John McCain avoided making direct promises or affirmations. McCain would not be trapped into saying presumptions before the fact materializes. McCain on The View was the charming, effusive politician. McCain refused to talk down or talk bad about Obama. McCain told Barbara Walters that his life in prison as a PoW inspired him to work for a cause that was bigger than himself.

Joy Behar on The View asked Mccain about doing the series of town hall style debates and he agreed that the tenor on the campaign would have been different if Obama had agreed to do them. (This was in reference to the common allegation that Obama might not be able to hold a spontaneous verbal debate minus a teleprompter/ text writer) Barbara Walters joked in a deadpan way that they (presenters of The View)would ask Joe Biden and McCain could get prepared by asking Sarah Palin.