I'm sure he believed what he said. McCain IS a national hero.
Are you dismissing Blackwell based on the fact that he complimented McCain?
to a point. Supposedly, Blackwell is "the candidate of character". If he said those words as truth, then most Freepers would have to question his bonefides. If he said those words and didn't mean it, then he lied. Either way it adds up to an issue of character.
He could have stopped at hero and thanked John for his support. Instead, he went on.