I wonder what he is thinking.

After 21 months of traveling the country, I think it would be interesting to know Sen. John McCain’s thoughts. After a devastating defeat that kept him from the presidency for a second time, how is he coping with the fact that he will never be president?

Does he have any regrets?

McCain announced his candidacy for president on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” After telling Letterman that he was running for president, he said that the official announcement would come later. But why did McCain make the first announcement on that show? A show that is not steeped in humor.

On April 24, 2008, McCain told Fox News, “Americans want a respectful campaign.” He promised an “honorable” campaign. Did he keep that promise? This past summer, we saw a swarm of negative advertisements with false claims plastering the televisions from the McCain campaign. Remember the famous Paris Hilton and Britney Spears commercial? Why was McCain putting Spears and Hilton on his commercials when voters were looking for real answers? The campaign became even more asinine when McCain’s campaign responded to Hilton’s political response video.

Another advertisement said, “Obama’s one accomplishment? Legislation to teach ‘comprehensive sex education’ to kindergarteners. Learning about sex before learning to read?…Obama is wrong for your family.” After it ran, the consensus was that the claim made was entirely false. The legislation, S.B. 99, from the Illinois Senate Health and Human Services Committee the narrator was referring to specifically said, “Each class or course in comprehensive sex education offered in any of grades K through 12 shall include instruction on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including the prevention, transmission and spread of HIV.”

The legislation is saying that if there is a class already offered then this addendum should be emphasized. If there is no comprehensive class, (true for kindergarten classrooms), then this addendum does not apply. Yet the McCain campaign still ran these false spots-misleading and distracting voters. Does McCain have any regrets?

Then McCain chose his vice presidential pick-Gov. Sarah Palin. And when McCain realized the economic crisis was at hand, he decided to suspend his campaign and rush back to Washington. And he wanted to postpone the first presidential debate. Obama did not waver and made McCain seem “erratic.” Does McCain have any regrets?

We probably will not know the answer since McCain will not admit it nationally. But, what can we learn from him?

As students and individuals, we are constantly making decisions. Should I study tonight or just hang out? What should I major in? What classes should I take? Should I go to the party tonight? Even though these decisions are not as difficult as the ones made by presidential candidates, we still have an obligation to ourselves to make good choices.

McCain may have been compromising his character to run his advertisements. He may have made a hasty choice in his vice presidential pick. And rushing back to Washington to fix the entire economy could have just been a political tactic.

Yes, McCain may have regrets.

Don’t make decisions hastily. Don’t lose your integrity and character while making those decisions. Live life so that you will not have regrets.

Take a “you”-turn. Make choices right now that you will not regret tomorrow or 20 years from now. Take a step out of your comfort zone and empower yourself and your future.

Samiksha Tarun is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.