# McCain campaign slams Obama's visit to his grandmother **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 23, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233 "2008-10-23T17:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/181 "2008-10-25T12:16:55Z")
If you really wanted to make a point of it, you could show the kid how to use an online Bible concordance and let him find it for you. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/182 "2008-10-25T13:18:03Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It was $3,300, and he was assuming Obama was flying a 767 based on the jerk’s comment, and not a smaller 757, which is what Obama actually uses. It’s such a piffling amount that it isn’t worth bothering about. That $3,300 was an hourly cost, not a total cost. ($2,585 to operate a 757 per hour) x (16 hours) = ($41,360 round trip cost) ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/183 "2008-10-25T14:35:22Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > That $3,300 was an hourly cost, not a total cost. > > ($2,585 to operate a 757 per hour) x (16 hours) = ($41,360 round trip cost) Yeah, I was the bored guy who did the first estimate. I came up with $54K for the 767. So, $41K is quite reasonable. You could take that trip nearly 4 times for the cost of outfitting Palin. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/184 "2008-10-25T14:43:11Z")
That’s because providing clothing to a fish-wife-soon-to-be-grandmother-supporting-five-children is a humanitarian issue, whereas vacationing in Hawaii in the middle of a campaign is a waste of taxpayers’ money. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/185 "2008-10-25T19:38:45Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > That $3,300 was an hourly cost, not a total cost. > > ($2,585 to operate a 757 per hour) x (16 hours) = ($41,360 round trip cost) Plus you’ve got to pick up the tab for meals and lodging for anyone (other than the secret service) flying out there with him, as well as landing fees, etc. The video I saw of Obama showed him getting off the plane by himself, but I imagine there were a few staffers with him. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/186 "2008-10-25T19:41:35Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Plus you’ve got to pick up the tab for meals and lodging for anyone (other than the secret service) flying out there with him, as well as landing fees, etc. The video I saw of Obama showed him getting off the plane by himself, but I imagine there were a few staffers with him. Presumably those people would have had to have been housed/fed where ever the campaign was. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/187 "2008-10-25T20:19:57Z")
And, of course, he calls his Grandmother “Toot”. All perfectly innocent, I’m sure, no reason for the mainstream tedia to get all worked up, or investigate, or anything! Why, lots of people nick-name their grandparents “Crack” or “Pink Peruvian Flake” of “Bolivian Marching Powder”, happens all the time, I’m \*sooo \*sure… ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/188 "2008-10-25T20:25:33Z")
That may be another reason he killed her. And of course, nobody’s reporting that either. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/189 "2008-10-25T20:27:55Z")
> [@lee](#): > > What, like the rape kits in Wasilla? Apparently, [Palin’s now offering to autograph those.](http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2008/10/23/128693027322598818.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/190 "2008-10-25T20:29:32Z")
“My, Grandmother, what big eyes you have!” “All the better to see you with, my dear.” “And what big ears you have!” “Runs in the family, dear, you know that…” “And what a big mouth you have, Grandmother” “What a lovely pillow, dear, is that for _mmmmmmppph_!..” ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/191 "2008-10-25T20:31:21Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > She’s dropping the puck at the Blues game tonight. No word yet on whether she got booed… She’s calling her next kid Puck? Puck Palin. Has kind of a ring to it, actually, in a Lamont Cranston sort of way. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/192 "2008-10-26T02:43:29Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > She’s calling her next kid Puck? Puck Palin. Has kind of a ring to it, actually, in a Lamont Cranston sort of way. I hear she’s going for **Zamboni**. I kid you not. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/193 "2008-10-26T07:37:48Z")
> [@bup](#): > > In response to this, the Obama campaign has a special page set up to donate money in honor of 'Bama’s gramma: [http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/EightDollarsSixtyCents](http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/EightDollarsSixtyCents) Excellent! The campaign just got 86 bucks more from me. Thanks for the link! ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/194 "2008-10-26T13:12:27Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > I hear she’s going for **Zamboni**. I kid you not. I’d vote for her if she named it **Dweezil**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233.md?page=9)