McCain Owns 13 Cars; Obama Owns One (SLIDESHOW)

Newsweek has a story up comparing the number of cars owned by the presidential candidates. It's not even close. And certainly, it doesn't provide the type of man-of-the-people image that John McCain's handlers want to present in the current economic crisis.

As the magazine reports: "When you have seven homes, that's a lot of garages to fill. After the fuss over the number of residences owned by the two presidential nominees, NEWSWEEK looked into the candidates' cars. And based on public vehicle-registration records, here's the score. John and Cindy McCain: 13. Barack and Michelle Obama: one."

Here's a slideshow of the vehicles in the McCain family's garage (pay special attention to the bubbly little 2000 NEV Gem electric vehicles -- gotta love those buggers).

• • • • • • • • • • • When you have seven homes, that is a lot of garages to fill. Based on public vehicle-registration records, Newsweek found that John and Cindy McCain own 13 vehicles. Barack and Michelle Obama have one.

As for Obama, he and Michelle own a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid.

Comments

[obamabiden]

06:25 PM on 10/10/2008

McCain has nine cars, seven houses and a privated jet, we should all be this luck!
What more could he want, but a new body and a young face. he should also get
rid of that nasty mouth. And did I mention another thing, he should retired and go home to
bed! He has had it. while I am on this subject, when he loses this race, we will get rid
of Palin, YA! Of course you know that if there was a chance in hell that McCain would
win, he will get rid of her and bring his friend in, He is not much better!
Vote for Obama/Biden

[squooshy]

06:14 PM on 09/24/2008

This is an obnoxious article. I used to have great respect for the Huffington Post, but it just keeps sinking lower and lower. It used to report news, now it solely reports to achieve its own agenda. Sad.

[Siristone]

05:29 AM on 09/25/2008

Oh squooshy- go to Fox where I'm sure what they say will fit in nicely with your skewed values.

EVERYTHING about a candidate running for president should be transparent. The true elitist is McCain and the article illusates that. He is a big hypocite about his personal life and the world should know about all the cars he has at his disposal.

[Notetoself]

05:33 AM on 09/25/2008

You had respect for the huffington post at some point?????

[craigdawson]

01:26 PM on 09/24/2008

For all the people that say "what is wrong with being successful?"
There is nothing wrong with that. The issue that is being raised, is that McCain's campaign promotes him as being for the little guys and falsely promotes Obama as an elitist.
The only thing Obama is "elite" when in comparison to McCain is his intelligence and judgment.
But all the McCain supporters would rather have a person who lacks calmness, sound judgment, and keen intelligence.

Although I would like to know if the US Senate provides a car and/or driver because there is no way the Obama's could only own ONE car unless they are provided with one.

[Daddysgirl]

03:03 PM on 09/24/2008

Craigdawson, well said. I couldn't have put it any better. I wonder about the contents of your second paragraph too. There has to be another car for a family of 4 unless Michelle or Barack drops off and picks up everybody.

[nicnic]

06:21 PM on 09/24/2008

It might be that Michelle owns her own car... and so, that second car doesn't show on the search on which the article was based upon.
oooooor he jogs to work everyday hence having the lowest carbon footprint of the senate...

[Notetoself]

05:37 AM on 09/25/2008

Minus the judement and intelligence..but Obama can read off of telepromters with the best of them. McCain chose a Vice President that actually helped his campaign.....Biden hurts Obama's ticket with every other statement that comes out of his mouth. Judgement? That describes McCain.

[craigdawson]

10:34 AM on 09/26/2008

McCain chose a VP that helped his campaign for 3 weeks. Locking up Palin so she cannot talk to reporters is not going to help in the long run... and after the last couple interviews letting her talk to reporters obviously doesn't seem to help much either.
This just shows that McCain picked Palin for only 3 reasons.
1 - she is a woman.
2 - she is a major social conservative to excite the reluctant base of Republicans.
3 - she defied her own party a couple times in Alaska, and therefore thought she could be labeled McCain's favorite word "maverick".
It is quite clear that she provided a much needed spark for him. But it is also quite clear that her lack of any substantive knowledge and the campaign blocking her from reporters will most likely backfire.

I was not terribly keen on Biden as Obama's VP choice either. Biden seems like a good guy. But I did not like the idea of picking another Senator. Obama really should have found some sort of executive whether it be a governor or business leader or even former military leader. Someone with more than 2 years experience as governor of 650,000 people and 6 years as mayor of 7000 people.

[craigdawson]

10:35 AM on 09/26/2008

continued:

Obama can read off teleprompters very good. And McCain cannot read note cards very well. So what? Obama is a much better public speaker. You are going to fault him for that?
McCain's judgment over many years has been suspect. His temperament and irritability is renown throughout Congress which pretty much says he is way too unstable to be dealing with high stress situations and international issues dealing with foreign leaders. And his intelligence is obviously not on par with Obama as everything is just black and white with him and there is rarely ever any nuance.

So, if you want the hot headed, forgetful, and lower IQ person running things, by all means, vote for McCain. But if you want more intelligence and calmness then go with Obama... or if you cannot stomach voting for the black guy, then go with an independent candidate. How about Ralph Nader or Bob Barr?

[nicnic]

01:25 PM on 09/24/2008

no no no, the point is that he is not one of us.
The point is that when he says, "middle-income america hurts"; To him it is just the same as saying "holland hurts" or "estonia hurts".
There.
I'm glad he has seven cars.
but my vote...

[BeLeather]

12:32 PM on 09/24/2008

To be fair, they do have like a billion children. Maybe they have a car for each of their children.

[nocomme]

12:24 PM on 09/24/2008

I find this very disturbing. I would feel much better about him if, in his personal life, he was very poor and driving a real clunker. How can anybody be expected to vote for a man who has been personally successful???

Vote Obama. He can afford less than McCain!!!

[firelord5000]

11:40 AM on 09/24/2008

Ahh the horror, he owns 12 cars?!?! Zomg the world is crumbling, how dare he use his money!! Go to China if you have problems with a person owning 12 cars.

[BRT]

02:08 PM on 09/24/2008

The issue is one of ecology and social justice. Cindy McCain demonstrates service and one could not say that the McCains are not social justice participants. Also, look at the cars.... they are buckets.
None the less excess has its own symbolic representation in a country where some individuals must sleep under the freeway every night.

[Notetoself]

05:09 AM on 09/25/2008

Of course McCain demonstrates social justice. That is why he has adopted his children. That is why he has given more to charity than Obama and Biden combined. Not to mention the service that very few others have given to their country.
So many have had it drilled in their socialist heads that rich means evil...NOT SO!

[MTNester02]

10:49 AM on 09/24/2008

Things are not always as they appear. Does Obama have a driver? Does Mom-in-law have a car that they use to transport the little ones? Barack & Michele are not sitting around evenings coordinating schedules to see who is going to use the car and when. Please...

[FirstShirt]

09:55 AM on 09/24/2008

If this is the best you can do you are truly pathetic. Making money is not a bad thing. Even communitsts in the Soviet Union lived high on the hog [if you were a party member, of course]. Gratuitous purchasing is your right. I imagine if we looked in the closet of some of the McCAin critics we would see some odd or outrageous purchases. So what? Buy all the shoes you want.

[stky6]

04:46 PM on 09/24/2008

"Even communitsts in the Soviet Union lived high on the hog [if you were a party member, of course]. "

I really don't see anything that needs to be added to this comment...it says it all.

[itzvik]

03:34 AM on 09/24/2008

I really don't see what the big deal is on how many cars or houses the McCain's own. This indicitive of a man who has done something right. This is what all Americans strive for success, prosperity and the American way. This is capitalism at it's finest. And I am a Democrat. Though even at this moment I still have no idea who I will be vothing for, but I will be wearing my Team Hillary t-shirt when I punch that candidates name!

[ctekin]

03:45 AM on 09/24/2008

I agree with your opinion of the car ownership. I do not hold success or marrying rich or whatever against the man. And frankly, the cars that he and his wife own are very modest for extremely wealthy people.

But moreover, I must respond to your comment about being undecided and a Hillary supporter. You supported Hillary, and apparently still do, yet remain undecided? You are actually considering McCain?

Please tell me, do you have any understanding whatsoever of Hillary Clinton's political ideology? If you do, I find it hard to fathom that you have not yet made up your mind. Or perhaps you never knew what you were supporting in the first place. Do you want the candidate who is ideologically nearly identical to Hillary, or would you like the candidate that is diametrically opposed?

The choice is yours. And for all of our sake, please choose wisely.

[Notetoself]

05:12 AM on 09/25/2008

Or better yet, choose the wiser candidate.

[PADebbie]

05:36 AM on 09/24/2008

That is so true........my husband is a car collector.........(actually they are lawn ornaments lol)
I am not jealous of a man's sucess in life, that means he has done something right.
Only you can decide who you will vote for, make sure you search all opinions. Thank goodness we still have alternative opinions of news sources.
LOL About you wearing your Hillary T-Shirt when you vote!!!! I think that is GREAT!!!!

[TomTheGeologist]

01:09 AM on 09/24/2008

Holy Great Geysers of Liberal Guilt... I work, have a nice home, 2 children, 2 cars, one SUV, a boat, an ATV, a motorcycle... I'm middle class, I've made my lifestyle choice - I enjoy the outdoors and weekends on the lake with my family. I pay for it, it's my choice - some of the responses on this post make me wonder if I'll be a criminal in the near future....

Anyone but McCain/Obama '08
(PAUL!)

[FirstShirt]

09:57 AM on 09/24/2008

Good for you. More power to you. Obama will make you a patriot and tax you to oblivion.

McCain/Palin 08

[Brute]

07:50 PM on 09/23/2008

Wouldn't you think Obama, being a Harvard graduate, could afford a second car?

What the hell did they teach him up there?

[LAThinker]

08:27 PM on 09/23/2008

I guess you can say Public Service, can you imagine that from an "Elitists"?

http://www.ucubd.com/Index.aspx?id=739&cid=3147

[Brute]

08:50 PM on 09/23/2008

No kidding?

Is that what Obama told you as he uncorked a $1,000.00 bottle from his 600 bottle wine cellar in the basement of his gated $1.65 MILLION mansion?

He’s a pompous, elitist ass...... just like the rest of them.

Worst, he's a HYPOCRITICAL pompous ass.

[FirstShirt]

09:58 AM on 09/24/2008

Yeah, the Weather Underground were elitists, if you like domestic terrorists. His buds.

[Jen P LR]

07:30 PM on 09/23/2008

Obama's 340 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque is an environmental damaging piece of crap. Oh, and he reported $4.2 million in income in 2007. If we're trying to justify the 'average man' scenario by the number of cars he owns, that's off to a bad start. Some friends of mine lived next door to him. He owns more cars, they just transferred titles to make it appear as if he had one and then leaked this 'genius' idea to the press to write a story about how he has one. Way.To.Go. ::Slow Clapping::

[Brute]

07:39 PM on 09/23/2008

Maybe Obama joins Al God......I mean Al Gore, on his 100 foot carbon spewing yacht when he visits Tennessee.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

NOT ELITIST!

[generationyes]

09:35 PM on 09/23/2008

Right again.

[Cybersquirt]

08:48 PM on 09/23/2008

ROFL

Don't let facts get in your way. If they do, make up a plausible story. Yeah, that's the ticket..

Obama also wrote a book that generated quite a bit of income.. oh, and that'd be COMBINED income.. I'm waiting for Cindy to release her tax returns but she won't... now why is that, you think?

Try again.

[Brute]

09:00 PM on 09/23/2008

Correction:

Obama wrote TWO books..........about himself.

Not elitist.

[Roxanna]

04:29 PM on 09/23/2008

I Love This !!!!

[Brute]

07:42 PM on 09/23/2008

Thanks Roxanna.

I always laugh at Al Gore.

[generationyes]

09:36 PM on 09/23/2008

Maniacal laughter?

[WiltonDiary]

06:24 AM on 09/24/2008

Of course you laugh at Al Gore, you're ignorant!

[janellrcarter1]

02:26 PM on 09/23/2008

The McCains own 7 to 10 houses (he doesn't know for sure). The Obamas own one. The McCains own 13 cars. The Obamas own one. The McCains (or rather wife, Cindy) own their own private jet plane. The Obamas own none. McCain wife Cindy wears an outfit to his acceptance speech worth $300,000 -- what's that? twice as much as most people's houses?? And which of these presidential candidates identify with the average guy and gal?

[Redrover666]

02:50 PM on 09/23/2008

McCain.

Obama thinks they are a bunch of ignorany, bible hugging, gun toting xenophobes.

[Cybersquirt]

09:01 PM on 09/23/2008

McCain. the one who's been a part of the very congress he's now complaining about, his deregulation now regulation ideas, his $400,000 pair of loafers, and his heiress wife?

That McCain?

LMFAO

[Brute]

07:45 PM on 09/23/2008

Poor Obama crying poor mouth.

Does this mean he will be applying for public assistance?

He should try to pick up some extra cash to help out his family; maybe collect discarded aluminum cans or washing dishes to try to keep up with his expenses.