Those McCain Houses... Why They Don't Matter

The problem with John McCain and his houses is not that he has them or doesn't know how many he has. It's that most Americans aspire to be so lucky, to have his wealth.

So to belabor the point that McCain doesn't know how many houses he has - while it's witty and cute for the moment - shows a misunderstanding of 'the psychology' of how many Americans think. Americans want to be rich, they want to be so fortunate that they don't know how many houses they have.

A good example of the gap between how Democrats think and the reality of our culture is this exchange from "The Larry King Live" show, between King, Bobby Jindal and Bill Richardson:

KING: And John McCain answered, governor, does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from a vacation on a private beach in Hawaii, bought his own million dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon, really want to get into a debate about houses? How do you respond, Governor Jindal, to all of that?

JINDAL: // I think what they really care about is how do they keep their own homes, how do they pay their mortgages, how they afford gas? What I think the candidates should be talking about is how do we get energy independence. I prefer Senator McCain's approach, with more domestic production, more nuclear, clean coal, conservation. Senator Obama has said he wants to raise taxes on gas on coal, on natural gas. He doesn't want more domestic production. He's against nuclear power for America.//

// KING: Do you think this house thing, Governor Richardson, has any traction?

RICHARDSON: It remains to be seen. I mean Senator McCain should know how many homes he has.

Richardson doesn't have a good comeback for Jindal, and Jindal is able to frame the issue in a way that makes McCain look good and Obama disconnected from the issues that people really care about.

So what might Richardson have said? Well, my problem with McCain, if I were to make the argument, is that he doesn't think about people like me.

And, here's a clip you've probably seen a few times, confusing key details about Iran: it hints at a certain laziness of mind. This kind of modus operandi from an influential person creates friction abroad because it says - I do not care. Even though I have access to a lot of information, I do not care to get the facts correct. I do not need to get the facts correct. And, it massages a feeling in all of us that we don't have to get the facts right. By setting this standard he conveys to us that none of us really need to know the facts. That maybe most of the time is good enough.

While it's arguable that a leader who comes up short, who has a flaw like this one, could surround himself with better men and women, wouldn't you rather someone who started out with better stuff to begin with?

Dems can capitalize on this. Because they seem to understand complication, nuance, and detail, they could play that strength. They could show that the other way of being in the world is dangerous. They could show how a simple-minded leader creates more chaos and how this type of person makes us less safe. They could show we need a leader to take us through chaos, not create more of it.

Comments

[alinvenice]

Wow. I just saw your webcast linked from airamerica. i'm now a fan. great job, great camerawork, keep the clock as-is (piqued my interest), great smile, smart as fu*k, terrific. Other than that it was okay.

[JulianJons]

The comment itself doesnt really matter, but McCain brought it up first. When he was way behind he decided to play dirty and called Obama an elitist, then a celebrity with the stupid and superficial ad. Now the house gaffe is also superficial and he is getting paid in kind. Now this gaffe also suggest that he is out of touch with the economy and does not understand what ordinary folks are going through.

This is also a very simple matter, easy to understand without complications. What's more, it is very exploitable like when Biden explained the 7 kitchens at the introduction rally. I hope the Obama folks never let go of this one because oh it is delicious and the jokes are going to be ten fold. I heard someone saying as a joke that Cindy called John on the phone and told him "I am home" to which he replied "which one"

So McCain minions said they will come back with Rezko. I really hope that Obama comes back with the Keating 5. They arent even in the same league.

[peachfuzz]

All affairs aside, it mattered how much John Edwards' ONE house cost.

The Right made a huge fuss over that. It must be the fantasy that the Right

has now that they can all marry fabulously wealthy women the second go around.

How admirable & reachable for them all and their current wives.

[army193]

It's just another part of framing McCain out of touch with Americans.

[castlerider]

Oh BS, it does too matter. And it matters a lot. It just simply shouldn't be used to dwell on, but rather brought up at the convenient moments when Americans need to be reminded of what an elitist really looks like.

[tbone99]

Americans see the rich as deservng and the poor as lazy . Multiple homes just gives McCain an aura of success and hardwork.

[momof3inGA]

As a victim of predatory lending, it pissed me off that McCain has so many homes, he doesn't know how many. The premise of Obama's ad is that McCain has repeatedly said in his own words "The Economy is Strong". The Richardson-Jindal exchange on CNN has little or no impact on the bigger argument that Obama is making -- while McCain and others like him sit on their wealth and repeatedly say "the economy is strong" -- we are hurting.

America isn't stupid.

[provgrays]

Oh, but it does matter.

Millions of Americans "aspire" to keep up with the mortgage, bills and car payments. The super rich don't pay bills. They have people to pay bills for them. If the majority of voters were wealthy by McCain's five million dollar standard, then the old man's gaffe wouldn't matter.

No amount of spin can keep this from haunting McCain between now and Election Day. Kerry had his windsurfing. McCain may well be sunk by his indifference to the real problems of most Americans.

[astheworldturns]

It does matter when all your economic policies favor those with that many houses over those stuggling to pay the rent.

[research]

It worked against Bush Sr.

[tbone99]

No- Bush Sr had never even seen a checkout counter!. ( now thats elitist) besides he was patrician and reserved- McCain is not. he seems folksy and a good ol' boy.

[S1m0n]

Actually, the source for that account was a pool reporter who wasn't part of the pool, that day. It's a made-up story. The reporter wasn't present, and made up that detail.

[maxwellinformed]

This is why Bill Richardson couldn't be president or VP. I like the guy but, he didn't have the verbal chops. I will never forget how he had the cajones to come out for Obama at a crucial time in the Primaries. But Bill Richardson's poor performance on Larry King doesn't change the fact that McCain has been exposed as the real elitist who can't even keep track of something simple as how many houses he owns. Or how many Cindy lets him know about.

[pfc1369]

I guess most Americans also aspire to be galactically stupid, too.

[tbone99]

They don't have to aspire - they already are.

[lynchzilla]

Logan, for Pete's sake, what's with this MTV camera work. All the jerky in and out zooming gives me vertigo. You've got a superior intellect and a supermodel's face, so why not zoom in to that pretty face and LEAVE IT THERE! Pssst --- keep on slamming it to Grandpa!

[jsinclair]

I disagree. The absurdity of not knowing how many HOMES you have and redirecting the question to your staff, isn't just funny.

It's highly symbolic of McCain's wealth and privilege (as you say), but also of his poor grasp of economic details, even in his own life. (His brother didn't help when he explained it by saying that their mother always handled the financial matters growing up, too, so it was normal for McCain to be uninvolved­.)

Regardless of whether they were jointly owned or owned in trust, he should have been able to answer the question. (And earlier he only owned up to "four", so what's up with that? Lying? Or trying to pass it off to staff so they can find a way to decrease it?)

He's playing games with us--or hoping his staff will shave off a few homes and, if caught later, he can blame it on THEM.

"How many homes do you have?" "I don't know".

It never gets old.

[criquet]

You are right on the money here.
The point is that McCain wants to paint Obama as a celebrity.
Obama has hit back hard here to say that McCain is so elite and out of touch he does not have to know how many houses or bother about finances.
He is not in tune with the current economic realities and so should not be elected.Th­ey're many subliminal messages being sent .
It's a smart ad.

[Pat15]

In the end it does not matter ...Repugs win the close elections and they have proved it ..The recipe is simple and it works on the simple minds of sheeps
Repugs hold this illusion of anyone can be rich by showing their rich friends and the dumb citizen buys it but take a hard look at how millions of americanslive paycheck to paycheck and dont have health insurance, savings and buried under debt.
Repug formula to win: They have the sheep under control thru such Hypocrites as Pat Roberston, Jim haggart, brother Paul and Dr.. Hagee.... They give tax breaks to the rich so they get contributions and have more money than Democrats .. They play dirty and have no limit to how low they can go .. They know the dumb americans will buy the 30 sec ads on TV ... The circle is complete ..
Dmeocrats use reasons, make rationale arguments but it does not register on the Joe who has 6-pack to finish & a Nascar race to go to ...or the football game ... The irony is that Joe votes against its own interests ...
On Mac: Repugs will do anything for their base no matter how low they have to stoop to ...However­, they will turn around then talk about Family values, God & that in their eyes balances everything ... Imagine this free spirit Staright Talk has stooped so low to sell his soul to the evangicals ...How hypocritical of him but Being Hypocritical