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...

ooohh, mailboxes!

seriously i agree with aladywhoknows...

Yet more proof that McCain isn't elitist at all!

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".

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.

oh yeah, this post's comment section is gonna be a train wreck...

The rug in the first photo makes me sad.

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.

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.

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.

As long as the White House isn't #8, I'm happy

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

Why is this post here????? This is asinine.

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...

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...

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.

Just what I need ... this frustrating presidential election invading my favorite design blog. (Especially after two poll calls interrupted dinner last night.)

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.

"As long as the White House isn't #8, I'm happy

posted by Gigi818 on 2008-08-25 10:58:41
view Gigi818's profile"

ladies and gentleman, we have a winner! thanks for playing.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I say amen to your comment Gigi818.

AD slideshow of the Arizona house.

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

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.

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.

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?

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.