McCain Alumni Club

Robert and Rebecca Fisher

Former Presidential Campaign Staffers

I was fortunate enough to travel with John as he campaigned all throughout the West coast. I would often hit the road with him and drive him to interviews, fundraisers, and many of his infamous town halls. Rebecca was part of the campaign press team and was also on the road with John as part of the Straight Talk Express. I would see Rebecca when we were both on the road. She was smart, fun, easy-going and beautiful. Over time, we got to know one another and spend time together on the campaign trail.

After successful wins during the 2000 primary in New Hampshire, Michigan and Arizona, we lost a majority of states on Super Tuesday. Those of us on the road with John ended up in Sedona while he was at his ranch contemplating if he would continue the race. He ultimately decided to suspend his campaign in March of 2000 and, immediately after that, everyone from the campaign was headed back to DC on the final flight of the campaign plane. Rebecca was headed back to DC and I felt I had no choice but to get on the plane and follow her to DC. I figured this was my only shot. Mark Salter was kind enough to allow me to catch a ride back to DC and work out of the DC office for a few days (I never told him exactly why I wanted to go back to DC, so thank you Mark!). That decision and plane ride back was the best decision I have ever made!

Eventually I had to go back to Arizona, but Rebecca and I continued our relationship working for John on different sides of the country. I finally called John’s Legislative Director at the time, Ann Sauer, and told her that I wanted to move to DC and work for John. Ann told me to move out to DC and they would figure out something for me (thank you Ann!). They found a position for me working on the Telecom Subcommittee on the Senate Commerce Committee where John was Chairman of the Committee. Rebecca had also recently started a job as John’s Press Secretary in the personal office. Things had finally come together!

As any good McCain alum knows, John loved any good gossip. He would often say, “What do you know?” All of us would be ready to brief him and maybe add in some gossip if we had heard anything good. After listing a litany of things to tell him, John would always ask, “What else?” We would say, “that’s it.” His response? “So, you know nothing.” Always a classic line. Well, John heard the gossip that Rebecca and I were dating. When I would come over to the personal office for a meeting with him or drop something off, he would tease both of us. It was always entertaining or highly annoying depending on how much he was teasing you!

Years after I had left the office, I used every bit of vacation time I had in my private sector job to volunteer and travel with John on the Presidential campaign in 2008. Once again, it was one of the best and most memorable times in my life. I spent weeks campaigning in Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. All of us know about the comeback that he made to win the GOP nomination that year. Simply amazing and unlikely to be matched in my lifetime. During my first trip to Iowa when we had no money in the bank, it would be just me, John, and usually one other person in the car going from town hall to town hall. Those moments were unforgettable now and the memories will stay with me forever. We would have amazing conversations during our time together and he would always ask how Rebecca was doing (she had left the office and went to work at the Federal Communications Commission and for a couple of other Senators)

After the 2008 campaign, John ran for reelection in 2010. I would see him often at different events around DC. He would always tease various former staffers who attended these events and give them a hard time. With me, John would tell people, “There’s Robert Fisher over there. If it weren’t for me, he would be single, miserable, lonely and have no children!” No truer words were ever spoken!

Rebecca and I will never be able to express the great honor and privilege it was to work for John. He taught us so many lessons of life, service to your country, honor and commitment. While Rebecca and I were only very small spoke in the McCain wheel, he truly left a stamp on our lives and the memories will last a lifetime. We are not only grateful for the opportunities he gave us, but in a variety of ways, the role he played in bringing Rebecca and I together. He will remain in our hearts forever and our children Savannah and Cole are especially happy about this entire story!

As John would say about us McCainiacs, “It’s like the Hotel California, you can always check in, but you can’t check out!”

— Robert Fisher, Former Presidential Campaign Staffer