McCain: Not Sure How Many Houses I Own

Thu, August 21, 2008 - 9:45 AM

How many houses do you own?

For most Americans, the immediate response to that question is zero or one. If they've done very well for themselves, maybe two.

Reporters from The Politico put that question to John McCain today. His answer: I dunno. Let me ask my staff.

Whoops.

The economy is the most important issue in this campaign. If McCain wants to convince voters who are hurting financially that he understands their problems, owning so many houses that he can't keep track of them all isn't exactly a winning strategy.

That flub came just days after McCain suggested that the dividing line between middle class and rich starts at $5 million. Social scientists and economists disagree on how to precisely define rich, but it's a safe bet that none think it starts at $5 million. Only the top two percent of income earners make more than $250,000, according to census data.

So how many houses does McCain own? Seven, according to an analysis of real estate records by Politifact.com.

--Sean Mussenden