McCain vs. Obama: House Party 7 (or 8)
Posted: Friday, August 22, 2008 9:19 AM by Mark Murray
The Washington Post front-pages that McCain’s “inability to recall the number of homes he owns during an interview yesterday jeopardized his campaign's carefully constructed strategy to frame Democratic rival Barack Obama as an out-of-touch elitist and inspired a round of attacks that once again ratcheted up the negative tone of the race for the White House.” More: “For a Democratic candidate suffering from a barrage of attacks on his ‘celebrity,’ McCain's inability to recall the scope of his family holdings was a timely break.”
The Los Angeles Times: “For Democrats, the kerfuffle carried a clear whiff of payback. Four years ago, Republicans turned a harsh spotlight on the five homes owned by the Democratic nominee, Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry, and his heiress wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry. For Republicans, it was deja vu of another kind. Last month, one of McCain's top economic advisors, former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, was forced to resign from the campaign after he told a newspaper that the United States was "a nation of whiners" who were suffering a "mental recession" over the economy.”
Last night, the McCain campaign released a response ad that played the Tony Rezko card. “Barack Obama knows a lot about housing problems. One of his ‘biggest fundraisers’ helped him buy his million-dollar mansion. Purchasing part of the property he couldn't afford.”
The DNC, meanwhile, pounces yet again on McCain’s multiple houses with a Web video that contains man-on-the-street interviews with people who all know how many homes they own.
Politico puts the number of McCain’s properties at eight, not seven. “John McCain's family owns at least eight properties — not the seven Democrats are alleging or the four McCain's staff identified — according to a Politico analysis of property and tax records, as well as interviews. The presumptive Republican nominee, though, may have some wiggle room in explaining why he couldn't immediately provide an answer when asked by Politico how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own. Sen. McCain himself does not own any of the properties. They're all owned by Cindy McCain, her dependent children and the trusts and companies they control.” (Just asking, but isn’t that even worse for John McCain, perception-wise?)
More from Politico: “The heightened scrutiny on the candidates’ personal wealth reflects voter anxiety over the still-struggling economy. The issue has particular resonance as the subprime crisis continues to move through the market, forcing a growing number of homeowners into foreclosure. The campaigns — aware that some of the highest foreclosure rates are in key swing states such as Ohio and Florida — jumped on the issue with a vengeance.”
The New York Times also uses the back-and-forth over McCain’s homes to highlight both candidates’ challenges in connecting with voters on the economy. “With both candidates convinced that financially pinched voters might hold the electoral key in November — especially in swing states like Ohio and Pennsylvania — Senators Obama and McCain are taking new, vivid steps to empathize with struggling middle-class and working-class Americans, a tricky task given their own personal wealth.”
