Sarah's Fancy Threads and Joe the Plumber's Family

[Michael Tee]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/22/palin-clothes-spending-ha_n_136740.html

Article compares $120,000 spent on Sarah's wardrobe with the median salary of Joe the Plumber.  Four American plumbers working all year couldn't collectively pay for Sarah's wardrobe if they gave it every cent they earned.

As the article suggests, this is going to have an impact on Sarah's attempts to cozy up to the working class as just one of them.  The top half of the ticket has already pretty much blown it with, "How many homes do I have?  I'll have to let my staff look into that and get back to you."

But Obama and Michelle are the elitists.  They're "out of touch."  Yeah, sure.

[Amianthus]

How much does Obama spend on clothes?

[Michael Tee]

<<How much does Obama spend on clothes?>>

When you find out, let me know.  Meantime, more than four times the annual median salary of an American plumber sounds wildly excessive to me and certainly puts all this talk of Joe the Plumber, Joe Six-Pack and the "elite" Obamas is beginning to look more and more ridiculous.  Even the Republican base must be getting pretty pissed off by now.

[Amianthus]

When you find out, let me know.

Well, he wears $5,000 suits. In addition, he's been quoted as saying that he buys his suits "five at a time" so that he always has extras. That doesn't include shirts, ties, cuff links, shoes, etc.

[Brassmask]

How much does Obama spend on clothes?

More importantly, has the campaign bought them for him?

The reason folks are talking about this is for no other reason than it is not in keeping with Palin's image as a "hockey mom" or a "WalMart mom".

What has happened, it appears to me, is the campaign wanted her to look great and to those who run the campaign, "looking great" means Neiman Marcus and the like. 

It is indicative of the "not thinking before acting" problem the whole McCain campaign has suffered from since the beginning.  They've had so much that has pretty much backfired.

[Michael Tee]

<<The reason folks are talking about this is for no other reason than it is not in keeping with Palin's image as a "hockey mom" or a "WalMart mom".>>

Exactly.  Palin has a problem because she pretended to be a "hockey mom" and the wife of Joe Six-Pack the First Dude.  Her wardrobe expenditures are somewhat at odds with her selected image, giving her followers the suspicion that she's just another phony.

Obama and Michelle never pretended to be Mr. & Mrs. Joe Six-Pack so they don't have Miss Congeniality's problem.  It's an authenticity thing.

BTW, five suits at a time means the guy doesn't have to shop very often.  They oughtta last about ten years.

[Amianthus]

BTW, five suits at a time means the guy doesn't have to shop very often.  They oughtta last about ten years.

Yeah, if he wore the same suits every day; he doesn't.

Exactly.  Palin has a problem because she pretended to be a "hockey mom" and the wife of Joe Six-Pack the First Dude.  Her wardrobe expenditures are somewhat at odds with her selected image, giving her followers the suspicion that she's just another phony.

More likely her wardrobe was typical Walmart clothing and the campaign advisors suggested she get fancier clothes.

[Xavier_Onassis]

The average American does not get paid any $120,000 per year. It's more like $40,000. One third of what the Republican handlers think Palin needs to spend for clothes.

[Amianthus]

The average American does not get paid any $120,000 per year. It's more like $40,000. One third of what the Republican handlers think Palin needs to spend for clothes.

And Obama spends $25,000 per shopping trip for suits, plus more for shirts and accessories. Big whoop.

[_JS]

This is absolutely a non-issue as much as Michelle Obama's diet is a non-issue.

Of course the GOP is going to put Governor Palin in some very nice clothes. Let's face it, like her politics or not, she is a beautiful woman. In this day and age both male and female politicians in high profile campaigns are given "image consultants" whose job it is to make the candidates look good on television and in person. Part of that is doing exactly what Hollywood stars and anyone else who uses their image to sell themselves or a product has to do - and that is purchase expensive clothing.

If anything, blame the current ridiculous system and the fact that people wouldn't vote for someone in jeans and a t-shirt, but it certainly is not Sarah Palin's fault.

[Plane]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20081022/pl_ynews/ynews_pl106


The experience thing , everyone knows that you can't have an inexperienced person become vice president.

an Inexperienced President on the other hand is alright.

[richpo64]

I think Joe dresses very well.

[Michael Tee]

<<Of course the GOP is going to put Governor Palin in some very nice clothes. Let's face it, like her politics or not, she is a beautiful woman. In this day and age both male and female politicians in high profile campaigns are given "image consultants" whose job it is to make the candidates look good on television and in person.>>

Be that as it may, it is not Barack and Michelle who are trying to pass themselves off as regular folks, it is Sarah and John ("Hey how many houses DO I have, anyway?") McCain who are trying to pull off that little act, and it seems to be wearing a little thin.  Plumbers' wives don't have "image consultants" and they sure as hell don't have Sarah's clothing budget either.

[sirs]

Apparently Tee's expecting McCain & Palin to dress in levis and checkered tee-shirts          This is such a non issue, it's pathetic

[richpo64]

Can you point out exactly how McCain/Palin are trying to "pass themselves off" as regular folks? It seems to me that they are defending someone for being "regular," not claiming to be so.

Then there's the fact that the Obama machine is investigating Joe. Where do they get off? He's a private citizen. Is this Soviet Russian? Can people show up on your lawn, ask you a question, and persecute you if you answer incorrectly?

Welcome to liberal America.