#847 McCain-uccino

The other day I saw one of those new advertising things. They are essentially giant billboards about three feet thick mounted on the back of a flatbed truck. It’s not a painted semi. It’s not even a painted panel truck. It is specifically a billboard on a truck that companies can hire to drive on the highway and through town in a bold stealth-marketing move.
Problem is, at 4 bucks a gallon these days, that’s getting pretty expensive. So this one was parked downtown at a meter. Or two meters as it turned out. Apparently it was still cheaper than driving. That’s how bad it’s got.
So when I heard the McCain-uccino story, I was so surprised my hair stuck up like a $400 John Edwards haircut. You’d think that someone campaigning for president would stay on message in his attempt to relate to the ordinary American voter.
Now, don’t think I’m that naive. I know darn well it ain’t cheap to run for Prez. And you need a couple of million of your own or a rich spouse to consider it.
But still, it’s the little things that speak volumes. Forget for a moment that McCain has been pilloried by the press for not knowing how many houses he owns. As pilloried as Obama was Hillaryed for elitism in the Pennsylvania primary.
What got me was the Starbucks story. Seems John McCain has to go out every morning for his Starbucks fix.
As the article I read put it, presumably he has a coffee maker of some sort in his home. He can probably even afford a fancy espresso maker and a secret service man with the skill to make it.
But instead, during the most gas-expensive campaign trail ever, from whichever of his houses he’s staying in, he leads a motorcade of staff and secret servicemen and an entourage of reporters on a fifteen minute drive down to find the local Starbucks.
From a house in no danger of foreclosure, I’m guessing.
I don’t know, can copping a cappuccino be insensitive?
Frankly I’m amazed he can pull it off. At my age drinking that much coffee keeps me up to 3 A.M.
America, ya gotta love it.