Typical?
by James Glaser
August 26, 2008

The American media and the Democrat Party are trying to paint Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, and their two daughters as a typical American family. Little is said about Obama's 4.2 million dollar income in 2007, nor is their 1.65 million dollar home mentioned very often, but neither of those numbers is very typical when you think about your average American family.

It was reported by the Chicago Tribune that Michelle Obama got a pay raise in March of 2005, which moved her salary up from $121,910 a year to $316,962. That isn't even a typical raise. I don't know what kind of cost of living raises Michelle has received since then, but you add her salary to Barack's Senate salary of $165,000 a year and the word "typical" never crosses your mind.

Eight years ago the Obama's were taking home over $240,000 a year. So these two are not new to living well, but still the Democrats are trying to paint them as your average family of four. I can understand the Democrats doing that, but fail to understand why our media buys the story.

Even without the windfall from the millions Barack has made with his book sales, the Obamas can live pretty well on the over $9,000.00 they take home every week in wages.

Yes, I know that John McCain and his wife make more money than the Obama's, but the McCains have never painted themselves as "typical." McCain admits he is rich, and will tell you he wants every American to be rich, too. Yes, I know that is pie in the sky thinking, and a political line if I ever heard one, but McCain admitting he is rich is at least honest.

By any measure, both the McCain's and the Obama's are wealthy. In today's America you have to have money to run for President. There is nothing inherently wrong with having money, however there is something wrong when you have money, but you try to hide that fact.

Neither major party candidate can tell the American people that he knows what it is like to live the life of the real "typical" American. Let's face it, the rise in gas prices has no effect on McCain or Obama. The same is true with the higher cost in food or a college education. These two guys don't have to worry about any of that, and that is not typical.




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