He got the name because he was a cranky, vindictive shit. He wasn't particularly moderate, he was particularly interested in media coverage, war and avenging what he saw as personal slights. It all started with the Keating 5 thing.How did he get the nickname Maverick?
By siding with leftys.
Six memorable moments when John McCain earned a reputation as a 'maverick'
The Arizona senator, who died Saturday at 81, was known for working across party lines and speaking his mind.www.usatoday.com
Anyway, lest assume, arguendo, that you are right, and that he was a true moderate who had no real conservative principles. Even worse, let's assume he was Jeff Flake. Now, this is an easy question, because four years ago, those were the two senators from Arizona, but for whom do you think they would have voted for senate majority leader? I can guaran-fucking-tee it it wouldn't have been Chuck Schumer. And without that, a lot of things would look different right now, so even taking your assumptions as fact, having those two, whom I personally despise, would be a lot better than having the two Democrats that represent Arizona now. As I said before, Conservatives reject strategic thinking and pay the price, all the while calling everybody else dumb.