Do you care that John Edwards just built a 10,000 sf house?

[Quixote1818]

Poll question: Do you care that John Edwards just built a 10,000 sf house?

On edit: I changed it to 10,000 from 30,000 due to a post below who said the numbers were wrong.

[atreides1]

1. If I had the money

I'd do the same thing.

[Quixote1818]

5. I think as long as he gives a large % back to charity it's fine.

I would do the same thing as well.

[niyad]

2. really? and where did we learn of this?

[Quixote1818]

7. Here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=48026&mesg_id=48026

[Lusted4]

3. Kinda, it's a bit much. nt

[Lusted4]

62. 10k thats more like it. nt

[originalpckelly]

4. Are those "business" square feet?

:yoiks:

[Maine-ah]

6. eh, it's a little obscene, but it's his money.

wth do you do with 30k square feet of house anyway?

I'd like to add, that his new bedroom is almost as big as my whole house, lol. Damn.

[Solo_in_MD]

8. No, but I wasn't going to vote for him anyway

His trail lawyer background IMO disqualifies him (I really hate them that much)

[karlrschneider]

41. Let's hope you never need one.

:eyes:

[Turn CO Blue]

74. Consider this: One of the biggest cases he had

was about a little girl who was COMPLETELY disemboweled by a faulty drain mechanism in a hot tub. She lived, but her medical bills were devastating and her quality of life was greatly diminished (never to be able to eat or drink except intravenously, etc.) The manufacturing company had known about the design issue and was grossly, criminally negligent. They could have changed the design or put in 4 screws and a drain cover.

Nothing is all that black and white. Not even the virtue or evil of lawyers.


From Wikipedia:
The biggest case of his legal career was a 1997 product liability lawsuit against Sta-Rite, the manufacturer of a defective pool drain cover. The case involved a Cary, North Carolina girl, Valerie Lakey, who was disemboweled by the suction power of the pool drain pump when she sat on an open pool drain whose protective cover other children at the pool had removed, after the swim club had failed to install the cover properly. Despite 12 prior suits with similar claims, Sta-Rite continued to make and sell drain covers lacking warnings.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwards>



Update: Here is a link to the father's web page about the accident.
<http://www.monkeytime.org/lakey.html#accident>

One more thing. The father of that girl is a DU'er and links to Democratic Underground on his site.

[Ignacio Upton]

9. A lot of that isn't even living space

Part of the sf are for a barn-like structure, which I think is supposed to be a recreation building for the family.

[BayCityProgressive]

12. I think it is dumb

the media will have a blast with it. He is trying to play the populist card and his home is like 25 times the size of mine.

[silverweb]

10. That's a misrepresentation.

The house itself is more like 10,000 sf. The other 20,000 sf include outbuildings and, apparently, a barn.

Other than the need to get the facts straight, no I don't care.

[Alamom]

23. No, it's not. Read the article. The other 20, 000 sf is a rec. center with

a basketball court, a squash court, two stages, a bedroom, kitchen, bathrooms, swimming pool, a four-story tower, and a room designated "John's Lounge."

[BayCityProgressive]

43. my bad then

I was under the impression it was all the house. I guess not such a big deal then.

[Alamom]

48. My response was to silverweb who posted the other 20,000 sf was a barn &

outbuildings. My point was the other 20, 000 sf is a recreation center with living quarters per the article.


The recreation building contains a basketball court, a squash court, two stages, a bedroom, kitchen, bathrooms, swimming pool, a four-story tower, and a room designated "John's Lounge."




Just keeping the facts straight.

[silverweb]

58. Just keeping the facts straight...

"The main house is all on one level except for a 600-square-foot bedroom and bath area above the guest garage." ... "The recreation building, a red, barn-like building containing 15,600 square feet, is connected to the house by a closed-in and roofed structure of varying widths and elevations that totals 2,200 square feet."

Other than that, I still really don't care. It's his money.

[Mass]

11. I care, but not because of the value.

but because of the unnecessary ressources that such a house generally consumes. Or does he use alternative energy for it. In addition, the photo seems to show that they cut a bunch of trees to build the house.

Other than that, he can spend his money as he wants, as long as he does not try to tell us that he lives like me.

[etherealtruth]

19. I think the house itself is 10,00 sq ft

Which will still use a tremendous amount of resources ... but by, 1/3

[Mass]

22. I guess the recreational area will need energy as well.

[etherealtruth]

40. likely not as much as a living area.

[sandnsea]

77. I agree with both sentiments

I don't think we can continue to live that kind of excessive lifestyle with the limited resources on the planet. It would have been nice if he'd invested in a completely eco-friendly house and made a project around its construction. It's not that the money is spent, it's the conscientious choices that go into the spending. That's what would make me believe he gets what's on the minds of average Americans.

[nam78_two]

80. I agree-the environmental impact is the thing that bothers me.

I really don't want this man to be the Dem. nominee in 2008.

[mondo joe]

13. Other: I don't care. (Regardless of what he gives to charity.)

[TheCowsCameHome]

14. Who cares. It's smaller than the White House, isn't it?

[Zenlitened]

15. Jeebus. Push-polling on DU already. Can't wait 'til the primaries REALLY start!

:crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

[Double T]

16. That's right, there are two Americas............

and John is a member of the corporate supporting elite.

[karlrschneider]

17. If I were rich, I'd build a FIFTY thousand ft^2 house.

:eyes:

[Mass]

20. Thank you for your concern for the environment and of the use of our

common ressources.

[karlrschneider]

26. It would be solar powered and geothermally heated & cooled.

So bite me.

[Mass]

30. OK then.

:-)

[MadHound]

18. I find the ostentacious display of wealth a bit gauche,

Nobody, nobody has the need for a house with 3/4 acre of floor space. You're wasting resources and energy, and all for what? To have a house that you can't clean by yourself in and need a map in order not to get lost.

Sorry, I don't care who it is, I find such displays of wealth a bit disgusting. Think of the good that Edwards could have done if he had built, say a 5,000 sq. ft. house and used the saved money for charitable works.

[karlrschneider]

28. His property taxes will do a lot for the county.

Probably more than any other 5 people combined.

[MadHound]

46. And using up more energy than five other people comgined

And don't be suprised if he is paying reduced or no property taxes. Many rich residents get to negotiate these little niceties, since they are bringing a lot of buying power to the area. Edward could have very well worked out a sweetheart deal:shrug:

[karlrschneider]

57. Sure, and he COULD have Nicole Simpson.

:eyes:

But we don't know what energy sources are utilized in his house and property taxes aren't like income taxes - they rarely get brother-in-law special deals.

[cynatnite]

21. It's his money...he can do whatever the hell he wants with it n/t

[originalpckelly]

24. 1. Edwards was not born into wealth...

2. He performed a valuable function for society.

However, he was trying liar, so that means he probably took a large chunk of money from those he represented. That's ripping-off the disadvantaged, who obviously needed some type of help.

If he was excessive in the amount of money he charged for a case, and he passed that on to the companies he sued, he raised the price of the goods/services those companies provided, unless the money came directly out of the profits of a business. If it came from profits however, and those profits were not excessive, then that would be wrong.

So I'm mixed about this.

[Quixote1818]

29. "trying liar"? Did you mean "trial lawyer"?

Lawyer and liar do often mean the same thing. Funny.

[originalpckelly]

44. Indeed. Not always though...

I know a couple of very good lawyers, of course I highly doubt in any of their work they ever charged on the level of Edwards, and they do not practice the same type of law.

[Quixote1818]

52. I agree. I know some very honest lawyers and I think Edwards is honest. nt

[ShortnFiery]

55. Yes, my dad made it to upper middle class

but he was born into abject poverty in a farmhouse in rural South Dakota. When he went to WWII, his *loving* family gave away all his possessions. When dad was battlefield commissioned and completed his undergraduate degree, he was on his way up. However, he never lavished money on us kids.

His only quirk was that he would buy nice suits, tons of them and nice shoes to complement on the scale of Emelda Marcos. After his passing, St. Vincent de Paul appreciated the suits, but was not as able to match many needy people to his Size 12 AAA dress shoes. :P

No, I don't understand Edward's excesses in housing space any more than I understood dad's suit and shoe buying compulsions. :shrug: Some say that it's only *ONE* of the largest houses in the county and not The Largest Home, i.e., only a second tier Robber Baron. That's just, IMO, wrong for someone who touts himself as a populist to demonstrate excesses in his personal life.

Yes, to be fair, I also have no love lost for Political Dynasties, including our Democratic Ones such as the Kennedys and Clintons ... also I disliked Jackie "snotty" air of elitism. Well, at least I'm consistent - and part of me realizes that it's a fault that I'll probably not ever overcome.

[stranger]

25. who gives a shit? I care about what he will do (or not do) for the country

talk about a stupid "issue"

[npincus]

27. with his dough, why not buy a house in NOLA

and move his family there?

[karlrschneider]

34. I love to visit NOLA but have absolutely no desire to -live- there.

...

[blondeatlast]

51. Because he was born and raised in North Carolina and represents his home state?

Just guessing... :eyes:

[Nutmegger]

31. How come there wasn't this much fervor over Edwards' comments regarding Iran?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x33663

Does this not concern anybody? :shrug:

Instead we're talking about his effing house that he bought. :eyes:

(Notice the thread too. It sunk like a stone.)

[FrenchieCat]

Cause that's a really issue and bone to pick with John Edwards?

War and peace always takes a back seat to property...didn't you know?

He wrote a book about homes, not about peace....remember?

[MrSlayer]

32. His house is irrelevant. His political stances are not.

Concentrate on the things that matter.

[etherealtruth]

33. The man has made poverty and the quality of human life ...

... the center piece of his campaign ... that is important. He brings the plight of fragile people to the forefront.

Most important ... John and Elizabeth Edwards earned their money.

Ted Kennedy has fought tirelessly for the most fragile elements of our society (the impoverished are high on his list) ... I don't think anyone would accuse him of living frugally.

John kerry found love and tremendous wealth when He married.

The list could go on ... but, an even longer list is of those that have great wealth and do nothing to assist the least among us:(

[FrenchieCat]

35. If I can someone else in the White House by working the primaries,

than I don't care how big Edwards' house is. :)

[saltpoint]

36. He'll rot in the hot blue blazes of hell forever and ever amen

for building that house.

May God in his wisdom destroy the Edwards family!

[Not Me]

37. It's not for me, but if that's what he wants to spend his money on...

who am I to judge him. It's akin to the Oprah-building-a-school-in-Africa debate.

Quite frankly, if I had the $$, I would rather have a half-dozen smaller homes around the world, and spend some time each year in each.

[phylny]

38. Other

No.

[katsy]

39. Is he making use of alternative energy?

If not, is he tasty? Because if and when our energy gluttony catches up with us, we'll have to eat the rich.

I mean, is this the "Hummer" of fuel consuming homes or what?

Just curious.

:shrug:

[catgirl]

42. He claims to care about the poor...

yet builds a castle. Hmm. It doesn't surprise me
because I've never felt him to be genuine. Couldn't
he have bought a beautiful old house in disrepair,
fix it up with recycled materials and donated part
of the land to a womens shelter or something?

[eShirl]

56. you're confusing caring about the poor with frugality.

[ShortnFiery]

59. Yes, some Secular Franciscans try to RATIONALIZE that their

showing off their personal wealth is OK because they truly do care about the poor. Blah blah blah.

And to that I say, "a camel passing through the eye of a needle ... ;)

[Lord Byron]

45. He's an EXTREMELY successful trial lawyer

He's rich. So what? I don't see what the big deal is. Better a rich man who enacts a populist agenda than a poor man who is a slave to Wall St interests.

[etherealtruth]

68. Or what we've had recently ...

A rich man furthering the interests of the rich over everyone else.

[blondeatlast]

47. It begat possibly the funniest GD thread ever, so yes, for that reason alone, I care. nt

[zulchzulu]

49. Depends on how the basement is set up

If there isn't a decent foozeball table, then damnit, I question his recreational game choices.

:sarcasm:

[Greyskye]

50. that size house is just obscene!

How many people live with him? 50? Hmmm, maybe so if you count the servents. :crazy:

[karlrschneider]

60. If you won the lottery, what size house would you build?

??

[Greyskye]

70. easy answer

I'd remodel the 45 year old house I'm currently in. Possibly add a partial 2nd story or an extension addition. Add solar heating/power. Total square footage might grow to the mid 2000's from the current 1640. I'd also add some additional landscaping to the bare hillside on the downhill side of the house.

Happy?

[karlrschneider]

72. Happy. You're a rare bird.

:D

[Greyskye]

76. Thank you sir.

Now if I could only win the damn lottery. :rofl:

[karlrschneider]

79. Someone in St. Louis won 240 million Wed. night. My sister lives there

and isn't answering her phone. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm


:rofl:

[eShirl]

53. Who cares, period.

[Malikshah]

54. Wow-- what a useless poll. Folks are soooo starting early

this cycle. Normally these sorts of shenanigans don't kick in until at least the Spring.

What's next? Do you care that Obama's middle name is Hussein?
Do you care that Richardson is overweight?
Do you care that Hilary is a woman?

Let's round up the usual suspects and get some good ole pollin done....:sarcasm:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

61. Nouveau Riche ostentation. *Shrug*

So what else is (notso) new?

[PeaceProgProsp]

63. He's going to need room for the secret service and guests when he's prez.

[WindRavenX]

64. i care what he does when he's president

I know he's going to be an advocate for the poor and the middle class.

And, seeing as he's from a background of poverty, I really don't care what he does with his money that he's earned--that's something Bush or Kerry hasn't done.

[Conan_The_Barbarian]

65. If the money is clean and legal

It's you and you alone who decides what to do with it. I today bought a powerbar, some cold medicine, and some chapstick, do I need to run that by for approval?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

66. What, Do I LOOK Like A Self-Righteous Nose Lifter To You? Well???? Do I??? LOL

No, I couldn't care less hehehe.

[Imagevision]

67. Is this a freeper thread??

[hashibabba]

69. Does anyone here actually KNOW how much money he gives

to the poor, or are we just *assuming* he doesn't. Is he required to give 90% of his money to the poor? He could give 25% of his wealth to the poor and still have money for that house.

Do we really KNOW he *overcharged* his clients? Or are we just assuming he's a crook. He's a trial lawyer and he probably gets exactly the same percentage as other trial lawyers get. Is that wrong? As much as I detest Bush and his rich cronies, there is nothing wrong with getting wealth in this country. We don't all actually have to be poor (even though I am!) to sympathize and help the poor.

I would love to have a 10,000 sq. ft. house to live in. What's the big deal? Its his money to spend. He's got a wife and three kids to share it with.

Yes, let's get on to his speech about Iran!

Edited to add: And we don't have any idea how the house was built. Maybe it was built using totally recycled wood and other products. Maybe it IS energy-efficient. Why do so many seem to be assuming the worst of him with absolutely no proof of it?

[onecent]

71. Well, WHY shouldn't he????

[Warren DeMontague]

73. I don't need all those words. Simple Answer? No.

Extended answer? No.

[NastyRiffraff]

75. I'm glad to see the percentage of No votes

That other Edwards thread, saying he's "finished" because he built the house, was insane. Now we're measuring candidates' HOUSING? Gimme a break.

[pinto]

78. No.