It occurs to me that housegate needs to be more than THE narrative. The fact that McCain has 7 or 9 houses will get boring quick.
The democrats have to show that this is just one of the ways McCain is hoodwinking the American public into thinking that Obama's the elitist and McCain's the working person's hero.
It's the other way around.
McCain's tax policy says it all. His willingness to war around any chance he gets also says he doesn't have economy on his mind. The crafter of his economic policy, Phil Gramm, called American's woes a "mental recession." McCain even admitted that economics isn't his strong suit. He's a war president.
The fact that McCain hasn't had to be concerned about gas prices or any prices, and that he gets along swell with the likes of the richest folks in the nation (Saddleback Church), says he's in the pocket of the wealthy. But he's managed to shine the light on Obama and convince people that Obama is the elitist.
One needs only to read Dreams From My Father to know Obama is not an elitist. Sure, he has a big house too and nice clothes and his wife and children are well taken care of, but elitism isn't part of Obama's DNA. Unfortunately, McCain has been successful in using patriotism and race to distract from the real Clueless Wonder. At the same time he has exploited his hero-ness, his POW status for political gain (that works with older folks).
It also occurs to me that the election is no longer just about Obama and McCain. It's about the parties. Obama's vice presidential pick -- Joe Biden -- reinforces Obama's good judgement and is sure to boost America's confidence in Obama's foreign policy.
Housegate kicks off the ideological battle between the republicans and the democrats. Put simply, it's a question of what Americans want: A government that works for the people or one that props up the rich.
How the McCain's housing situation is playing out.
