Dear Reader: how many houses do you own?

I know, silly question. For those lucky enough to be homeowners, the answer is usually one, with perhaps a summer cottage or chalet added to the tally. For the super-rich or those who rent out properties, the number can climb up a few more notches.

And then there’s Republican presidential hopeful John McCain. When asked how many houses he owns, McCain—who paraded an everyman, town hall–style, let’s get back to basics campaign—couldn’t produce an answer. Two? Five? Ten? He wasn’t sure. Granted, he’s getting old, but surely his wife, Cindy, should know. “I’ll have my staff get [back] to you,” he said.

Can you imagine being so rich you can’t remember how many houses you own? Of course, a political gaffe such as this produces offspring only possibly in the YouTube, digitalized era.

This wouldn’t be so funny if it weren’t for the Rupublican party’s recent attack advertisement dealing with the U.S. housing crisis; in the ad, an announcer says, “Barack Obama knows a lot about housing problems. One of his ‘biggest fund-raisers’ helped him buy his million-dollar mansion.”

So, for the record, Obama owns one house, a hefty $1.5 million mansion; and McCain owns (at press time) 10 houses worth about $13.8 million, just slightly less than the net worth of his prime time gaffe.

[ed: McCain's spokesman claims four houses, along with "investment properties and stuff." And check out the pictures here to see his Arizona abode.]