McCain and Obama on the economy (part 1)

I learned most of the following from an e-mail I received in August; I believe it's worth pondering. I've put the quoted parts in quotation marks.

You may remember that back in August, John McCain was asked how many houses he owned. He responded, "I think—I'll have my staff get to you."[see note 1 or click here] It turned out he owns at least seven--the latest count being eight.[note 2]

The Obama campaign responded with the following ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpmFd25tRqo&NR=1

The e-mail I received also reported that in August, "McCain and Obama were asked what constitutes 'rich.' Obama said, 'If you are making more than $250,000, then you are in the top 3, 4 percent of this country...You are doing well.' McCain answered, 'I think if you're just talking about income, how about $5 million?'"[see note 3]

The implication, of course, is that McCain may lack a realistic sense of the economic struggles of most Americans. The source of his wealth--or at least of the wealth he depends on--is his wife, who (as I understand it) inherited a massive fortune acquired in the beer industry. Being wealthy, of course, is no crime. But it may require a candidate to make an extra effort at empathy and understanding.

Notes [provided by Eli Pariser and team, MoveOn.org Political Action, in the e-mail quoted above, sent Thursday, August 21, 2008]:

1. "McCain unsure how many houses he owns," Politico, August 21, 200
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12685.html

"Homes McCain doesn't remember having worth nearly $14 million," Raw Story, August 21, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4079&id=13540-4753918-SCN1fux&t=3

2. "Mrs. McCain, San Diego County Would Like a Word," Newsweek, July 7-14, 2008
http://www.newsweek.com/id/143775/

3. "Who's rich? McCain and Obama have very different definitions," Los Angeles Times, August 18, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4078&id=13540-4753918-SCN1fux&t=5