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1. Ken
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   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpmFd25tRqo

   Posted 3 years ago #         

2. rs261
   Member Profile

   

   “Somebody asked John McCain, \'how many houses do you have?\' and he said, \'I\'m not sure, I’ll have to check with my staff,\'” said Obama at a Thursday morning campaign stop. “True quote! \'I\'m not sure, I\'ll have to check with my staff.\' So they asked his staff and he said, \'at least four.\' \'At least four.\'

   from http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/21/obama-takes-swipe-at-mccain-over-houses/#more-13470

   which also has the McCain camp response to the advertisement.

   from an earlier article...
   “I understand Senator McCain was asked yesterday this question: ‘how many houses do you own?’ And he couldn\'t answer that question,” Virginia Governor and VP contender Tim Kaine told CNN’s John Roberts in an interview on American Morning. “He couldn\'t count high enough to know how many houses he owns.

   When asked about the number of houses he owned in a Politico interview published Thursday, McCain was unable to answer. \"I think — I\'ll have my staff get to you,\" he replied. \"It\'s condominiums where — I\'ll have them get to you.\"

   The McCain camp later told Politico the Arizona senator and his wife own at least four homes in three states. Other news organizations have reported a higher total.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

3. walfredo
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   It can be hard to remember things in your old age. Imagine if they would have asked him if he knew his addresses...

   May we all marry into 9 figure wealth.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

4. rs261
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   its 9 figures...100,000,000+

   Posted 3 years ago #         

5. walfredo
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   yeah I actually updated it right after I typed it... I get confused when you keep adding zeros. The commas help though. 100,000,000+

   Posted 3 years ago #         

6. beachdrivegirl
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   this just made me laugh...who says things like? the thought that some consider him a *good* choice for presidents has me in awe.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

7. charlabob
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   Remember, when asked to define \"high income\" he answered $5 million. Gives us a goal, doesn\'t it? And dems are supposed to be elitist? I just want to meet some of the people who think he\'s \"more like me\" than Obama is. I think this pretty much tells us what they mean.

   In answer to the original question, one and that\'s often one too many :-)

   Posted 3 years ago #         

8. beachdrivegirl
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   What Charla you dont have an extra $5mill in your pocket... i thought you had the hole job thing just for fun. :)

   Posted 3 years ago #         

9. walfredo
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   BeachDrGirl- remember that a lot of people who do have $5 million lying around, don\'t necessarily earn $5 million per year in income, and so I would guess the vast majority of those with $5 million of disposable income don\'t qualify as wealthy in John McCain\'s version of America.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

10. JimmyG
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    So he doesn\'t know how many houses he has. So what?

    He\'s rich, and rich people tend to own more than a couple homes.

    Just because the majority of us can\'t relate to owning numerous properties doesn\'t have anything to do with a persons ability to be President.

    (And BTW I\'m not a McCain supporter, I\'m just sick of all the off-topic political \"gotchas\" both sides keep slinging at each other.)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

11. Trick
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    He\'s also the man who is \"peeved\" by Cindy\'s fascination with technology, like email,GPS and electronic gadgets.
    I would hope for a president who has the basic skills of at least email and attaching a photo before being in charge of the \"Button\" and the most technological driven military in the world.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

12. Anonymous
    Member Profile

    JimmyG - Thank you. I was wondering why this is even a topic in the first place. Who cares how many houses he owns (or even if it\'s more than he can keep track of)!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

13. JimmyG
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    Inability to use email or GPS has absolutely nothing to do with the ability to lead.

    My guess is his opponent isn\'t using Mapquest or geotagging to get from one campaign stop to another.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

14. rs261
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    I think the fact of the matter isnt that he has multiple homes...its he doesnt know how many he has, or has to say \"ask my staff\". It seems to me like he is avoiding the question. You cant really believe he doesnt know how many he owns. I can tell you how many pets I have....which states I\'ve lived in, where I\'ve gone on vacation, where my parents have lived, my sister (who is a military wife, so she moves a lot), my brother, etc. Saying that he doesnt know is just BS....perhaps I\'d rather not answer that question would have been better....

    Posted 3 years ago #         

15. Trick
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    Excessive: a quantity, an amount, or a degree that is more than what is justifiable,exceeding a normal, usual, reasonable, or proper limit. Often it implies unbridled divergence from reason or sound judgment

    Posted 3 years ago #         

16. Trick
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    I feel that when you\'re gloating your military strength and knowledge, you should be able to follow basic technical terms in order to make decisions, as opposed to singing a slaughtered version of a 50\'s song.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

17. beachdrivegirl
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    rs261 you hit the issue strait on. i could care less if our president is rich, poor, or whatever. Money does not make you a better or worse leader my concern is that he has to constantly be babysat on what to say and how to say it in a way not to offend.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

18. JimmyG
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    But Trick what\'s excessive to me or your doesn\'t mean it\'s excessive to someone else.

    People who have money can choose to spend it how ever they want. As long as they aren\'t conducting illegal business, why does it make it our business HOW they spend it, or on WHAT?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

19. Ken
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    Excessive becomes a relative term when you try to convince people that you understand their concerns. If only those who owned multiple houses or even one house, were the only voters then McCain\'s statements might not reek so of hypocrisy or dementia.

    Advocates of capitalism are very apt to appeal to the sacred principles of liberty, which are embodied in one maxim: The fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate.
    --Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), British philosopher, mathematician. Sceptical Essays, \"Freedom in Society\" (1928).

    Posted 3 years ago #         

20. Trick
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    I agree with your analogy JimmyG.
    However, I can have my opinion on someone who doesn\'t see a problem with having 7 homes and telling the public the economy is healthy, voting against veterans benefits, and so on....it\'s about preaching and how you live that message.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

21. Anonymous
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    If this (or the continuing allegation of instability and dementia) is the worst that can be drug up on McCain, maybe it wouldn\'t be so bad if he\'s elected.

    Really, this is not a big deal. Like JimmyG said, what he spends his (or his wife\'s) money on, as long as it is LEGAL, is none of our business.

    Speaking of money and legal dealings, what was that again with Obama\'s real estate deal?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

22. rs261
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    Dont forget about McCains and the keating 5?

    What I\'m saying is the \"straight talk express\" seems to have derailed....but maybe I should ask his staff about that.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

23. Zenguy
    Member Profile

    

    So JimmyG, to take that one step further why is it our business if they have affairs then? I personally think things outside of public life should be private. I personnaly do not care if Clinton or Edwards fooled around on their wives or not, I do not care if Larry Craig taps his foot in a stall in Minnieapolis either.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

24. WSratsinacage
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    What about on snopes a few years ago when they compared Bush\'s house in Crawford to John Kerry\'s as far as who was more green?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

25. Trick
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    The issue on Larry Craig to me was not that he sought after sex in a public bathroom. I don\'t really care.
    It\'s the hypocrisy of publicly voting against homesexual rights and issues while tapping his foot during luchtime.
    It\'s the same as Repbulicans voting and speaking on family values, morality, religion and their record seems to be quite the contrary.
    NewResident, it certainly came across to me that Edwards affair was open season on his character, now which side are you on?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

26. rs261
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    That was GW bush and Al gore...Al gore I would think would downsize his place...but his \"carbon neutral investments\" mean its A-O-K by him. (not by me) The crawford ranch is actually a VERY eco friendly house...a model design for it when it was done...

    Posted 3 years ago #         

27. JimmyG
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    ZenGuy I\'ve absolutely no problem with a President having an affair--because it\'s none of my business.

    I voted for Bill twice and would vote for the guy again if I could.

    My concern with a President is whether or not he or she can lead, can build consensus, and get us back some of the street cred we\'ve lost over the past 7 years.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

28. Ken
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    NR:
    So I take it a demented and unstable President is fine with you as long as it is a demented and unstable Republican?

    The Republicans had ten to choose from and they thought McCain was the least demented Republican.
    They may have been right but still only 12% of Republicans are excited about him per WSJ poll.

    That\'s still damning with faint praise.

    Another video:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6u09Z8CcNo

    Posted 3 years ago #         

29. JoB
    Member Profile

    I think we forget that the president of the United States was blindsided by the fact that gas had already reached $4 a gallon.

    When you are so far out of touch with reality that you don\'t know what you own.. or what they cost.. or what anything costs... and you don\'t really have friends who do.. just paid staff...it\'s unlikely that you are going to have any sympathy for those who are struggling financially...

    because you can\'t see any reason they should be struggling... your economic advisers say everything is great.. and it is for the top 1%.

    I thought the ad was a good one because it brought the disconnect between current economic assessments and the reality of everyday lives into focus.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

30. walfredo
    Member Profile

    

    NewRes and Jimmy- How can you possibly say that McCain\'s enormous wealth and extremely privileged lifestyle should be off the table.

    The McCain camp has been trying to beat into the heads of voters for months that Obama is an elitist, who doesn\'t understand America\'s problems. He likes arugula, etc. etc. etc.

    You can\'t play the common everyman, and also be worth over $100,000,000 and not remember how many houses you own, shoot he wasn\'t even able to ballpark how many. Just ask his staff, they can look it up...

    This ties directly into his policies that would continue the current administrations disastrous fiscal policies.

    How is this even slightly out of bounds?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

31. Anonymous
    Member Profile

    walfredo - I don\'t think this is \"out of bounds\" (heck, it\'s politics - nothing is out of bounds), I just think some are making this into a big deal when really it\'s not.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

32. JimmyG
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    walfredo, because I don\'t need a President that can relate to my world. I don\'t want them to know the vagaries of my day to day life.

    I want them to lead. I want them to do their best to help as many Americans as they can find jobs, get health care, and to be a thoughtful player on the international stage.

    I want to know what their plan is to get these things done.

    And none of that has anything to do with how much money they have in the bank, who they slept with, or whether they inhaled or not.

    And nobody should take any of the above to mean that I chose one candidate over the other like some of you are alleging. I\'ve never voted for a Republican presidential candidate in my life.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

33. WSMom
    Member Profile

    

    http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1463312854/bctid1743107606

    I\'m hoping that the Obama campaign will get the message out loud and clear just what McCain is all about. I hope people will listen.

    I wish that everyone would read Obama\'s book \"Dreams of my Father\". Having read his story, I feel like he has shared his soul with all of us and I can\'t begin to tell you what a amazingly giving, talented, generous person I believe Obama to be. Obama is a person who comes along once in several lifetimes. John McCain has proven himself to be the same old tired selfish political player we already have seen too much of.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

34. JanS
    Member Profile

    

    John McCain has self-admittedly said that he has limited knowledge about economy things. He has called Barack Obama an \"elitist\".(who\'s the elitist now?) I want a president who relates and understand those of us who don\'t have what he has. I could care less that he has a gazillion houses. If I owned 5 houses, condos or whatever, I\'d know it. This man is NOT in touch with the majority of the people in these fine United States.He cannot relate to ME, nor most of you out there in our little burb. How the hell can he come up with budgets, intelligent programs, if he can\'t even recall the basics. Yes, I know they surround themselves with people who are supposed to help with that, but I still want a man/woman in that office who will understand what those helpers are telling him.

    This is not someone who is running for dog catcher...all of this gives some of us an idea of what this man is about. NR, JimmyG, and those that say this is unimportant...what information do you base your decisions on when choosing a president (or a dog catcher, for that matter)? Just curious...

    Posted 3 years ago #         

35. JanS
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    Ken...interesting that the original video that you posted has been removed from YouTube...as have all comments..

    Posted 3 years ago #         

36. JoB
    Member Profile

    JimmyG..

    i am just curious.. how would you expect a president to do this:

    \"I want them to do their best to help as many Americans as they can find jobs, get health care, and to be a thoughtful player on the international stage.\"

    if they don\'t understand the difference between the average wage in American and 5 million a month..

    if they don\'t know what percentage of their income Americans are paying for gas, or milk, or bread...

    if they don\'t know what percentage of their income is paid for the same commodities in other countries...

    if they don\'t understand the difference between inadequate and adequate health insurance?

    and the list just goes on...

    We have just had 8 years of a president who thought people were photo ops and we the people meant corporations and those who control them.

    i could care less that John McCain and his wife own several houses... wealth is not an impediment to political responsibility.. but ignorance is.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

37. JoB
    Member Profile

    WSMom.. loved the second add too.

    JanS.. i was able to connect to the you-tube campaign ad.. didnt\' look for the comments.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

38. charlabob
    Member Profile

    

    You\'re absolutely right, Jan, and McSame surrounds himself with Phil Gramm, father of banking deregulation and the Enron exemption. The guy who thinks the problem with the economy is that people who don\'t own 5 houses whine too much. That\'s the guy who\'ll be running the economic thang. You can expect to do well with him in charge. No thank you!

    BTW, we should also be able to use the fact that Repug candidates and elected officials are running as fast as they can in the other direction. They\'re \"GOP\" not Republican (the senator from Oregon is running as a bipartisan person and used to have pix of himself with Obama.) The latest is that Whino Rossi isn\'t going to the Repug convention -- he\'s busy. Previous engagement. You know how they spring these conventions on you at the last minute. There are at least 8 repug senators, all up for relection, who are too busy -- including Norm Coleman, the senator from the state where the convention is being held. :-)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

39. JimmyG
    Member Profile

    

    To get some form of universal health care I don\'t have to know someone\'s income or percentage of it that they pay for groceries. I need to have a workable plan that can make it through the slog that is Congress.

    To help the economy I don\'t need to know what you\'re paid an hour, or the percentage of your income you spend on gas. I need to have excellent economic advisors around me that help me come up with a plan to stimulate the economy.

    To be a thoughtful player on the international stage I need to have knowledge of who the players are and how to communicate with them so we can make the world safer for everyone.

    Being able to relate to me as a middle class American working every day and paying my bills is not a knowledge base I require of my presidential candidates.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

40. Anonymous
    Member Profile

    JimmyG - You have my vote!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

41. JimmyG
    Member Profile

    

    And seriously, how does it help either party when supporters of one or the other have nasty/cutesy nicknames for the opponent?

    You can\'t make politics a better situation until you are responsible for yourself acting in a manner you would want the opponents to do. Golden Rule and all.

    I should give full disclosure: as I said in an earlier WSB post--I\'m not voting this year.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

42. charlabob
    Member Profile

    

    JimmyG, I wish you were right about the nastiness; unfortunately, being above it all gets us exactly nothing except some moral certitude and a REPUG government. And that government won\'t get you anything you need or want.

    Take a look at the \"best seller\" Obama Nation -- that\'s the kind of crap we have to fight and fighting fire with kindness isn\'t a metaphor that works.

    Up until this election, I\'ve *always* been on the side that says \"we have to take the moral high ground and somehow we\'ll win.\" Well, I\'ve finally noticed it doesn\'t work.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

43. Ken
    Member Profile

    

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpmFd25tRqo

    The page still seems to be there for me. I suspect traffic is going up a bit though. Try again if you missed it :)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

44. JimmyG
    Member Profile

    

    I\'m not talking about exclusively taking the moral high ground or always being kind.

    When necessary you fight fire with fire. But I can choose to conduct myself personally in a manner where I\'m not firing the first shot and engaging in petty name calling with little to no justification.

    When a shotgun is warranted, I can guarantee I won\'t be using a .22 pistol.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

45. JenV
    Member Profile

    

    charla - while technically true, calling that abomination a \"best seller\" is disingenuous - repug groups will buy up huge amounts of those books to make them appear on the best seller list- because it\'s all about the numbers - but I would wager less than half of those copies are ever actually read.
    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93575188

    Posted 3 years ago #         

46. charlabob
    Member Profile

    

    Right, but that level of best sellerdom is all that\'s needed to get on all the \"talking heads\" shows. Putting together, as Obama has, a 40-page, point by point rebuttal doesn\'t get you on the air.

    I heard the original NPR broadcast and practically jumped out of a window: a whole story about how skewed the publicity for this loser book is. OK, how about not doing the story? Did that ever occur to \'em?

    Interestingly, a book only has to sell roughly 10,000 copies to be on the NYT best seller list. That\'s because no one buys books anymore :-)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

47. walfredo
    Member Profile

    

    Jimmy- so you don\'t see a problem in the hypocrisy of someone who is worth over $100,000,000 and can\'t remember how many homes he owns, can\'t even ballpark how many homes he owns- attacking someone else for being an elitist?

    I\'m not saying rich people are bad, or should be disqualified. But if your value statement is that the other candidate is an outsider, not one of us, an elitist- and you are John McCain... Well you might be full of shi*, and its probably worth pointing out.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

48. Ken
    Member Profile

    

    More fun with real estate

    http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/mccains_bought_second_beach_ho.php

    On March 25, John McCain said:
    And 51 million homeowners are doing what\'s necessary: working at second jobs, skipping a vacation, and managing their budgets to make their payments on time.

    In April Cindy said:
    \"When I bought the first one, my husband, who is not a beach person, said, \'Oh, this is such a waste of money; the kids will never go.\' Then it got to the point where they used it so much I couldn\'t get in the place. So I bought another one.\"

    Posted 3 years ago #         

49. charlabob
    Member Profile

    

    Great tags, btw. Ken, you and I must be listening to the same (Rachel Maddow) show. Cindy also explained why she learned to fly. \"There\'s no way to get around Arizona without your own private plane.\" That explains why McClewless considers highway and other infrastructure projects to be \"pork.\" \'twould be entirely different if only they wanted to build airports.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

50. JoB
    Member Profile

    JimmyG..

    if you want a health insurance plan that actually covers medical costs instead of one that is window dressing with so many exclusions as to make it obsolete... then it doesn\'t matter at all what your president knows.

    If you are concerned with healthy corporations, whether or not they outsource all of the work overseas.. then by all mean.. you want a president who relies on his economic advisers.. because that\'s what they focus on. it\'s why they tell us our economy is doing so well.

    i could go on.. but i am making pesto so have to limit my fun:)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

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