McCain unsure of how many houses he owns

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Trooper_IHB

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<em>Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own.



"I think ? I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. "It's condominiums where ? I'll have them get to you."</em>



<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12685.html">Must be nice.....</a>
 
[quote author="Trooper" date=1219501756]<em>Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own.



"I think ? I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. "It's condominiums where ? I'll have them get to you."</em>



<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12685.html">Must be nice.....</a></blockquote>
As much as this plays in the media, he probably has kept himself at arms length from any investment or money management to preserve his independence in the Senate and in his Presidential campaign. I'm sure he knows how many homes he has clothes in, but anything in a blind trust or managed by his wife may be unknown to him. Not that he can't find out, but since it was his wife's money he may not bother to delve into the details. I know I couldn't tell you offhand which stocks my wife holds in her 401k, or what our monthly mortgage payment is to the penny. I imagine in every marriage in America, one of the two lives in blissful ignorance while the other could recite their balance sheet to the penny.
 
[quote author="Nude" date=1219507055][quote author="Trooper" date=1219501756]<em>Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own.



"I think ? I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. "It's condominiums where ? I'll have them get to you."</em>



<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12685.html">Must be nice.....</a></blockquote>
As much as this plays in the media, he probably has kept himself at arms length from any investment or money management to preserve his independence in the Senate and in his Presidential campaign. I'm sure he knows how many homes he has clothes in, but anything in a blind trust or managed by his wife may be unknown to him. Not that he can't find out, but since it was his wife's money he may not bother to delve into the details. I know I couldn't tell you offhand which stocks my wife holds in her 401k, or what our monthly mortgage payment is to the penny. I imagine in every marriage in America, one of the two lives in blissful ignorance while the other could recite their balance sheet to the penny.</blockquote>


Come on Nude... I know how many properties I own, but I dunno how many t-shirts I own. Trust me, if I owed 80 properties across the US, I can guarantee you I can name them all with the addresses down to the zip code. Either McCain is too old to remember, or he is high as a mofo on the Kool-Aid. It is seven properties, 7, not 70+ like his age, but 7, this is BS, he should have been able to recall 7 homes on memory. Is your point spot on with blind trusts, wifes investments? Yeah, for the thousands of companies they hold shares in, but 7 properties? Seriously, how many cars do you own? He should have known. Did the media blow it out of proportion? Sure, but they blew it on why he blew it.
 
I don't know Nude...they've been married for many years. Seven houses aren't that hard to remember. I would expect he should know this information.
 
If you saw John McCain at the recent event at Saddleback, then it is quite clear that he hasn't lost his mental edge. If he had, people who support Obambi would be a lot more hopeful these days. The fact is that once you take the teleprompter away from Obambi, he falls apart rapidly.
 
Okay... without looking it up, how many houses have you owned? Or, how many homes have you lived in?



My point is that if you are not the one in charge if the day to day operations and finances, you may not know more than "we own several" because purchases and sales my not be something you stay informed about. Graph, you can't use your own experience as a gauge because you are in the business. But if your wife was rich, attending to the finances, and all you did was modify/build/race BMW's all year, how on top of things would you be? He's a Senator, running for President, and I doubt he does more than sign where she tells him to when it comes to family finances.



Or to put it another way... can you tell my the exact number of MLP dolls cayci owns right now?
 
There's actually an 8th home in La Jolla that the staff forgot as well. My initial thought was the same as Nude's... he's married to a very wealthy woman and I wouldn't expect him to know first hand what all their investments are. However, his answer was very poor form. He could have (or should have been able to) tell the reporter how many personal use homes they have with the caveat that they have some investment properties that he doesn't manage. "I don't know, let my staff get back to you" is a really poor response. Right or wrong, he's being seen as someone very far out of touch with the rest of the country. Does anyone remember Bush I's moment in the super market where he expressed awe at the scanners? That was a crucial moment where people saw him as not understanding the day to day world the rest of us live in and it was the beginning of the downfall for his campaign.
 
I have never known anybody - including 2 people worth over 100 million dollars - who didn't know how many houses they owned. You have to really not *care* to not know. It's very bad for McCain because it shows he's so rich he doesn't care about a million-dollar house and that's very alien to most Americans. The other problem is that it's making people scrutinize his personal life and so they realize exactly how elite he is. They'll also look at how he got his money - ditching his injured wife and their children to marry an heiress - and that doesn't reflect well on him either.



It also opens him to attack on his economic policies. Until recently, all his economic proposals to address unemployment, the housing crisis, etc. were for huge tax cuts which will net him and his wife millions of dollars. He's (finally!) added a few proposals that won't net him millions at the expense of the federal government but the main thrust of his approach makes himself even richer. That's not what voters want - especially not after an acid demonstration of how little he actually *needs* more money.
 
Except it's only purpose as a question is to create gotcha moment.



It could have been handled better, but compare to the strategery of the last eight years it doesn't concern me. Compared to similar gafts by the other candidate, it's immaterial. But if played right, it does have the potential of an "the economy, stupid!" moment.
 
[quote author="FairEconomist" date=1219529541]I have never known anybody - including 2 people worth over 100 million dollars - who didn't know how many houses they owned. You have to really not *care* to not know. It's very bad for McCain because it shows he's so rich he doesn't care about a million-dollar house and that's very alien to most Americans. The other problem is that it's making people scrutinize his personal life and so they realize exactly how elite he is. They'll also look at how he got his money - ditching his injured wife and their children to marry an heiress - and that doesn't reflect well on him either.



It also opens him to attack on his economic policies. Until recently, all his economic proposals to address unemployment, the housing crisis, etc. were for huge tax cuts which will net him and his wife millions of dollars. He's (finally!) added a few proposals that won't net him millions at the expense of the federal government but the main thrust of his approach makes himself even richer. That's not what voters want - especially not after an acid demonstration of how little he actually *needs* more money.</blockquote>


Combine your comments with the fact that McCain said that 5 million a year is how much it takes to be considered rich and we truly have the definition of an elitist. I know, he said he was joking but the "only joking defense" is already getting old, my four year old uses it all of the time to cover up after saying something he knows he shouldn't.
 
[quote author="tmare" date=1219530258][quote author="FairEconomist" date=1219529541]Combine your comments with the fact that McCain said that 5 million a year is how much it takes to be considered rich and we truly have the definition of an elitist. I know, he said he was joking but the "only joking defense" is already getting old, my four year old uses it all of the time to cover up after saying something he knows he shouldn't.</blockquote>


Personally I like that definition.



The Democrats always use a much lower number.



It's more "inclusive" when they raise taxes on the rich.



While running for election in 1992, President Clinton promised middle class tax cuts that would be financed by increasing taxes on the rich.



It turns out that his definition of "rich" was anyone who made over $30k per year.



And if you were "rich" enough to earn $30k a year or more, you were rewarded with the largest federal tax increase in history.
 
[quote author="Nude" date=1219512307]Okay... without looking it up, how many houses have you owned? Or, how many homes have you lived in?



My point is that if you are not the one in charge if the day to day operations and finances, you may not know more than "we own several" because purchases and sales my not be something you stay informed about. Graph, you can't use your own experience as a gauge because you are in the business. But if your wife was rich, attending to the finances, and all you did was modify/build/race BMW's all year, how on top of things would you be? He's a Senator, running for President, and I doubt he does more than sign where she tells him to when it comes to family finances.



Or to put it another way... can you tell my the exact number of MLP dolls cayci owns right now?</blockquote>


I have lived in 5 houses in my life, 6 if you include the one month stay before I found my apartment in the O. Also, two of those homes I was too young to remember but I know of them and I can drive you to them the next time you are here. I have owned four properties in my life, and I can also take you to them the next time you are here too.



Great question about Cayci's ponies. Cayci has about 1250 ponies. You see her pony collection fluctuates as she does trades, which are not always 1 for 1, but could be 3 for 1 etc., and she has done a few lately. Since she hasn't done inventory since before the pony convention in Providence, then it is tough to say exactly how many she has. In fact, I know she doesn't know the exact number off the top of her head. Once she does an inventory count, then she might be able to get you an accurate number.



See how I responded to that? At least I took a shot at how many, and 1250 is a hell of a lot more than 7 or 8. I said the media blew it but blew it in the wrong way. It was how he answered, not what he answered. Like stepping_up said, it is the out of touch and arrogant responses like that that remind me of Bush I, and it reminds me of why he lost in 92. It is eerie to be honest.
 
Incidentally, McCain, was *not* asked how many houses he had lived in *over his lifetime*. Nobody would be shocked if a 72 year old man couldn't remember all the houses he'd lived in over his lifetime OTTOHH. The question was how many he owned now - and he didn't know.
 
That McCain is such an elitist that he doesn't know the number of homes is definitely bothersome. What irks me, is that the guy is that he is <a href="http://johnmccainneocon.blogspot.com/">a died-in-the-wool neocon </a>and that people would still consider voting for him. It just bewilders me.
 
Mr. Moderator, me thinks it's time for a TOS in regards to political postings.



Maybe something simple, correct name spellings, application of Godwin's law, minor stuff.



Simple enforcement too. Each violation results in 1 week suspension. 2nd violation = 2 weeks, 3rd 3 weeks. 4 = month. That should carry us through 11/4.



Or you can let the free for all continue but, frankly, it's going into a steep descent from here and will pollute other threads, I've seen it too many times.



Cut the gangrene out before it poisons the body.
 
There is a politics thread. Maybe somebody should bump it up.



All I can say is I hope that they move the primaries foreward by 4 or

5 months, because I can't stand the perpetual campaign. Now if they

were discussing anything with intellectual content that would be different.



I think it is stupid that McC didn't know how many houses he has, but

really what has that got to do with anything. So, he's rich. Most of

them have been rich. Clinton wasn't rich, but he is now.



You can be rich without being isolated. Being isolated is not a new

fenom. Most princes kinow that is a problem. Since our prez isn't

supposed to be a prince, potential temporary princes don't know they

have a problem. I read Harry Truman actually took walks outside

the White House when he felt like it. This is within the living memory

of man. There was a time when the White House didn't have a fence

around it. Of course, Harry Truman wasn't rich either.
 
[quote author="No_Such_Reality" date=1219553909]Mr. Moderator, me thinks it's time for a TOS in regards to political postings.



Maybe something simple, correct name spellings, application of Godwin's law, minor stuff.



Simple enforcement too. Each violation results in 1 week suspension. 2nd violation = 2 weeks, 3rd 3 weeks. 4 = month. That should carry us through 11/4.



Or you can let the free for all continue but, frankly, it's going into a steep descent from here and will pollute other threads, I've seen it too many times.



Cut the gangrene out before it poisons the body.</blockquote>


I have a suggestion that would be easier to implement. If my changing a single letter is Obambi's name is so offensive to everyone, why not just ban me entirely? If my thoughts and opinions are intolerable, then I shouldn't be here.



It's not like I am a troll. I have 513 posts and 130 "thank yous" A ratio of 1 thank you to 4 posts isn't bad.



If not allowed to speak my mind, there really is no purpose in communicating with others in this venue.
 
[quote author="No_Such_Reality" date=1219553909]Mr. Moderator, me thinks it's time for a TOS in regards to political postings.



Maybe something simple, correct name spellings, application of Godwin's law, minor stuff.



Simple enforcement too. Each violation results in 1 week suspension. 2nd violation = 2 weeks, 3rd 3 weeks. 4 = month. That should carry us through 11/4.



Or you can let the free for all continue but, frankly, it's going into a steep descent from here and will pollute other threads, I've seen it too many times.



Cut the gangrene out before it poisons the body.</blockquote>


I'm not sure exactly what has become offensive. If somebody wants to spell Obama's name in some other way, for his/her own reasons, let it be. I just see it as silly, not offensive. It really doesn't affect anything, certainly not how I am going to vote. Offensive is very clear to me and there is nothing here that I can define that way.
 
[quote author="WINEX" date=1219570969][quote author="No_Such_Reality" date=1219553909]Mr. Moderator, me thinks it's time for a TOS in regards to political postings.



Maybe something simple, correct name spellings, application of Godwin's law, minor stuff.



Simple enforcement too. Each violation results in 1 week suspension. 2nd violation = 2 weeks, 3rd 3 weeks. 4 = month. That should carry us through 11/4.



Or you can let the free for all continue but, frankly, it's going into a steep descent from here and will pollute other threads, I've seen it too many times.



Cut the gangrene out before it poisons the body.</blockquote>


I have a suggestion that would be easier to implement. If my changing a single letter is Obambi's name is so offensive to everyone, why not just ban me entirely? If my thoughts and opinions are intolerable, then I shouldn't be here.



It's not like I am a troll. I have 513 posts and 130 "thank yous" A ratio of 1 thank you to 4 posts isn't bad.



If not allowed to speak my mind, there really is no purpose in communicating with others in this venue.</blockquote>
This is the Economy/Politics forum. I think it goes without saying that anything written in here is going to annoy/offend/irritate/outrage someone. Punishing free expression in a clearly-labeled political forum seems a bit antithetical to both the spirit of freedom that blogs provide and to American tradition embodied in the First Amendment. I don't think WINEX should be banned for being a jerk, even if he's currently doing more to help win supporters for Obama than anything else. The ignore feature works well on these forums and it is your responsibility to use it if you don't want to read some screed he spews out between now and November. I disagree with and get irritated by a couple of regular posters on this forum, and I take great delight in belittling them as I pick apart their insipid arguments, but I'm not telling them to shut up.



Defining something as "offensive" is purely subjective. It's not a standard one can apply to an open forum easily, so I hope that any moderator that is tempted to quash open discussion thinks twice about exercising that power. It's far easier for an offended user to simply click the ignore button or to avoid the political forum altogether.
 
[quote author="graphrix" date=1219544622]



(stuff)



See how I responded to that? At least I took a shot at how many, and 1250 is a hell of a lot more than 7 or 8. I said the media blew it but blew it in the wrong way. It was how he answered, not what he answered. Like stepping_up said, it is the out of touch and arrogant responses like that that remind me of Bush I, and it reminds me of why he lost in 92. It is eerie to be honest.</blockquote>
And yet, you are apparently willing to ignore Obama's "?Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula?? comment in Iowa, a state that neither has a Whole Foods store nor a single acre of arugula. Or his infamous "And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations" line, describing his take on the people of Pennsylvania to a crowd in Marin County.



You take issue with his answer, but it wasn't exactly a normal question asked of a candidate. You had time to think about your answer before you replied, but had I asked it in person I doubt you would have been so eloquent. My point is that McCain not knowing the answer might have a perfectly normal explanation, in the context of his life, but seems odd to anyone who doesn't have that lifestyle. Just as I am sure Obama eating arugula that he buys from Whole Foods seems odd to an Iowa corn farmer, but seems completely normal to someone like you. Trying to paint him as arrogant based on this one comment is a bit of a stretch though, especially when compared to Obama. His recent choice of Biden is just another example of this; he's assumed he can win the election without paying more than lip service to Hillary and her supporters. If you perceive arrogance in John McCain's answer but not in Obama's remarks and decisions, you need to examine your own bias.
 
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