The Daily Gamecock

Issue date: 8/26/08 Section: Viewpoints

Josh Rabon, First-year graduate student

John McCain, apparently you have seven houses - just an FYI. According to an ad sponsored by Obama for America, McCain's homes are worth approximately $13 million altogether.

The Obama campaign wasted no time attacking McCain's blunder of telling The Politico reporters he would need to have his staff find out exactly how many homes he and Mrs. McCain owned. To be sure, it's not a problem the everyday American would encounter.

But let's be realistic: They're both rich. For either to insinuate that he can empathize with the "average American" is a slap in the face. The Los Angeles Times reported that Obama's income in 2007 was $4.2 million. This was a huge increase over the prior year, however - he made a meager $991,296 in 2006. At least he is only two years removed from living like "the rest of us."

It is also noteworthy that the question was, "How many homes do you AND Mrs. McCain own?" Considering that his wife's net worth and investments far surpass his own, it actually is a fairly complicated question. Do you count rental properties held as investments? How about properties held by partnerships or trusts? What about entities in which other individuals have investments? What if she doesn't even have a majority interest?

The New York Times reports that of 10 distinct residential properties attributable to the McCains, John McCain is the owner of record of … none. The Cindy Hensley McCain Family Trust owns four, including the Arlington condo McCain uses for work in Washington.

Is it really his fault that his wife is worth an estimated $100 million? While it may benefit John McCain's perspective to suffer a more modest lifestyle, his wife isn't running for president and is free to do with her fortune as she sees fit.

It also seems odd that The Times unearthed 10 houses to Obama's seven. Maybe counting them isn't so easy after all, Senator?

Obama does point out that it may be difficult for McCain to understand that the economy is not "fundamentally strong" if he doesn't feel the pinch like the rest of us. However, he said if you "are like me, and you got one house, or you were like the millions of people who are struggling right now to keep up with their mortgage so they don't lose their home, you might have a different perspective."

Honestly, if I was like Obama, I would have a pretty peachy perspective. A paltry $4.2 million and only one $1.65 million home - where do I sign up?

To be fair, it is important for politicians to understand their constituents' problems and effectively relate to them, and it may be true that McCain lives a privileged life. However, insinuating that McCain lives in a realm far removed from the everyday citizen while Obama does not is an outright lie. Their lifestyles are far more similar to each other than to any of "us."

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