Lifestyles of the 2008 Presidential Candidates

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  Getty Images

  How Our Potential
  Presidents Live in Real Life

  
  As the presidential candidates tour the country trying to inform Americans about their political beliefs and policy agendas, we take a look at how these public figures lead their private lives.
  
  Click through our gallery as we round up information from the Associated Press 'personal sides' series, Web sites, like Votesmart.org, and writers, like freelance author Jonathan Berr, to take a peek at the White House hopefuls' homes, cars, families, churches, hobbies and more.
  
  · Read Article by Jonathan Berr
  
  First Up: Their Homes

• McCain Home

  Robert Reck

  John McCain, Republican

  
  According to Architectural Digest, Senator John McCain and his wife, Cindy, live with their family in a southwestern-style residence in Phoenix. "My husband's favorite part about the house is probably the casual style of it," remarks Cindy McCain. "The feel is very comfortable, and he enjoys that, because he’s not a formal person." The piano in the entrance hall (pictured left, bottom) is from the Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, Arizona.
  
  
  
  Next: More McCain Homes

• McCains condos

  Tim Sloan, AFP/Getty Images

  More McCain Residences

  
  Two more McCain residences include this 6,500-square-foot, glass-walled condo with three terraces. It is in a recently built high-rise called 2211 Camelback. (top photo)
  
  During the work week when McCain is in the nation's capital he resides in this three-bedroom, 2.5-bath condo of 2,100 square feet in the Crystal Gateway complex near Reagan National Airport.(bottom photo)
  
  
  
  Next: Obama's Home

• Barack Obama's Chicago Home

  Jerry Lai, AP

  Barack Obama, Democrat

  
  Obama has a large, stately brick home on Chicago's South Side with an estimated value of $1.9 million. The Chicago Tribune describes it as a "96-year-old Georgian revival home that has four fireplaces, glass-door bookcases fashioned from Honduran mahogany, and a 1,000-bottle wine cellar."
  
  Next: McCain's Car

• Cadillac

  General Motors

  What McCain Drives

  
  John McCain drives the popular Cadillac CTS.
  
  In a Washington Post article from 2004, Mark Leibovich says, "John McCain drives like he lives: with conviction, impatience and a willingness to cross dividing lines."
  
  Next: Obama's Cars

• Obama's Cars

  Ford / Daimler Chrysler

  What Obama Drives

  
  Obama drives a Ford Escape hybrid and the Chrysler 300C.
  
  In May 2007, CarandDriver.com criticized Obama, saying: "(Obama) comes to Detroit and blasts automakers about the need to build more-fuel-efficient cars and then drives off in his personal Chrysler 300C?"
  
  Next: Obama's Favorite Quote

• Obamas favorite quote

  Obama's Favorite Quote

  
  "The Arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." Martin Luther King.
  
  
  
  
  Next: McCain's Family

• McCain Family

  AP

  McCain's Family

  
  McCain comes from a military family where both his father and grandfather were U.S. Navy admirals. He has been married twice. His current wife Cindy is 17 years his junior. McCain has seven children including a 15-year-old adopted daughter from Bangladesh.
  
  Next: Obama's Family

• OBama Family

  AP

  Obama's Family

  
  Obama and his wife Michelle have daughters Malia (9) and Sasha (6).
  
  
  
  
  
  Next: Astrological Signs

• Astrological Signs

  Their Astrological Signs

  
  John McCain: Virgo
  
  Barack Obama: Leo
  
  (Source: Votesmart.org)
  
  
  
  
  
  Next: McCain's Hobbies

• McCain walking

  AP

  McCain's Hobbies

  
  According to votesmart.org, McCain enjoys sports, hiking, fishing, boxing, basketball, football, baseball, history and spending time as a barbecue grill chef.
  
  
  
  Next: Obama's Hobbies

• obama playing basketball

  AP

  Obama's Hobbies

  
  In his spare time, Obama enjoys basketball, writing and loafing with his kids.
  
  
  
  Next: Their First Jobs

• mccain in military

  AP

  Their First Jobs

  
  John McCain: Naval Aviator, U.S. Navy
  
  Barack Obama: Community organizer with a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods
  
  (Source: Votesmart.org, U.S. News & World Report, Barackobama.com)
  
  
  
  
  Next: McCain's Church

• North Phoenix Baptist Church

  North Phoenix Baptist Church

  McCain's Church

  
  According to an article in the Associated Baptist Press, "John McCain has a deep and personal Christian commitment despite his reluctance to speak publicly about it, according to the man McCain calls his pastor. Dan Yeary, pastor of North Phoenix Baptist Church, described the Arizona senator and his wife, Cindy, as 'very unobtrusive' people who don't seek special attention when they are able to come to worship. McCain, a lifelong Episcopalian, has been attending the Southern Baptist-affiliated church in Phoenix for at least 17 years. But the presumptive GOP presidential nominee has neither officially joined the congregation nor been baptized."
  
  Next: Obama's Church

• Obama's former church

  AP

  Obama's Church

  
  On Saturday, May 31, Barack Obama resigned from the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. The resignation came days after a visiting Catholic priest mocked Hillary Clinton there, and after his minister of about 20 years, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, drew unwanted attention as videos of his fiery and controversial sermons surfaced.
  
  
  
  Next: Personal Hereos

• Ronald Reagan

  AP

  Their Personal Hereos

  
  John McCain: Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater
  
  Barack Obama: Martin Luther King Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, Pablo Picasso, and John Coltrane
  
  (Source: Votesmart.org)
  
  
  
  
  
  Next: McCain's Youth

• McCain When Child

  Time Life Pictures / Getty Images

  McCain's Childhood

  
  The son and grandson of distinguished Navy admirals, John McCain was born in Panama in 1936. At that time, the Panama Canal was under American control and his father was stationed there. In 1951, the family settled in Northern Virginia, and McCain attended Episcopal High School, a private preparatory boarding school in Alexandria. In high school, he excelled at wrestling. When asked his best and worst grades or subjects at school, he has said, "I never got good grades."
  
  Next: Obama's Youth

• Obama as a Child

  AP

  Obama's Childhood

  
  Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. His father was an economist from Kenya and his mother was an anthropologist from Kansas. In a third-grade essay Obama said he wanted to become president. The Illinois senator, graduated from Harvard Law where he was the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review.
  
  (Source: NYTimes.com, ChicagoTribune.com)
  
  
  Next: Favorite TV Shows

• Seinfeld

  Getty Images

  Their Favorite TV Shows

  
  John McCain: '24,' 'Seinfeld'
  
  Barack Obama: 'SportsCenter,' C-SPAN
  
  (Source: Votesmart.org)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Next: Favorite Books

• Ernest Hemingway Books

  Amazon

  Their Favorite Books

  
  John McCain: 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' (Photo courtesy of Amazon.com)
  
  Barack Obama: 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X'; 'Song of Solomon' by Toni Morrison; 'Moby Dick'; Shakespeare's tragedies; 'Parting the Waters'; 'Gilead' by Robinson; 'Self-Reliance' by Emerson; The Bible, Lincoln's collected writings
  
  (Source: Votesmart.org)
  
  Next: Favorite Food

• Obama getting ready to eat

  AP

  Their Favorite Food

  
  John McCain: Chocolate ice cream, pizza with pepperoni and onions, baby-back ribs
  
  Barack Obama: (to cook) Chili
  
  (Source: Votesmart.org, Slate.com)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Next: Favorite Movies

• old movie

  AP

  Their Favorite Movies

  
  John McCain: 'Viva Zapata,' 'Letters From Iwo Jima,' 'Some Like It Hot'
  
  Barack Obama: 'Casablanca,' 'Godfather I and II,' 'Lawrence of Arabia,' 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'
  
  (Source: Votesmart.org)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Next: Favorite Musicians

• musician

  AP

  Their Favorite Musicians

  
  John McCain: Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison
  
  Barack Obama: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Johann Sebastian Bach (cello suites), and The Fugees
  
  (Source: Votesmart.org, Facebook.com)
  
  
  
  
  
  Next: Favorite Fitness Activity

• hand with basketball

  Their Favorite Fitness Activity

  
  John McCain: Hiking
  
  Barack Obama: Basketball
  
  (Source: Associated Press )
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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