2008 The Housing Boom
posted by on August 21 at 10:40 AM
Meaning, the sound of both the Obama and McCain campaigns going nuclear over the issue of how many homes the Republican candidate owns and whether he can even remember them all. (He can’t.)
This has the potential to be a big—maybe devastating—moment for McCain. And it’s a huge opportunity for Obama. Team Obama knows this, which is why they’ve followed up their tough new commercial with a series of attempts to escalate the issue. There was this from the candidate himself this morning:
And then the Obama campaign announced it would be holding press conferences in front of homes around the country to amplify the message that while Americans are hurting because of the housing crunch and the economy in general, McCain can’t even remember how many homes he owns. After which I promptly received an email from the Washington State Obama campaign calling my attention to the issue.
This is how you deliberately whip up a media shit-storm, and the Obama campaign is making no effort to hide the fact that that’s exactly what it’s trying to do. No surprise, then, that the McCain camp is hitting back so hard:
Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses? Does a guy who worries about the price of arugula and thinks regular people ‘cling’ to guns and religion in the face of economic hardship really want to have a debate about who’s in touch with regular Americans?
But, um, wasn’t it John McCain who said at the recent Saddleback forum that you’re not rich unless you make $5 million? By that standard, Obama (who made only $4 million last year) is not the guy the McCain camp wants you to think he is.
Look, in reality, both of these guys are rich. But in a fight over who’s wealthier, and who made his money the easy way (McCain, by marrying into it) as opposed to the hard way (Obama, by writing a great memoir), I think it’s pretty clear that Obama wins. And on the more basic issue of not being able to remember how many homes you own—that’s just bad in so many ways for McCain (highlighting his age, his admitted lack of interest in economics, and his actual lifestyle) that Obama, who only owns one home, albeit a very fancy one, has little to worry about in escalating this further.
Juuyeaah writing a memoir is soooooooo brilliant. GREAT MEMOIR hhhuunnnn. Nuuuuhhh nuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Nuuuuuuuuuuuhhhrrrrrrrrrrr.
The issue isn't about who is richer. It's about McCain being out of touch. He thinks the economy is fine, that $5M/year is middle class, and doesn't know how many houses he owns.
Writing a memoir or being a golddigger?
It's good if Obama can keep spinning themes out of this. This could be a gift that keeps on giving. To wit:
1) McCain is really old and forgets stuff.
2) McCain has had a pretty easy life inside the Senate bubble.
3) Life keeps getting easier for the rich, especially with all the help the Republicans give.
4) Working your way to wealth is good.
5) When Democrats are in office, the non-rich do pretty well.
All the above have the virtue of being true. Then it's time to give people the thought of McCain hovering over the nuclear button, trembling and sweating with rage.
Obama should hold a press conference in front of every house that McCain owns.
His campaign should issue a commercial with clips of McCain talking about $5 million marker.
Obama should be proud to help America understand that McCain is the representative of elitism and divisive politics.
If not now, when?
A little off topic, but does Hawaii even have private beaches?
I'm with #8. My understanding is that the state of Hamaii recognizes all its beaches as public.
Heck, you expect McCain to keep track of how many houses he owns?
He can't even remember if being rich is $5 million a year or $8 million a year.
So to all you strapped $4 million a year earners - McCain thinks you're Middle Class.
LOL.
@6, @7: they are all public. Access can be a challenge sometimes, but they are all public. The only exception I can think of is Ni'ihau, which is entirely privately owned and is restricted to native Hawai'ians only.
it seems that being well off doesn't automatically get you labeled as elite and out of touch. both bush and clinton are wealthy, but they get passes on not being elite. i almost think mccain not knowing the number of houses he has isn't as bad as him having $500 loafers (in the eyes of the average voter).
because said fictional average voter is concerned with the candidate being "on of us". is he "one of us" or not? obama already has an uphill battle with this crowd. on the bright side, bush beat mccain eight years ago because mccain isn't as likable - if you can imagine it!
the trick to convince that type of voter that he's not one of you...
i really couldn't care less about using how many houses john mccain owns as a tool to evaluate his economic policy. if anything, it's a sign of his success-in-law.
john mccain says the economy is fine... but ask yourself... is it?
john mccain says the war in iraq is going well... but ask yourself... is it?
john mccain paints obama as an out-of-touch elitist... but who is wealthier? try walking in his shoes indeed! you cannot afford to.
no, john mccain already has seven houses he cannot manage to keep track. let's not give him an eighth he can't manage...
also, it'd be great if obama could get mccain to blow his top in a debate. it might backfire and paint mccain as more human. but i'm thinking he'll say something that will get him into hot water.
Americans Vote for millionaires/billionaires to govern them and then whine and bitch about how the rich live and govern! Well fuckin gheezuz keerist how dumb can the American populace get? When some low brow working class person runs for office no one takes them seriously because they don't seem to have the right background. What will it be America, rich folks running the show or the common man? You get to vote on that.
only a simpleton thinks the at large American cares how many houses rich people own
and marying money is considered very wise, lots of good terms for it and she is fuckable to boot
this seems to be the original amateur hour hour when it comes to political discourse
Which is worse? Not remembering the number of homes you own or not remembering hearing seething anti-American racist rhetoric from your preacher for the last 20 years?
If this critique of McCain being Richy McForgetsalot can be tied in to actual policy -- the effect eight years of Republican tax-everybody-but-the-rich-while-running-up-enormous-deficit policies have had on the working class, then it will be a slam-dunk. Pointing out the obvious fact that the policies McCain is championing have been tried and failed miserably and tying that in with the character attacks that the American electorate can't seem to get enough of is a winning strategy.
@12:
They might not care how many houses a rich person owns, but, I'll be they care about the fact that rich person's memory is so faulty he himself CAN'T REMEMBER how many houses he (i.e. his wife) owns.
@9: "native hawaiians" as in you were born there (which would include many ethnicities), or that you have to be 100% polynesian? that's a pretty remarkable (and lawsuit-baiting) admission policy.
Fuck.
If I were Obama, I'd move heaven and earth to delay announcing my VP choice until Monday.
You really want this story to hang in the news as long as possible.
Obama needs to hit back on those vacation Hawaii charges too. Last I checked vacationing with you under-12 year old kids to see your housebound 86 year old grandmother isn't a bad thing. Plus, Hawaii ain't exclusive for American travellers anymore John. It probably ranks 3rd after Disneyland and Vegas as All-American vacation. You're showing your age if you think Hawaii is "elitist". Maybe in 1950 it was.
Republicans scream against class warfare because they know it works wonderfully. They've used it effectively for 25 years with "intellectual elitism" instead of good old-fashioned class warfare. As many ads featuring Cindy McCain's flippant remarks about buying a private jets or McCain saying you have to have 5 million to be rich as possible for the Dems I say. The fact that Obama is rich is irrelevant (populist champion of the working man FDR made Obama look like a pauper), the narrative needs to be spun that McCain/Bush are completely callous and removed from the economic recession.
Barack has never said he wasn't rich, but he did grow up poor, which is more than can be said for McCain, Cheney, and Bush.
@2 and @5 tied for the win.
It looks like an easy win for Obama, but the blowback potential is substantial.
1. McCain's detailed accounting will show the answer to be less clear-cut and more sympathetic than the flash impression (which may nevertheless catch on with late night comedians).
2. Obama went off base saying he only "has" one house. (He has more than one home.)
3. The previous Democratic nominee was in a situation very similar to McCain's -- only on a much higher plateau. (Likewise many of the figures that will mount the podium in Denver next week.)
4. Playing the "common touch card" drags the spotlight to themes on which McCain may score more heavily than Obama.
@16, I'm guessing the keyword there was "private", as in "not government owned", as in "you must be a scientologist to visit the scientologist ranch". If it's private, they can admit whoever they please on whatever racist criteria they choose.
I can imagine it. On a personal level, Bush is a very likable guy, at least according to people I know who have met him. Sociopaths can be very charming.
Obama should figure out a way to work the $5 mil remark from McCain into the debates. Something like, "Well, since I only made $4 million last year, according to Senator McCain, I'm not rich."
The straight talk express bus tour of the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous featuring the homes (including beachfront condos) of the John and Zsa Zsa McCain.
How many American "whiners" will tune in to watch? How many people will get at least somewhat disgusted with McCain as he starts to get defensive and angrier at Obama for highlighting his opponents achilles heel.
McCain set the standard. Now he has to live with it.
What I wanna know is when the 3:00 a.m. phone call comes in, how are they gonna know where to route it?
infrequent @10: "john mccain already has seven houses he cannot manage to keep track. let's not give him an eighth he can't manage"
That is a great fucking tag line. The Obama campaign should so totally use some iteration of that in their ads.
@16: the island is 100% privately owned by one family.
And restrictions on native lands are not "racist"; they are cultural preservatives. Hawaiians in this context are similar to Indians on the mainland, who get to say what happens on their reservations.
@13: Ouch. That is the sickest burn on Obama yet.
Please don't let the Republicans use that quote, k?
@27: where did i say it was rascist?
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