Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Let’s also admit that in a legal sense, the McCains don’t own all those houses:  some houses are owned by a family trust.  And the McCains don’t live in all those houses:  some of the children and an invalid relative live in some houses, and some houses are investment properties.

I once knew a middle-class Realtor who owned three or more houses and two small apartment buildings.

Of course the McCains do have more houses available to their use than most Americans (and more vacation homes than most Americans).  They also have jobs that require them to travel between Arizona and DC and other places.

Point is, the houses in question aren’t the result of the same conspicuous consumption that Edwards’ or Gore’s mansions are.

Cindy McCain is well off.  But that’s only part of the story.

Max Lybert says that the McCains “also have jobs that require them to travel between Arizona and DC and other places.”

Ah yes—brings to mind Cindy McCain’s charming comment that she flies in her private plane because that’s the only way to get around the State of Arizona.  (All those other people who drive cars must be imaginary...)

Tell me again why McCain, with his multiple houses and his wife’s inherited millions, is the “ordinary Joe” in this race…

It seems like an unfair criticism of Romney to me. He’s in the running for the VP nominee (or already has it). The VP’s job is to go after the opposition. Why is either performing or auditioning to perform this role anymore ‘pandering’ than what everyone in the Obama and McCain campaigns have been doing for the last 19 months?

I understand why you dislike Mitt Romney (he does have an Eddie Haskell quality at times), but he is doing the job that any Veep is expected to do.  Is he openly trying to get the job, of course so.  But having that nice quip ready when Crissy Matthews challenged him on how many houses he owned ("I have four, one less than John Kerry") was smart. 

My first choice remains Palin, a woman who also fishes is hot.  Plus I think she would be a dynamic Veep. 

But short of her being picked, I think Romney and Cantor are tied for bringing to the ticket strengths McCain needs.  Romney in particular has an economic background that could make him invaluable. I also think Mitt gets you help business by making the overall environment favorable to business. 

I would take Romney over Pawlenty.

Tell me again why McCain, with his multiple houses and his wife’s inherited millions, is the “ordinary Joe” in this race

I’m not saying he’s the ordinary Joe.  Not many ordinary Joes are raised by Admirals or married to millionaires.

I’m saying that there’s more to the story than “he owns all those houses!” Class warfare isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

McCain, like Bush, got where he is by the old-fashioned affirmative action program:  having a rich and powerful father.

Obama, in contrast, got where he is by working.  Clearly, he must be stopped.

"Anyway, whatever the truth of Obama’s house (the Globe claims he earned it), let’s admit that McCain got his houses by marrying a trophy wife who had inherited millions.”

WORD

Obama, in contrast, got where he is by working.

Because he “passed up Wall Street jobs” (with some weird definition of “Wall Street job") to become a community organizer, most all of Obama’s riches come from selling books after he was anointed to be the post-divisive-politics Presidential candidate.  Before then he was a well-off middle class guy who failed to save anything for retirement.

His wife’s income jumped dramatically when he became a legislator and was able to steer state, and later federal, money to her employer.

Max, I think you are making real progress here.  Yes, I do.  You are finally acknowledging that Obama a) did not have a rich or powerful father who led him into the halls of priviledge; b) did not inherit anything; c) wrote his own books and worked his own jobs; and d) did not marry an heiress (nor did he divorce his wife to marry someone younger and richer).

Obama’s personal net worth today is about $4M, which is better than most of us, though of course it pales next to McCain’s $100M+.  And of course Obama made all his money himself, which I’m sure leaves McCain completely baffled.

“Barack Obama got a special deal from a convicted felon.”

Er, I take it that Mitt Romney is not aware that John McCain’s father-in-law was a convicted felon, then? 

Personally, I find guilt-by-association tactics to be ridiculous--being a politician means that you have to work with people of wealth and influence in one’s community.  People of wealth and influence in one’s community are sometimes scumbags.  That’s just the way it is.

I have yet to see anything credible about Obama’s associations that show that Obama did anything illegal or unethical.  Similarly, John McCain has also associated with some felons and scumbags, too (Charles Keating, anyone?).  But I have also never seen anything credible that shows that John McCain has ever done anything illegal or unethical.  (He was exonerated by the Senate investigation into the Keating Five.)

Here’s a thought: instead of digging up the sins of every person that the candidates ever met, how about focusing on their policies?  Crazy, I know.

I’m not going to defend McCain’s decision to cheat on his first wife.  He doesn’t defend that either.

I’m not convinced Obama’s the worst ever candidate for President either.  I know he’s not the best ever candidate by a long shot, though.

Then again, McCain’s not the best ever candidate, nor is he the worst ever.  I know who I’ll be voting for, but if my guy loses I still expect America to be around in four years.

My whole point is simply (1) class warfare isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, and (2) class warfare isn’t all that effective either.  That’s it.