a moral one, and prayer was my prime source of strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-denton/my-principal-battle-with-the-north-vietnamese-was-a-moral-one-and/) [Jeremiah Denton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-denton/) > [ My solution to the problem would be to tell \[the North Vietnamese Communists\] frankly that they've got to draw in their horns and stop… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-lemay/my-solution-to-the-problem-would-be-to-tell-the-north-vietnamese-2/) [Curtis LeMay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-lemay/) > [The crimes committed by the North Vietnamese regime against the Vietnamese people were minor compared to the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-donald/the-crimes-committed-by-the-north-vietnamese-regime-against-the/) James Donald > [You can bring your enemies to their knees with the possible exception of the North Vietnamese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/you-can-bring-your-enemies-to-their-knees-with-the-possible-exception/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [My solution to the problem would be to tell the North Vietnamese Communists frankly that they've got to drawn in their horns and stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-lemay/my-solution-to-the-problem-would-be-to-tell-the-north-vietnamese/) [Curtis LeMay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-lemay/) > [I spent several years in a North Vietnamese prison camp in the dark, fed with scraps. Do you think I want to do that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-spent-several-years-in-a-north-vietnamese-prison-camp-in-the-dark/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I can't say that I grew up saying, 'Someday I want to be vice president of the Lakers,' because that's not how it happened.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanie-buss/i-can-t-say-that-i-grew-up-saying-someday-i-want-to-be-vice-president/) [Jeanie Buss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanie-buss/) > [A golf course is for golf. A tennis court is for tennis. A prison camp is for escaping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-fresnay/a-golf-course-is-for-golf-a-tennis-court-is-for-tennis-a-prison-camp/) Pierre Fresnay > [“I was..sorry that you had been in prison camp.." "A reassuring sentiment, coming from my wife. Anything else?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/i-was-sorry-that-you-had-been-in-prison-camp-a-reassuring-sentiment/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [I escaped a North Korean prison camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shindong/i-escaped-a-north-korean-prison-camp/) Shindong > [“And there Allan could see an opening. In a prison camp you couldn't just hang around, because if you did then the guards would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/and-there-allan-could-see-an-opening-in-a-prison-camp-you-couldn-t/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“At the same time, the end of the prisoner exchanges compelled the South to build a large prison camp such as the one at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/at-the-same-time-the-end-of-the-prisoner-exchanges-compelled-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) ## More by John McCain > [I have the utmost confidence in General Mattis, General Flynn, General Kelly, Dan Coates. I couldn't have picked a better team. And so I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-have-the-utmost-confidence-in-general-mattis-general-flynn-general/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Washington is a Hollywood for ugly people. Hollywood is a Washington for the simpleminded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/washington-is-a-hollywood-for-ugly-people-hollywood-is-a-washington/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I think that it's important that we understand the importance of the Hispanic vote in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-think-that-it-s-important-that-we-understand-the-importance-of-the/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. The system is such that the American people have lost faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-don-t-know-a-politician-who-enjoys-fundraising-the-system-is-such/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [This kind of horror has become all too familiar to us. As parents, Cindy and I offer our prayers to the memory of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/this-kind-of-horror-has-become-all-too-familiar-to-us-as-parents/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. 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And there is a real threat of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/my-greatest-fear-is-the-iranians-acquire-a-nuclear-weapon-and-give-it/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Presidential ambition is a disease that can only be cured by embalming fluid .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/presidential-ambition-is-a-disease-that-can-only-be-cured-by/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [3 "amnesty" didn't mean rewarding illegal behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/3-amnesty-didn-t-mean-rewarding-illegal-behavior/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [On the subject of Osama bin Laden... we will track him down. We will capture him. We will bring him to justice, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/on-the-subject-of-osama-bin-laden-we-will-track-him-down-we-will/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [That's Joe Biden right there - unbowed, unbroken and unable to stop talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/that-s-joe-biden-right-there-unbowed-unbroken-and-unable-to-stop/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) [Explore all 539 John McCain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) ## More Campaigns quotes > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [If you put everything, your heart and soul into a campaign, it might take you a while to come around to the realization that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/if-you-put-everything-your-heart-and-soul-into-a-campaign-it-might/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [MAC allowed me to have complete freedom on the collaborations—from the shades, the look-and-feel, to the campaign visuals. 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I appointed 5 women to my senior staff as Attorney General.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/my-wife-and-daughters-work-my-campaign-manager-in-2005-was-a-working/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) > [I would like to have campaign spending limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-would-like-to-have-campaign-spending-limits/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [The reason that minorities and women don't have a better shot at getting elected to the Senate or to statewide office is because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-moseley-braun/the-reason-that-minorities-and-women-don-t-have-a-better-shot-at/) [Carol Moseley Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-moseley-braun/) > [We need to be more precise in how we talk about these issues. 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If my hair isn't good for campaigns and editorials, then obviously I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-wixson/i-measure-the-amount-of-shows-i-should-do-by-my-hair-if-my-hair-isn-t/) [Lindsey Wixson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-wixson/) > [I think that, you know, this is a different year than most years. 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