Also, Obama got his money from a book that he personally wrote.  He didn't marry into it.  

The Obama campaign just struck gold. Expect to hear this all the way to November.

Concerning McCain's original non-response, the "I'll have my staff get back to you" is a very nice touch.

How would John McCain deal with Vladimir Putin when he has to refer to staff to answer the question "How many houses do you own?"

I see that the Obama campaign has just launched a TV spot based on this and I think it's pretty devastating. Especially in its summation:

www.youtube.com/watch

In the interesting political book "Makers and Takers", the author tries to make the point that Republicans donate more money to the poor than Democrats (trying to make up for Bush, Jr. wanting to enact deep cuts in the LIHEAP program?), but his logic is iffy in that he avers that Bush, Jr. gave more than John Edwards with Edwards being richer when that's not the case -- the author conveniently leaves out all the money Bush, Jr. has with the vastly-rich Bush dynasty. It's just so palpably absurd that so many Republican voters buy into this "it's only Democrat candidates who're rich" malarky. Seriously, they're so much like overly-obedient pod people from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".

I bet my next paycheck that there are going to be lame retorts by Republicans citing John Edwards's mansion and the like, even if that has absolutely nothing to do with McCain's laughable gaffe.

BHL: pretty good and the summation is awesome.

Bone: The McCains exemply the best in America, the true conservative, traditional America that we know and love.  You remember the old adage: there are two ways to money, inherit it or marry into it?  Well, what better demonstration of it than the McCains?  Isn't this the dream of every American?

"My friends, don't listen to the elitists who earn money by writing books - BOOKS - that only other elitists read.  I came to my seven houses the hard way: I earned it by running after an heiress around a cocktail lounge, instead of by *writing* [Homer Simpson mocking tone] a *book*."

If I don't eat any arugula, can I have one of McCain's houses?

So was FDR out of touch with the common man because he owned numerous estates and was a wealthy patrician?  I'm not sure this has the traction the Dems think it has.   People with money, like Bill Gates, can still come across as caring about the problems of the world.  It is the character the man, not the content of his bank account, that will ultimately come across.  This is a continual problem with the Obama campaign--they won't or can't impeach McCain's character directly so they flail about with this type of abstract nonsense.  McCain's living the American dream, and they mock it!

Quoted:  (Indeed, by McCain's own definition, Obama is not rich.)

- - -

I hate it when my side plays dumb.  McCain made a joke and then immediately said that he was sure people would take the joke out of context and use it to attack him.  And guess what?  They did!  

Please, please, please, TNR:  don't be dumb.

After the past few days, this is what I needed to see.  THIS is punching back.  

And relief washed over me... in a truly awesome wave.

Kaine was pretty devastating on CNN today in talking about the fact that McCain didn't know how many houses he owns.  "He can't count high enough apparently," said Kaine. Bodes well if he's picked for VP.

"Does a guy who worries about the price of arugula" ...

I don't know - is it sound for McCain to say this, when the easy come back would be, "Obama might *worry* about the price of salad, but does McCain even know the price of mac and cheese?"

Is this really a debate the guy who's married to an heiress should be getting into?  Who's advising the comm people on this?

McCain's comment is such a gift because you can read it two ways: either (1) he's so rich and out of touch that he leaves it to his staff to keep track of details like how many houses he has, or (2) he's so senile that he can't even remember how many houses he has.  

Cal80: "McCain's living the American dream, and they mock it!"

You've officially become a caricature of yourself.  Yeah, the American "dream" is to chase an heiress with a sick wife at home, dumpt the wife and marry the heiress.  I somehow doubt that even McCain would be that stupid to characterise his life as the "American dream".  And your reference to "People with money, like Bill Gates" could not be less apt; Bill Gates MADE billions and donated most of it to a charitable foundation; McCain is living OFF OF a charitable foundation, called "Wife's Trust Fund".  Let McCain fight on that ground; he will lose.  

In any event, there are one million homes in foreclosure; some ten million more are valued less than their mortgage; you think in this climate, people admire a man who does not know how many houses he has?

phargle: Which was McCain's joke, the $5 million or not knowing how many houses?  Could you provide the link to demonstrate that this was yet another attempt at "injecting humour" into the campaign?

prnoonan: You want to know how quick Obama was?  No "ums" and "uhs" or telepromTers; this is on the stump:

====

"Yesterday, [John McCain] was asked again what do you think about the economy, he said I think the economy is fundamentally strong," said Obama. "Now this puzzled me. I was confused what he meant. But then there was another interview where 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.' True quote. 'I'm not sure ill have to check with my staff.' So they asked his staff and they said, 'at least four.' At least four. Now think about that. I guess if you think that being rich means you make $5 million and if you don't know how many houses you have then it is not surprising that you think the economy is fundamentally strong. But if you are like me and you've got one house, or if you are like the millions of people struggling now to keep up with your mortgage payments, you might have a different perspective. By the way the answer is John McCain has seven homes."

====

I'm waiting for Crowley to come up with a reason why this is a losing proposition and will end up seriously harming Obama.

This is no slam-dunk for Obama. Question is, what percentage of Americans think owning several houses is a bad thing in a President? I suspect that many Americans will equate it with success, and they will equate success with deserved success, whether that success is deserved or not.

Culture war is tricky. It's hard to criticize a situation that most Americans, truth be told, would be pleased as punch to find themselves in, whether they're there or not. Indirectly you're criticizing the envy of your audience.

[Disclaimer: if somebody gives me five houses, I'll keep them. So sue me.]

And your audience is just a bunch of hard-working regular guys and gals who will swear on Mom's grave that they wouldn't become out of touch if they were in McCain's shoes, so why should McCain automatically be out of touch? It's a lot easier to pin "elitist" on somebody who's well-educated, or stylish, or famous, than it is to pin it on somebody who's rich, because a hell of a lot of drab anonymous folks with mediocre educations are rich, and everybody knows plenty of them.

Like Joe Walsh sings in "Life's Been Good," "Everybody's so different; I haven't changed." Hell, from certain angles McCain even *looks* like Joe Walsh--a couple of goofy white-haired old rich white guys.

He's cut!  The Russian's cut!  Oh, and it's a bad cut!

cal80,

Here's the ginormous difference between McCain and FDR:

FDR never ever attempted to try and portray his opponents as elitist.

Williamyard,

You ask, "what percentage of Americans think owning several houses is a bad thing in a President?"

How about a different question: "what percentage of Americans think that a president who owns so many houses that HE CAN'T KEEP TRACK OF THEM is going to look out for their interest?"

williedeford-

You write: "McCain's comment is such a gift because you can read it two ways: either (1) he's so rich and out of touch that he leaves it to his staff to keep track of details like how many houses he has, or (2) he's so senile that he can't even remember how many houses he has."

There's at least one other way to read this: that McCain knows how many houses he has, but was embarrassed to admit it (especially as he's been attacking Obama for being rich and out of touch).

_______________________________________________________________________________

williamyard-

You write: "Question is, what percentage of Americans think owning several houses is a bad thing in a President? I suspect that many Americans will equate it with success. . "

I would agree with you, Mr. Yard, if McCain had owned up to his own wealth and admitted how many houses he has. (Mike Bloomberg in NYC, for instance, readily acknowledges his own wealth, and very few here fault him for it.)

But John McC said he didn't remember how many houses he owns, and I would argue that many voters will see this as being sly and calculating and dishonest. It also smacks of elitism, in that McCain might have been hiding this (or so the perception might be), because he secretly thinks he's better than the rest of us BECAUSE he has all of these houses, and all of that money. And this, I would argue, is what tears at middle class and blue collar voters: when someone thinks his wealth makes him better than you--or fears that you would think that it does, and therefore lies about, or forgets, just how many houses he owns.

BHLnyc,  I'm not sure I understand your point.  FDR was a member of the elite, but still connected to everyday people.  This was part of his success and why he rolled over his opponents without much of a fight.

I will not claim that McCain has that level of charm, but he does connect with the average voter as more "presidential" than Obama, who comes off to many as aloof and professorial.  Attacking  the number of houses (actually they are mostly condos, not homes) McCain owns really enforces that elitist view that the rich are the cause of all evil in society.  We've have a lot more military presidents than professor presidents for a reason--people connect to them better.  Woodrow Wilson did not generate a lot of enthusiasm among the public.  Like it or not, that is the tag that has been attached to Obama.  I am not saying that I agree (and by the way I am one of those professors), I am simply an observer of political history.  

We can complain all we want that it is unfair, that we need more thoughtful leaders, but that does not change the way the deck is stacked.  Obama must learn to play with the cards he has been dealt rather than trying to bluff his way through with charges that most voters will not buy into.

"elitist view that the rich are the cause of all evil in society."

As it has been observed repeatedly, the word "elite" has officially become a cipher: an empty vessel into which one pours whatever negative meaning one wants.  And this particular line is among the more ludicrous I have ever seen.

"Obama must learn to play with the cards he has been dealt rather than trying to bluff his way through with charges that most voters will not buy into."

Right.  How dare the N****r rise above his station and try to use cards that he has not been allowed to play?  The presumptuousness of the man, to quote McCain verbatim and charge McCain with being "out of touch", simply because McCain allegedly "connect[s] with the average voter as more "presidential" than Obama."  Uppity fool, Obama.

Wow.

Any way, a propos Joe, McCain could also have said, "I'm a public servant; but my wife owns several houses, as we have already disclosed in our tax returns.  You can get those details from our disclosures."

And leave it at that.  He is either senile or cynical.  Either way, this is exactly where he should be hit.

JoeC,

What McCain has going for him in this debate is that forgetting how many houses he has is a gaffe, and he's already proven himself a Biden-worthy gaffe machine. If this is the first time he's fucked up, well, yeah, maybe he's being devious. But McCain can easily sell this as McCain Being McCain--a few kernels short of a cob. You haven't proven intent to confuse, IMHO.

And I think it's a stretch to interpret McCain taking his good fortune too lightly as a feeling of superiority. In fact, the opposite can easily be construed.

Personally, I'm frequently in positions where I feel blessed to have what I have. I have to watch my mouth so I don't inadvertently denigrate someone in comparison. I have a nice home, a great job, a loving, sane, and healthy family, and reasonably good health myself. I'm the luckiest bastard east of Neptune. I will therefore sometimes try humor or to shrug off a comment that draws attention to my blessings or I'll try to change the subject.

Sure, McCain could be the sly hardened pol who slipped up and revealed his disdain for the "little people." OTOH he could just as easily be trying to slip a question that embarrasses him because he *knows* he's blessed.

Plenty of gray area, and I bet the only voters who won't give him the benefit of the doubt on this one are voters he stands no chance of winning, anyway. The battle is for the undecideds/independents, and they don't give a shit how many houses McCain has any more than they care about Obama's dealings with William Ayers.

I'll rethink this if I see it as part of a pattern of McCain "elitism." Pinning McCain as elitist is gonna be a tough sell, though, considering the guy willingly turned down release from a POW cell for egalitarian reasons. Being a noble POW doesn't make him a foreign policy whiz (he's not, which is one reason why lately I'm leaning Obama) but it sure as hell doesn't make him an elitist.

Personally I think having 10 houses is an obscenity. At most I could see a cabin or beach condo that people get away to when they get the chance, but what the hell use does anyone have for 10 houses?

It is appalling to me that people who claim to be Christian ignore one of Christ's most definitive statements Matthew 19:24 "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

I noticed how even McCain's view of Christianity was transactional, that it means he is saved and forgiven. Christianity summed up as believe in Jesus and he will give you things. Living Christianity is meant to be hard, if you aren't living Christianity hard, you aren't Christian. McCain isn't remotely Christian. Republicans seem to think Christ calls on us to be good, but anyone could be good, he calls on us to be great, and being great means not living like some Sultan, being great means living modestly, it means not cheating on your wife and dumping her for an heiress.

Obama, at least, has a vision of making life better for the vast majority of us, including the least of us.

I have no idea what vision McCain has.

Cal80, FDR basically mortgaged himself up to the hilt to provide a health care resort for polio sufferers. He learned from his suffering, McCain has seemed to learn only that he is due.

By now, it's quite possible the vice presidential nomination is a done deal: Barack Obama has already

I think Obama is striking the correct tone in this line of attack; he's not going after McCain for being rich or having 7 houses, but the answer he gave and what it suggests about the candidate.

It is no slam dunk, as Will pointed out, but I think it can give new weight in other areas, especially perhaps the "favorability" ratings.

Cal80:

Let me spell it out for you, since connecting the dots seems to be above your pay grade.

It's hypocritical for McCain to cast his opponent -- one of the least wealthy members of the Senate and a guy who, until not so long ago, was still paying off student loans -- as an "elitist," when he's got so many homes (and yes, a condo can be a home) that he has to turn to his staff for help in counting them.

I'm not saying that it's impossible for the wealthy to connect with commonfolk, but don't go throwing stones at the other guy when you're living a life that's unimaginable to all but the tiniest fraction of Americans.

Williamyard says "The battle is for the undecideds/independents, and they don't give a shit how many houses McCain has any more than they care about Obama's dealings with William Ayers."

Again, it's not that McCain has a lot of houses that makes him elitist. It's the RESPONSE to the question that's so bad. If you have more homes than you can count -- and have to rely on your staff to keep it straight -- it you're clearly in a realm that's unimaginable to most Americans.

Let's remember that George H.W. Bush was badly damaged by his unfamiliarity with a supermarket scanner. Losing track of your homes smells far more elitist.

Bit of a low blow on his second marriage Black, but when you're good you're great.

McCain's a Champagne Christian all right; Jesus as NPV.

williamyard-

You write: "What McCain has going for him in this debate is that forgetting how many houses he has is a gaffe, and he's already proven himself a Biden-worthy gaffe machine. If this is the first time he's fucked up, well, yeah, maybe he's being devious. But McCain can easily sell this as McCain Being McCain--a few kernels short of a cob."

Okay, Mr. Yard, I agree: painting McCain as a rich snob who deliberately lied about how many houses he owns may be a hard sell. But as for the widely held perception that he's a "few kernels short of a cob," I don't see how this helps John McC.

In fact, it appears that the Obama camp may be pushing this meme, as part of the effort to paint McCain as out of touch, doddering, senile.

Here's Crowley over at the Stump: "A friend emails arguing that Obama's new attack ad about McCain's homes 'is clearly meant to raise the age issue.' On second viewing, I'd say it does arguably press the senility button: 'Asked how many houses he has, McCain lost track. He couldn't remember.' That's rather more loaded than just saying, 'McCain wasn't sure.'"

In other words, the Obama attack (iin ads and elsewhere) appears to work on several levels at once:

1. McCain is out of touch with average Americans because he's losing his grasp of simple facts like how many houses he has.

2. McCain is out of touch with average Americans because he's rich and thinks the economy is just fine.

3. McCain is duplicitous for describing Obama as a rich celebrity, when McCain has more money, more homes (so many he can't remember them all), and arguably just as high a celebrity status.

All of which is to say, this is the kind of gaffe that provides the Obama camp with a nice, fat target.