A Strange Choice of Words

While informing us, "McCain unsure how many houses he owns," Politico states

In recent weeks, Democrats have stepped up their effort to caricature McCain as living an outlandishly rich lifestyle — a bit of payback to the GOP for portraying Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as an elitist, and for turning the spotlight in 2004 on the five homes owned by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Caricature?

You know what? From everything I've read, John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry lived an outlandishly rich lifestyle. Mitt Romney and John Edwards seems to do the same. As do John and Cindy McCain. As does George H.W. Bush. Do I even need to keep listing names?

It's the funny thing about outlandishly rich people, particularly the self-indulgent outlandishly rich. You don't need to exaggerate to argue or establish that they live an outlandishly rich lifestyle. They almost always do. The surprise is finding the exceptional individual who does not.

Any person who owns so many homes that he can't keep count? He's living an "outlandishly rich lifestyle". (Similarly, any guy who buys the home next door to use as a guesthouse and to make more room for his BBQ parties....)

That's okay - it's his and his wife's money. When the Obamas are outlandishly rich, as is likely to eventually be the case, they'll probably live an outlandishly rich lifestyle as well. But let's not pretend that this is a caricature - it's the lifestyle the McCains actually live.