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Sen. John McCain's Seven Houses
The Washington Post, 8.22.08

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You may have heard that Senator John McCain has so many houses, he can't keep track. So we were a little disappointed in the Washington Post's story "Take the McCain House Tour!" With that title, we expected more than three measly photos. Some more digging around the web found a few (but not many) more (shown below the jump)...

 
 

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Shown above the jump is McCain in his Phoenix, Arizona condo, which has 7,000 square feet. Above on this page is the outside of McCain's three-bedroom Arlington, VA condo. Below are mailboxes outside McCain's Sedona, Arizona house.

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Below is McCain with McCain Senator Lindsey Graham and Florida Governor Charlie Crist on the balcony of McCain's Phoenix condo.

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Below is a photo of the McCain's former 9-bedroom house in Phoenix. Here's the full list of seven homes. Which is your favorite?

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[Photos from the Washington Post and Netscape.]

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Comments (37)

WOW, how awesome for him. I'd understand the point of this post if there was some design element to it, or pictures of interiors. But there's not so I don't get why this was posted on a design site for APARTMENT LIVING.

Also, I am happy to see he's doing his part in conserving dwindling resources by owning seven homes...

posted by aladywhoknows on August 25th 2008 at 2:48am
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ooohh, mailboxes!

seriously i agree with aladywhoknows...

posted by Bobbycat5 on August 25th 2008 at 3:10am
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Yet more proof that McCain isn't elitist at all!

posted by charmac on August 25th 2008 at 3:17am
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Ya know, I was in the military too, and when you hang your clips and things on the wall, it's called an "I Love Me Wall"

That is an "I Love Me Hall".

posted by Valerie on August 25th 2008 at 3:57am
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McCain could have seven houses or seven-hundred houses. I couldn't care less. These are his wife's houses anyway... it's not like he could bankroll all of this on a senator's salary alone. At least these houses weren't acquired via some shady maneuverings with convicted felons (like Tony Rezko). McCain may be out of touch, but at least he is not gaming the system.

posted by hejiranyc on August 25th 2008 at 4:36am
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oh yeah, this post's comment section is gonna be a train wreck...

posted by matt in kc on August 25th 2008 at 4:42am
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The rug in the first photo makes me sad.

posted by confusednazgul on August 25th 2008 at 4:56am
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The first photo, a hallway showcasing his accomplishments, the "I Love Me" wall, is very telling of the man, probably necessary to feed his ego, having flunked out of college.

posted by louise on August 25th 2008 at 5:28am
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So much for doing more with less. This is the pinnacle of self-indulgent, shallow hyperconsumption. Seven gaudy palaces for a modern Medici. Says a lot about the man that he feels any one family needs or deserves seven luxury homes.

posted by Michael J Murphy on August 25th 2008 at 5:42am
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I don't think so Louise. "love me" walls are very common in the military, not one man's reaction to a snaffu somewhere along the way. And not everyone gives a crap about college either.

posted by joss on August 25th 2008 at 5:57am
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As long as the White House isn't #8, I'm happy

posted by Gigi818 on August 25th 2008 at 5:58am
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Joss - you're right - not everyone does care about college. but especially in todays age - being educated if you're running for president is, you know, kinda important.

and even more so - if you're trying to become an officer in the military, it would be nice to know that you cared enough to at least show up for class once in awhile and maybe study a couple times a semester. but oops, silly me - you don't need to do that if you're the privileged son of a couple generations of admirals. go ahead! crash a couple or five planes. we didn't need them any wawy

posted by Meg on August 25th 2008 at 6:09am
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Why is this post here????? This is asinine.

posted by Keyse on August 25th 2008 at 6:13am
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I imagine this is on AT because it is SO contrary to apartment living. Report on the best and worst. I think thats how it goes...

posted by math0ne on August 25th 2008 at 6:19am
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If you don't know how many houses you or your wife own - How can you expect to run a country?

Maybe Karl Rove knows...

posted by bepsf on August 25th 2008 at 6:33am
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How great for him. I'm sure he'll have no trouble at all relating to those of us who have to pay rent or are trying to do our part to live a little greener.

posted by WendyJ on August 25th 2008 at 6:54am
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Just what I need ... this frustrating presidential election invading my favorite design blog. (Especially after two poll calls interrupted dinner last night.)

posted by BlahDeBlah on August 25th 2008 at 7:00am
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All of McCain's wife's houses would fit into John Edward's. And if you think his brag wall is something, you should see Arianna's.

posted by Palmetto on August 25th 2008 at 7:08am
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"As long as the White House isn't #8, I'm happy

posted by Gigi818 on 2008-08-25 10:58:41
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ladies and gentleman, we have a winner! thanks for playing.

posted by eightdouble on August 25th 2008 at 7:28am
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Some of you act like the writers on AT are your slaves. It's their fucking website, they can deviate every once in a while if there is nothing more interesting to write about. Stop harassing them.

posted by seeemilyplay on August 25th 2008 at 7:34am
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The Architectural Digest site has a slideshow of McCain's Phoenix house, in case anyone wants to see pictures of more than balconies and mailboxes.

What was actually more interesting to me on the AD site was the spread on Lance Armstrong's house -- he was recently listed by the city as one of the top individual users of water in Austin. And when you see his house you see why. In a summer with more than a month of 100 degree temperatures, his lawn is super green. People following the watering restrictions have crunchy brown lawns.

posted by palindrome on August 25th 2008 at 8:02am
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I don't get the argument that this is not on point for AT. This guy wants to be your president, and obviously stands for all the things this site and its community abhor.. large living, over-consumption, and bad taste. Add in not even knowing how many houses you own and that's one guy who's really out of touch with this community. If I thought he had even the most modest shot at winning, I'd be scared. I think AT is right on for bringing this up.

posted by aquarabbit on August 25th 2008 at 8:03am
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I think that the idea of home IS very pertinent, and interesting, and people who live in small spaces have lots of things that factor into their living situations -- some are empty nesters, some are the newly minted nests of the birds that left the nest.

I think that there is something conservative about conserving resources by choosing to live in a small space, and there is something liberating about not being encumbered by a huge space. No matter where I've lived, though, I can promise you that I've been able to count how many places I've lived, and you can't, I don't care how down-to-earth you want to act, you really won't understand me, and I won't trust you to run my government.

posted by Curtis on August 25th 2008 at 8:07am
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I say amen to your comment Gigi818.

posted by Monica on August 25th 2008 at 8:27am
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AD slideshow of the Arizona house.

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/features/archive/mccain_slideshow_072005

posted by Valerie on August 25th 2008 at 8:32am
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Have you not noticed the duplication of addresses? Clearly some of these seven (and they are not seven houses!) are for his large family, his extended family and/or to separate the children from the two marriages. How many houses did Kerry have? Wasn't a barn flown over from France and reconstructed as a ski chalet? At least his wife isn't the flake that Kerry's was and is. Cindy McCain is a woman who spends most of her time and a great deal of HER money working with charitable causes. She adopted a daughter from India that Michelle Obama might have aborted because of a cleft palate. If I had such a large family and could afford it I would probably find it easier to own rather than to rent for holidays and vacations. I guess I am a freak because I found McCain's answer charming that he is not into the "stuff" and the property that the post following this one discusses.

posted by Bo Placebo on August 25th 2008 at 9:46am
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Joss, I live in a military town, the world's largest, been in a retired admiral's home, lived next door to the Commanding Officer of a nuclear submarine, best friend's father is 3rd generation Annapolis and NONE have a hall dedicated to themselves. They all have very few items, comparitively speaking, and they are exhibited over their personal desks, not in public areas. McCain's hall smacks of narcissism, that, or it is associated with his "Napoleon Complex." Those who know who they are do not need to be reminded by trophies.

Sorry, McCain's laxidasical attitude towards academics is very revealing. Foremost, such attitude is among the 14 characteristics that define Fascism:

Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts --
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

"It's the economy, stupid," a phrase developed as we experience a bad economy, the #1 issue for voters. McCain's response has has been he's "not good on the economy." Guess he failed accounting and math, for he doesn't know how many houses he owns nor the type of car he drives and, worse, he's said he's "not interested in the housing issue" which we all face. Adding insult to injury, his senior adviser, Graham, said those who complain were "whiners."

McCain exhibits the same cavalier attitude of live-in-a-bubble Bush that has brought much suffering to our country and, if elected, I believe he will be far worse than Bush.

posted by louise on August 25th 2008 at 10:25am
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Bangladesh, not India. If you're going to post such an insulting comment about Obama's theoretical abortions, at least get your facts right, eh?

posted by Akino luna on August 25th 2008 at 10:28am
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And yes, those military walls full-of-my accomplishments are VERY common. At least McCain is rich enough to afford that huge hallway for his. Most of us are stuck keeping our stuff in boxes or relegated to one wall in the basement...

posted by Akino luna on August 25th 2008 at 10:30am
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Meg, you're correct. A college degree is important if you want to be an officer. It's the principle difference between an officer an enlisted member of the military. My tiny point was not that college isn't important, but that not everyone who never went, quit, or "flunked out" lies awake at night eaten alive by it.

posted by joss on August 25th 2008 at 12:05pm
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I actually agree with you, Louise. For his views on abortion alone, I would never ever vote for McCain. So we don't need to compete as to who has been in more military homes or taken more psychology classes.

posted by joss on August 25th 2008 at 12:08pm
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apologies for the 3 in a row, but:

if there is one thing the hallway snapshot conveys to me, it is The End. The combination of his frail posture/gait and being surrounded by his personal history makes it look like his time is up. Like he's literally moving towards the light.

posted by joss on August 25th 2008 at 12:24pm
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Bo, who's this John Kerry person you speak of? :)

This whole flap is a tad overblown. Yes, not knowing how many houses you own conveys a decent amount of arrogance. But does that alone make McCain more out-of-touch than any other member of Congress? Doubtful.

posted by matt in kc on August 25th 2008 at 12:41pm
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"This guy wants to be your president, and obviously stands for all the things this site and its community abhor.. large living, over-consumption, and bad taste."

Bad taste at AT? Are you new here? Over-consumption? Let's not even think about those $22,000 side tables.

posted by Palmetto on August 25th 2008 at 1:52pm
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Quote, BoPlacebo:
She adopted a daughter from India that Michelle Obama might have aborted because of a cleft palate.


Okay, I can understand you might not like Mcain's competition, but why so assinine about it?? What does Michelle Obama have to do with McCain's house??

Done ranting. Thank you.

posted by Sleek on August 26th 2008 at 2:11am
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If I were 'rich' i.e. made 10 million (or was it billion dollars or more)- I would have 7 houses too. Make that 8. More to Decor8! And then I can buy all the furniture I want.

Don't fire back at me! I have not declared my support for anyone- except for my fav past-time.

posted by Coopers_mama on August 26th 2008 at 4:52pm
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seven house and not a bit of design that is interesting other than that hall of glory that is interesting in the way train wrecks are interesting.

posted by TheoJ on August 26th 2008 at 9:30pm
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