I take Mother Jones, and I love the magazine. My newest arrival has an interesting blurb on the candidates’ “humble” abodes. I thought this might be something interesting to pass along, lest we get too carried away with our notion that they are “just like us.”
Democrats
Where to start. Oh well, let’s go alphabetically.
Hillary Clinton
The former first family resides in a 5 bedroom, 5,200 square foot Dutch Colonial sitting on 1.1 acres in Chappaqua, New York. Price in 1999 – $1.7 million dollars – not a lot when you consider that the price enabled her to establish residency and run for the Senate from New York. Pretty cheap price to pay for a springboard for the presidential bid.
John Edwards
John Edwards’ theme of two Americas sounds enticing. His America – not ours – includes a 21,000 square-foot Chapel Hill estate situated on 100 acres. When he isn’t busy campaigning he has a choice of a basketball court, a racquetball court, and a pool. Which way to go! A mere $5.4 million. And, when the Chapel Hill home becomes boring, how about the family’s $1.03 million dollar, 2,800-square-foot beach house on the North Carolina coast.
Barack OBama
The Obamas live in a 3-story, 96-year-old Georgian on the South Side of Chicago. Cozy little retreat with four fireplaces and a 1,000 bottle wine cellar. 2005 sale price – $1.65 million. Just a pittance.
Republicans
What the heck, alphabetically again.
Rudy Giuliani
Sumptuous 9-room apartment on Manhattan’s Upper east Side. A great deal at $5 million.
Mike Huckabee
With a name like Huckabee, you might think, “now here’s a fellow who sounds down-to-earth.” And, you might be kind of close – at least when his digs compare to the others. Huckabee’s haven is a 5,124 square-foot home with a deck and a pool. Situated in Little Rock, Arkansas, it is priced at a mere $525,000.
John McCain
McCain’s roost is really two units in a brand-new Phoenix luxury-condo tower. Only $4.7 million. But when he isn’t nesting in Phoenix, you might find him at his Sedona desert hide-a-way, a $1.1 million, 6.6 acre ranch.
Mitt Romney
Romney takes the prize for the most homes listed. His east coast ties are fortified with a 2.5 acre Boston home. And, if Boston becomes too crowded, then how about a $3 million New Hampshire getaway?
But for Romney, the east coast isn’t quite enough. Just pop out to Park City, Utah, and enjoy your primary residence with its price tag of $5.2 million.
Fred Thompson
The last entrant to the Republican field for president, Fred has done well in the housing department. His upscale McClean, Virginia residence has 7 bedrooms and 5 baths. Only $3.3 million.
When we listen to the candidates and their speeches about how they feel “our pain”, I have to chuckle. I have always wondered how, once a person has moved up and out of a certain status level, that person can still possibly relate to those in the lower status categories.
I say they can’t. While I am sure they can remember their roots, their mission now becomes to try to convince us that they understand our situation because they once were there. Looking at the money that the candidates spend on their residences makes me really wonder whether they understand the average American’s plight. The old saying, “You can never go home again” really has a double edged meaning for candidates. How can they commiserate with us when they retreat to their multi- million dollar abodes and no longer live in our world of reality?
