Why should I care.....

Yellow Ledbelly

how many houses a presidential candidate owns? I didn't realize it was a mystery that these guys have a boat load of money. So whether or not John McCain/Barack Obama has 20 houses shouldn't really matter in my decision-making process, should it? I don't see how it matters with all that is at stake in this election or any other election for that matter.

inmytree

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

how many houses a presidential candidate owns? I didn't realize it was a mystery that these guys have a boat load of money. So whether or not John McCain/Barack Obama has 20 houses shouldn't really matter in my decision-making process, should it? I don't see how it matters with all that is at stake in this election or any other election for that matter.

I would hope someone making economic decisions and choices that effect the future of our country would know about his own economics and finances....

is that too much to ask...?

Flannel Shirt

inmytree wrote:

I would hope someone making economic decisions and choices that effect the future of our country would know about his own economics and finances....

is that too much to ask...?

bingo.

I think Republicans are taking this point the wrong way. So what, hes rich. What politician isnt?

Point is, he doesnt have a fucking clue what is going on in his own life. Can you imagine, in your wildest dreams, not knowing how many homes you own? Seriously? WTF? They're homes!

Yellow Ledbelly

You're right. It is unfathomable for the average person not to know how many homes they own....that's true enough. But so what? Somehow a multi-millionaire not knowing how many homes he owns means he is unfit to be president....really? That has absolutely nothing to do with policy...and you make the argument that means he can't keep a handle on his own life because of that and that, in turn, means he could never be a good president? That's ridiculous. I heard someone say this morning in speculating who McCain's running mate will be that one "big strike" against a McCain/Romney ticket would be that they own 11 homes between them?

In a way, but not exactly the same, it's like Howard Dean's crazy yell. That yell killed his campaign basically....that's when he was totally written off anways. But what did that matter.....it had nothing to do with his ability to govern whatsoever

Julien

inmytree wrote:

I would hope someone making economic decisions and choices that effect the future of our country would know about his own economics and finances....

is that too much to ask...?

the president doesn't take the financial decisions alone.
Economists propose him different options/solutions and he has to choose between them...
The fact that he doesn't know whether he has 20 or 30 houses doesn't mean he's not good at taking the good decision. He has many houses but he's not bankrupt. that means he can manage his money...

whitepants

Those are Cindy's houses!

I'm sure John doesn't know how many pairs of shoes she has either!

Look, I'm not voting for McCain, and I sure as hell ain't voting for Obama, I'm just sick and tired of this crap this particular election. The pathetic nit piking is childish on everyone's part.

May the best fool win! :mad:

Yellow Ledbelly

whitepants wrote:

Those are Cindy's houses!

I'm sure John doesn't know how many pairs of shoes she has either!

Look, I'm not voting for McCain, and I sure as hell ain't voting for Obama, I'm just sick and tired of this crap this particular election. The pathetic nit piking is childish on everyone's part.

May the best fool win! :mad:

That's how I have felt about politics for some time now. It's all turned into a silly-ass circus like American Idol with delegates and electoral votes.

inmytree

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

You're right. It is unfathomable for the average person not to know how many homes they own....that's true enough. But so what? Somehow a multi-millionaire not knowing how many homes he owns means he is unfit to be president....really? That has absolutely nothing to do with policy...and you make the argument that means he can't keep a handle on his own life because of that and that, in turn, means he could never be a good president? That's ridiculous. I heard someone say this morning in speculating who McCain's running mate will be that one "big strike" against a McCain/Romney ticket would be that they own 11 homes between them?

In a way, but not exactly the same, it's like Howard Dean's crazy yell. That yell killed his campaign basically....that's when he was totally written off anways. But what did that matter.....it had nothing to do with his ability to govern whatsoever

if you already had your mind made up, why did you ask the question...?

Yellow Ledbelly

inmytree wrote:

if you already had your mind made up, why did you ask the question...?

I did already KNOW it is a stupid thing to base the ability of a candidate, but I asked so maybe someone possibly more informed than I could enlighten me....your explanation did not do so

jhinkle1114

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

how many houses a presidential candidate owns? I didn't realize it was a mystery that these guys have a boat load of money. So whether or not John McCain/Barack Obama has 20 houses shouldn't really matter in my decision-making process, should it? I don't see how it matters with all that is at stake in this election or any other election for that matter.

You should care because it points out the hypocrisy of McCain repeatedly calling Obama a celebrity and a "latte sipping elitist" who doesn't understand regular Americans.

Someone who can't even tell a reporter how many homes they own is clearly in no position to make that kind of argument. Particularly against an opponent who got everything through hard work from his grandparents, his mother and himself vs. someone who married into wealth.

As for owning multiple homes, no you really shouldn't care. It was just worthwhile for pointing out the silliness and desperation of McCain's campaign.

They can't win on the issues, people are sick of Bush and he's too close to Bush's view on nearly every issue, so they have to make silly attacks at Obama's character to have any chance.

inmytree

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

I did already KNOW it is a stupid thing to base the ability of a candidate, but I asked so maybe someone possibly more informed than I could enlighten me....your explanation did not do so

of course not, you already had your mind made up...don't lie, nothing would have swayed you...be honest...

anotherclone

Julien wrote:

that means he can manage his money...

Point of reference...it's not his money. it's Cindy's and I'm pretty sure neither one of them sits down with a checkbook and pays the bills. they probably pay an accountant to do that.

I don't give a rats ass about him being rich. But a person should either a) know how many houses they own or b) start taking ginko.

At best, he doesn't know how many houses he owns, at worst, he can't remember.

jhinkle1114

anotherclone wrote:

I don't give a rats ass about him being rich. But a person should either a) know how many houses they own or b) start taking ginko.

Or

c) at least not be a hypocrite and attack your opponent for being a detached elitist who can't related to the average American, when that description fits you and your wife much more than your opponents.

digster

I agree that it is juvenille, but what aggravates me and I think what led to the criticism of McCain is that McCain and the Republican campaign has tried to paint Obama as an elitist and a celebrity out of touch with the needs of ordinary Americans. This is especially aggravating considering that it was McCain and not Obama who was born with the silver spoon in his mouth. McCain married a multi-billionare whereas five years ago the Obamas were paying off student loans. Usually this wouldn't matter but McCain opened the door by trying to hint that Obama was an elitist snob.

The Republicans have been very good at this in the past...consider 2004, where they managed to convince the country the war veteran was a coward and the draft dodger was courageous.

Yellow Ledbelly

inmytree wrote:

of course not, you already had your mind made up...don't lie, nothing would have swayed you...be honest...

I really never intended to change my mind, no problem admitting that....was just curious what others thought about it. I find it ridiculous.

jhinkle1114

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

I really never intended to change my mind, no problem admitting that....was just curious what others thought about it. I find it ridiculous.

Even the point that why it is brought up is that because McCain tried to paint Obama as elitist?

That's why it came up. We'd have heard much less about it, if about it at all, if he hadn't been repeatedly slamming Obama as an out of touch elitist.

But those personal attacks are all he has. He can't beat Obama on the issues. Too much of America is sick of the last 8 years and his policies show that it would be 4 more of mostly the same shit.

Brain of J.Lo

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

how many houses a presidential candidate owns? I didn't realize it was a mystery that these guys have a boat load of money. So whether or not John McCain/Barack Obama has 20 houses shouldn't really matter in my decision-making process, should it? I don't see how it matters with all that is at stake in this election or any other election for that matter.

You shouldn't care how many houses he owns. No one said you should.

You should, however, be concerned that a man trying to paint himself as "one of us", and his opponent as a wealthy elitist, doesn't realize (or doesn't want say) that he owns seven homes. It's hypocritical and dishonest.

Yellow Ledbelly

Brain of J.Lo wrote:

You shouldn't care how many houses he owns. No one said you should.

You should, however, be concerned that a man trying to paint himself as "one of us", and his opponent as a wealthy elitist, doesn't realize (or doesn't want say) that he owns seven homes. It's hypocritical and dishonest.

You make sense...but still...no candidate for president is "one of us". Nope, not even Obama. I'm just at the point that I find the whole system and all name-calling and finger pointing and bickering over silly crap totally and completely messed up. It's high school politics all the way around

Brain of J.Lo

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

but still...no candidate for president is "one of us".

I know, and that is precisely why it is dishonest for McCain (or *anyone*) to try and make that argument. It's why it's worth discussing that McCain couldn't/wouldn't answer the question.

digster

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

You make sense...but still...no candidate for president is "one of us". Nope, not even Obama. I'm just at the point that I find the whole system and all name-calling and finger pointing and bickering over silly crap totally and completely messed up. It's high school politics all the way around

The thing is that McCain does set himself up in a way to these attacks. I mean, you just look like a fool if you call your opponent a country-club elitist and then can't remember how many homes you own.

Additionally, I find the accusations that Obama is 'arrogant' particularly funny. Obama is arrogant? No shit, can you run for Leader of the Free World and not be an egomaniac?

kcherub

There are a lot of things that get brought up that I could give two sh*ts about, you know? It has always been this way, and always will. Well, not so much when media was as "in-your-face".

I could care less how many homes either of them have.

I could care less what they do in their (or other people's) bedrooms. We all have skeletons--all of us.

I could care less how many times they have been married. Etc., etc., etc.

No matter what I side I vote for, I feel the same way about both parties with regard to useless issues.

jhinkle1114

Yellow Ledbelly wrote:

You make sense...but still...no candidate for president is "one of us". Nope, not even Obama. I'm just at the point that I find the whole system and all name-calling and finger pointing and bickering over silly crap totally and completely messed up. It's high school politics all the way around

Again, that's not the point.

The point is McCain was trying to paint himself as "one of us" and attacking Obama for not being.

This 7 houses thing just brought that hypocrisy to the forefront.

McCain is the one doing this kind of finger pointing. Obama has stayed away from it for the most part, and even this was brought up in the context I outlined above. Not to say McCain isn't one of us, but to say "who the hell does he think he is calling Obama an elitist.

Point being, if you hate the name calling and personal attacks, then you're misguided in being annoyed by this 7 house stuff and should focus your out rage on McCain's tactics. He can't win on the issue so he has to attack Obama's character, patriotism (not wearing a flag pin), call him a celebrity and elitist who isn't one of us.

Obama has spoken against this type of nonsense. You're mistaking this 7 homes stuff for an attack, when it's really a response to McCain's attacks and a call for politics to move beyond such petty attacks on people and focus on stances on issues.

From his speech last night:

These are the policies I will pursue. And in the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain.

But what I will not do is suggest that the senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and each other's patriotism.

The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America -- they have served the United States of America.

So I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.