“I don’t recall John McCain ever distancing himself from Meghan comments.... My recollection is that Reagan’s kids had independent careers.”
Ron and Patty were rebellious and liberals. Ronnie never dissed his kids in public. I wouldn’t criticize my kids in public. You probably wouldn’t diss your kids in public. McCain is no different.
While we may not like McCain, it is not fair to tie him in to statements of his daughter without some reasonable evidence.
I say it is not disrepectful to state that your positions or opinions on matters of public policy are not shared with a given family member.This is especially so if you are running for elective office.
A statement to the effect that "While I love and respect my family member,I do not share his/her views on this issue", would seem to be reasonable;that is ,unless you do share that view but don't want to proclaim it yourself.