Posted on 08/21/2008 1:36:26 PM PDT by Schnucki
Republican candidate Senator John McCain scored perhaps the biggest own goal of the US presidential campaign so far when he admitted that he did not know how many houses he owned.
For a candidate who portrays himself as a man of the people the blunder was potentially hugely damaging, coming at a time when many Americans are struggling with rising inflation, energy costs and unemployment.
Asked about his properties on the campaign trail, Mr McCain told Politico.com: "I think - I'll have my staff get to you. It's condominiums where - I'll have them get to you."
The senator and his wife Cindy, a wealthy heiress, own at least four properties. Their main house is a lodge in an exclusive resort district in Sedona, Arizona. They also own one or two apartments in the state capital Phoenix and properties in California and Virginia. Other estimates have put their total residences at seven.
The McCains' wealth had already emerged as a factor in the campaign after the senator, who turns 72 on Friday half-jokingly said at the weekend that only anyone earning over $5 million could be considered rich. That is $1 million less than the amount Mrs McCain earned in interest on her assets in 2006. Estimated to be worth $100 million, she controls her late father's Budweiser distributorship based in Arizona, one of the largest in the country.
But his new faux-pas provided a ready gift to his Democratic opponent Senator Barack Obama, whose supporters have been unnerved as Mr McCain has against expectations drawn level in opinion polls, and who has laboured to convince voters he can improve their standard of living.
Speaking on the economy to voters in Virginia, Mr Obama said there was "a fundamental gap of understanding between John McCain's world and what people are
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Very good - but do the republicans have the guts to run the ads?
Very good - but do the republicans have the guts to run the ads?
HE’S THE RICHEST!!! NO HE’S THE RICHEST!!!! WAAAHHHH!!
WHY doesn’t McCain jump on HIS counting. Didn’t Obama count 57 states in one speech? Gosh! That guy is ARROGANT!!!
The race card didn't work well enough; trying the class envy card.
McC shoud reply with an ad showing his aunt in front of her house juxtaposed with Hussein’s half-brother by his hut in Kenya and just say that the McCain family believes in taking care of its members.
McCain should also perhaps start a trust fund to send O’Bama’s half brother a monthly stipend of sufficient to live in Kenya’s economy with some minimal comfort. I would bet $100 a month would do it. He should say that it is unseemly that the brother of an American Presidential Candidate should have to live in squalor.
Not necessarily “out of touch” in not knowing how his policies would affect the working folks but rather understanding and willing to sacrifice them to the Greater Good of the upper class Urbanites who are fighting for the common man.
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