Robin Leach on the lifestyles of the rich and political -- John McCain

Robin Leach isn’t your usual political pundit. But the former champagne-toasting host of the TV hit of the mid-'80s to mid-'90s, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," may be more qualified than most to opine on John McCain's now-infamous inability to remember how many homes he owns.

In an early morning phone call Friday from his fabulous crib in Las Vegas, Leach told The Times that he isn’t really surprised at McCain's odd memory lapse given the complex lives that the super-rich lead.

"He probably was confused as to which homes are in his name, his wife's name, or corporate names," Leach explained in his familiar, deep British baritone. "In his attempt to be honest, he put his foot in his mouth."

Indeed, McCain’s four homes and at least four other residential properties are held in the name of his wife, Cindy, and her dependent children through a series of partnerships and trusts. Their combined value is nearly $14 million.

Leach said McCain "tends to answer questions very rapidly without thinking of the correct answers. ... I would call it honest confusion."

The British-born Leach isn't a U.S. citizen and thus can't vote. But for a man famous for focusing on froth, he took a serious view of America's latest political fracas.

"This has nothing to do with the issues candidates should be discussing," he said. "Let’s talk about real things, not silly things. It’s irrelevant whether the future president has one home or ten."

"It’s nothing to get into a kerfuffle about," he added. "It’s silly and ridiculous."

As host of "Lifestyles," Leach served as an always-enthusiastic tour guide to the extravagant homes of wealthy entertainers, athletes and business moguls. He ended each segment with his signature sign-off: "Champagne wishes and caviar dreams!"

Now 66, Leach writes books and a blog, travels widely, and owns an HDTV studio in Las Vegas.

-- Bob Drogin

Comments

[Peter]

I cant believe McCain doesnt know how many houses he owns, not counting the fact that he thinks you have to make 5 mill a year to be wealthy? WTF McCain is a PRO WAR> the commenter is right above. McCain only has stories., in the forum he didnt even answer questions. Instead he told stories which he has memorized and repeated at everytown hall meeting he has ever had. Obama might lead to the great depression. But McCain will probably lead to the Great Depression with a side of WWIII. We should probably elect someone who has to at least live with the choices they make in the white house. McCain will be checking out soon, What does he care if he leaves this country in a mess. The US presidency is just a prize to him. I hate the two party system. Obama is right to say McCain is out of touch and a hot head. John McCain does have a temper, I saw the video of him blowing up on a former senator and dropping the f bomb. http://www.mccanes.com Y McCain will lose if he picks Romney http://www.hotpres.com Speaking of Rich watch video of McCain talking about his failed first marrige at http://www.mccanes.com

[bolt]

McCain, a war hero who was held prisoner by the Vietnamese for over 5 years, has a lifetime of foreign policy experience, not including the over 5 years the war hero spent as a POW in Vietnam. John McCain, former POW and war hero, also happens to be a war hero who was held prisoner by the North Vietnamese for over 5 years.

McCain is a war hero, do you hear me????

McCain was a POW. He doesn’t like talking about it

[Steven]

The reason this episode matters is NOT that McCain owns 8 homes, it's the fact that he isn't even clearly aware how many homes he owns. How are voters supposed to trust McCain to understand the plight of the middle class and underemployed when he's living such a high class life style that simple basic things like Home Ownership aren't even a serious component of his life.

[Aldo]

The Times hasn't even reported on most of Obama's gaffes. McCain makes a gaffe and you run with it on page one, above the fold, with a hyperbolic large-font headline reading "McCAIN BLUNDER LEAVES HIM LOOKING FOR POLITICAL SHELTER".

Now you're trying to get even more mileage out of this non-story over here on the blog?

You keep rockin guys.

[pedestrian]

This is one of your best, guys. Now we're supposed to be listening to ROBIN LEACH about what issues are and aren't important to U.S. voters.

You guys are such jokers! (pretty bad jokes most of the time, but...)

[Gerald Shields, Seattle, WA]

I beg to differ Mr. Leach. If a presidential candidate is getting points from portraying his opponent as an elitist and out of touch with the common man, but he in reality is richer and has the most possessions, then it's HE who's the elitist and it's HE who is out of touch with the common man.
Moreover if this candidate doesn’t believe that the poor economy is affecting the average American, yet he can’t remember how many houses he owns or determine the amount of his own or his families' wealth, then what’s the point of this man becoming our president?
Remember, John McCain comes from a prominent military family and he in effect married a woman from a rich family yet he started this “game” of his opponent being too rich and uppity to understand the concerns of average Americans. Let’s see if he can take it as well as dish it out.

[Dave Atkins]

What is ignored in Mr. Leach's "explanation" is that Mr. McCain has a life filled with cut-out corporations and various names on deeds to confuse the IRS. The fact he has the money to hire folks to create these artifical deeds proves the saying "the rich are different than you and me." They have better laywers.

This is a man that has lived on Uncle Sam's salaries all his life, except when he's living off his wife.

He is worse than out-of-touch. He is cossetted.

[EvilPoet]

"Today we must look to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, as a metaphor of our national character and aspiration, its symbol a thirty foot-high cardboard picture of a slot machine and a chorus girl. For Las Vegas is a city entirely devoted to the idea of entertainment, and as such proclaims the spirit of a culture in which all public discourse increasingly takes the form of entertainment. Our politics, religion, news, athletics, education and commerce have been transformed into congenial adjuncts of show business, largely without protest or even much popular notice. The result is that we are a people on the verge of amusing ourselves to death." -Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

[dave]

wasn't mccain in the gulag archipelago, where he lost something but can't seem to remember what?

[nate]

Noun. Verb. POW.

[T]

McCAIN is like IMELDA MARCOS, a collector of houses and $520 Ferragamo shoes.

[mike]

He seems to be confused a lot lately doesn't he?

[bupalos]

I heard that McCain was a POW. Has anyone else heard that?

Also I've got a bad headache. Does anyone know of any product that can be applied directly ON the head?

[Anon]

I don't think he was trying to be honest. He has a history of saying some cheery, empty nothing when faced with a question he doesn't like.

He had to have some relatively accurate idea of the specifics of his property ownership, but instead of giving estimates or saying that most properties were in the name of his rich wife, he blows off the question with "hee-hee-hee, let me ask my staff about that and get back to you, hee-hee-hee."

Just the way he handles lots of questions. A total lack of respect for the questions or the issues or the people who would dare to question him.

It's not charming.

[Rachel Lu]

McCain claims that Obama has a McMansion. And that a felon helped him buy that. That's easy for McCain to keep track of, since its only the one. McCain would know about felons, since he was part of the Keating Five. Thankfully, Americans have short memories. McCain doesn't have a McMansion - all of his abodes are MANSIONS with the square footage to prove it and the tax shelters to make them affordable. Don't you wish everybody could have that set-up?

[Phoenix Woman]

Obama: Self-made man who got where he is through talent and hard work. Ran the Harvard Law Review while at Harvard. Two-decade-plus history of working on behalf of Chicago's poorer citizens. Still married to the love of his life.

McCain: Child of privilege, son and grandson of admirals, whose daddy made sure he got into Navy flight school despite graduating 894th of 899 at Annapolis, kept his wings even after crashing several planes; dumped his first wife when she was crippled in a car accident and cheated on her with the beer-fortune heiress who would become Wife #2.

Who does the GOP/Media Complex scurry to defend? McCain, of course.

[kravitz]

Robin Leach wouldn't care that McCain has an econimoc advisor who helped engineer the subprime mortgage meltdown, leading to a lot of ordinary Americans losing their houses while McCain and his friends profit from their failures.

Now, now many times has he been a guest of the McCains?

[alan]

So my fellow Brit Robin Leach chimes in. his view is not worth tuppence. Never read such piffle in a long time. Sen McCain has held important positions in office and attends major interbational events as a keynote participant. Now I am told to be understanding of his mistakes. Do I want this man to be President????

[GTFOOH]

Who the hell cares what Robin Leach thinks?

[Phoenix Woman]

Let's face it: He didn't answer the question straightaway because he knew full well that to say "I don't own anyway, it's all in Cindy's name since she inherited a bazillion bucks from her mobbed-up daddy" would totally queer his carefully-buffed Rugged Individualist image, as well as destroy his efforts to project his own silver-spoon status onto the self-made Obama.

Instead, he tries to evade the question, and winds up looking like a clueless, callous, elitist golddigger.

[anonymice]

Mr. Leach made a good point that nobdoy else has. I found it worth my time to read it.

[sparrow]

What struck me about McCain's statement was that he said he would have a staff gofer check it out and get back to the guy from Politico who posed the question. If he has to have a staff person research the number of homes, it appears to me that it says even more about how out of touch McCain is in connecting to the everyday economic concerns of the average voter and how far above those worldly concerns McCain himself lives. No wonder he admitedly know so little about ecomonics. It's hardly an issue within his own personal bubble.

[tberry325]

Its a shame that McSame wants to tell working class people to skip vacations and work extra jobs to pay thier mortgags while he is living the life of a KEPT Man in the lap of luxury.

[plankbob]

Overheard:
Cindy's the kind of woman you'd like to have a beer distributorship with.
They have no clue.
-- laid off with a mortgage in Wisconsin

[RobertSeattle]

New Banner Going up at next McCain Rally:

"Mansion Accomplished"