MyDD :: ...And A Parking Lot

...And A Parking Lot

by Josh Orton, Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:30:24 PM EST

Sure, John McCain can't remember how many houses he owns.

But don't forget that he also owns at least one parking lot worth nearly five times the average American home:

The McCains also claim a family ... parking lot.
...
A pricey parking lot at that. It's valued at more than $1M, according to the senator's 2007 financial disclosure report, and is listed as: "Assets and Income of Cindy McCain and dependent children."

So the McCains own multiple actual homes, and Cindy McCain and her children own a parking lot that costs more than four times the $218K median 2007 U.S. home price.

How many parking lots do you own?

Tags: John McCain, election 08 (all tags)

Permalink :: 31 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

I actually own two . . . parking spaces. They didn't come cheap either.

by ProfessorReo on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:37:28 PM EST

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

You elite bastard! I only got ONE with my place....

On Nov 4th, we elected "the smart guy" and the world celebrated!

by WashStateBlue on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:49:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

No, I am so not elite. I had to pay extra for the second spot. And I have to also pay for parking at work!

by ProfessorReo on Fri Aug 22, 2008 at 02:42:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

They paved Paradise... (2.00 / 2)

...so McCain could put up a parking lot?

Oooooo! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

by grannyhelen on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:39:06 PM EST

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

I hate these lines of attack. Unless the gains were ill gotten what do we gain by pointing them out? So the guy is wealthy. Just like Clinton, and Obama, and Edwards, and Kerry, and Gore.

Going down this road plays into the stereotypes that the right paints us Democrats with. You know we hate success, hate wealth, blah blah blah and all the assorted nonsense that goes with it.

The reason why these line of attack are really bad is because your average American tends to admire wealthy people, and many American, even though they may have little real chance, dream of being wealthy themselves someday. So they are not into ragging on people who have made it (again, unless the person is a crook or something).

by dpANDREWS on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:39:09 PM EST

Follow along with me: (2.00 / 3)

a) McCain's fabulously wealthy, therefore b) he doesn't understand how the economy affects real Americans, as c) his own statements show.

by rfahey22 on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:41:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Respectfully disagree... (2.00 / 1)

...when most Americans think of "making it", they don't think of owning 10 ueber-houses. They think of owning one nice house.

That's the difference.

I actually like this guy's idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydusFDKdE 4o

by grannyhelen on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:43:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (2.00 / 2)

Well, then, why is McCain hiding this info? Why is he hiding his wealth from the public? What is he afraid of?

This wouldn't be an issue if McCain weren't blatantly covering up his financial situation..

It profits a PUMA nothing to give their soul for the whole world... but for McCain? --Sir Thomas More (if he were here now)

by LordMike on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:45:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (2.00 / 1)

I agree that attacking people because they are rich is a losing proposition for exactly the reasons you outline.

However, I think the fact that the guy can't count the number of houses he has is different than that.

So, ya, forget about the parking lots but keep on the out-of-touch attack.

If yer after gettin the honey, then you don't go killing all the bees.

by Fluffy Puff Marshmallow on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:48:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (2.00 / 3)

I think that simply "you're rich" is not a good campaign attack strategy. But this one has legs - not only is he wealthy, he's so nonchalant about it that he doesn't even realize or care just how wealthy it is. Pair it with his $5m remark and you have a biting newspaper editorial about how McCain is incapable of understanding the current economy. Add his campaign's stupid "Nation of whiners" remark and you have a theme. Any one of those things is a gaffe. All of them together is Ahab's whale.

by auronrenouille on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:01:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (2.00 / 2)

Not to mention the part where he said he was "weak" on the economy. He plainly wasn't kidding.

These aren't isolated dumb remarks, and the Obama campaign is right to grab on to them.

by auronrenouille on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:02:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

And the fact he didn't work for this money (2.00 / 1)

he married into it, after cheating on his 1st wife.

And the fact that this is all money Cindy inherited. And the fact that her other half-siblings were basically cut out of the estate.

by grannyhelen on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:21:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (2.00 / 2)

McCain openned to door to this by trying to peg Obama as an elitist. It's a fair question to ask who is the real elitist. I don't understand why you would want to tie Obama's hand on this other than the fact you never supported him anyway.

by bruh3 on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:10:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

In Manhattan, a new apartment building isn't allowed to have enough parking spaces for all of the units (let alone 2 parking spaces for every units). You can only have one-third as many parking spaces as you have units.

What this means is that, if you're paying $1 million to buy a one-bedroom condo, now you have to bid for a parking space against a bunch of other people who also have $1 million to spend on a condo. The end result is that the parking space often ends up costing more than the actual home.

This has nothing to do with John McCain but I thought some people might like a glimpse into the insanity of the world.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:41:51 PM EST

when I lived in London (none / 0)

we used to get real estate listings shoved through the door. An "apartment" that was one 8 foot by 9 foot room with no bathroom or kitchen was listed for something like 30,000 pounds. It was basically a closet. The key selling point was that it came with a parking space on the street.

See if Saxby Chambliss is helping you.

by desmoinesdem on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:03:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

Um. I lived in New York. If you live in Manhattan, you shouldn't have a car. I don't feel sorry for you.

by auronrenouille on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:03:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

Man, you can't even tell a story on the Internet without someone making an assholish comment.

For the record, I do not have a $1 million condo, a car, or a parking lot, and I was not asking anyone to feel sorry for me.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:05:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

Sorry, I jumped on that a little too quickly, and I apologize - I'm involved in a lot of transit advocacy in LA now and I'm just so tired of hearing from all of the people who think that a car is part of the Bill of Rights. Between that, the people who think subways exist solely for non-white people, and the people who think subways are going to devalue their properties into non-existence, it's easy to get an itchy trigger finger.

by auronrenouille on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:08:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

That's ok, I honestly don't understand why anyone would want to drive in Manhattan either. Congestion pricing seems to work well in London and it's a pity we haven't imported it here just yet.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:16:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

if you've had the arm pit of some lady who hasn't showered in your face a few times- then you understand why you would want a car. just saying.

by bruh3 on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 09:37:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

I take the subway every day! It's not exactly the Black Hole of Calcutta.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 11:08:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

You don't take the A line from Bed Stuy. I do.

by bruh3 on Fri Aug 22, 2008 at 12:17:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (1.00 / 1)

I don't know how many houses I own either. Seriously. I'm very middle class, but we own real estate. We buy, we sell, and I lose track. If someone pressed me for number of houses, I wouldn't know. What's so wrong with investing your money wisely? No parking lots yet, but if it was profitable...sure!

by gopinthehouse on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:42:00 PM EST

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (2.00 / 1)

So, being unable to keep track of your investments is defined as 'investing your money wisely' ?

I have some swampland available for some 'wise' investors to buy.

If yer after gettin the honey, then you don't go killing all the bees.

by Fluffy Puff Marshmallow on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:51:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

Okay, come on, this is getting ridiculous. Are we saying you can be rich and own multiple homes and parking lots? If we are tying to portray McCain as out of touch, this is not working.

And if anyone here dares to call me a McCain supporter because of my opinions, shove it.

Restore America's Strength.

by RJEvans on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:48:33 PM EST

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

"can" is "can't"

Restore America's Strength.

by RJEvans on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:54:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

This nonsense does not help our cause. The voters are with us on the issues. Criticsim about someones wealth is weak and i think most americans dont like it.

Are we the party that hates wealth. Because sometimes that is what it looks like. John Edwards is RICH does that mean he cant speak for the poor. NOOOO.

We should be saying what BO is for and what democrats stand for not whinning about how much money someone has.

david

by giusd on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 04:53:48 PM EST

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (2.00 / 1)

It's not about the money, it's about how McCain's wealth has made him completely lose touch with the economy. Honestly, I don't see why this is so hard for some here to grasp.

by rfahey22 on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:02:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (2.00 / 2)

I'm feeling good about this attack, 'cos there are a lot of democrats here who hate it... What we think is bad, generally means is good...

The problem isn't that McCain is rich, but that he claims to be a "regular guy" who just happens to have married into incredible wealth and has been sucking on that teat (as well as the government's) all his life... that's just like every regular guy I know...

It's not that he's rich, but that he's clueless about what "regular people" are going through, even though Obama is supposedly the "elitist"... This attack makes Obama into more of a "regular guy", which is why many of us are excited about it...

It's no different than George Bush, except we've called McCain on it...

... and McCain must feel that it is a problem as well, otherwise they'd acutlaly ANSWER THE QUESTION... if they have nothing to hide, why are they evading it?

Or are they just forgetting it? Either that's the result of old age, or perhaps it really is McCain who is the elitist... so rich that he can't even keep track of each little piddly house or parking lot... or private jet... or golf courses (doe he own one of those, too?)

Besides, Obama is no the attack, and that feels good for a change!!!

It profits a PUMA nothing to give their soul for the whole world... but for McCain? --Sir Thomas More (if he were here now)

by LordMike on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:07:21 PM EST

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (none / 0)

Why would being wealthy cause one to lose touch with the economy? I think that would make someone more in touch with economic issues.

by gopinthehouse on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:10:32 PM EST

Re: ...And A Parking Lot (2.00 / 1)

I'm going to paraphrase Jeff Foxworthy: When you think that an income of $5 million is the lower threshold for wealth, you just might be out of touch.

by rfahey22 on Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 05:15:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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