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Issue date: Jan. 2, 2000 BRINGING THE ELECTION HOME: In a series of exclusive
photo essays starting today,
USA WEEKEND visits the presidential
candidates at home and gets them to cast a vote -- for their favorite
room in the house.
In this
article:
McCain's special items
About the ranch house
Also:
A talk with Cindy McCain
McCain's favorite room
 ucked
away at the entrance to Sen. John McCain's favorite room is a reminder
of a defining period: three bricks from the infamous "Hanoi Hilton,"
where the presidential candidate was held and often tortured for
more than five years. Many Americans are familiar with the Arizona
Republican's famous past as a prisoner of war. But a glimpse inside
this family room reveals a fuller portrait: Native American dolls,
his children's pottery creations and the very bottle that christened
the USS John S. McCain destroyer in 1992. "We keep a lot of memories
in this room," says McCain, 63. When he makes it home on weekends,
he and his wife, Cindy, 45, gravitate to this room and avoid political
chat. "We talk about the kids," McCain says. "Not the campaign."
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1.
The room:
Called "the Indian room." Distinctively Southwestern. An addition
designed by Cindy McCain. 19 by 29 feet; 12-foot pine ceiling.
Presided over by a 6-foot cigar-store Indian.
2.
Swords: The one above the bookcase once was owned by Gen.
George Custer. The glass-encased one was presented to McCain
by the Valley Forge (Pa.) Military Academy for distinguished
service.
3.
Dolls: A dozen kachina dolls crafted by Hopi artisans
are all gifts. "There are supposed to be spirits in these
dolls," McCain says. "Sen. [Barry] Goldwater had hundreds."
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4.
Plaques: Reminders
of McCain's military career. Inscription on one: "4th Allied
POW Wing/ Return with Honor."
5.
The furniture: Cushioned, reed-wood-framed couches
and chairs. Glass tables, one with a book of photos taken
by Goldwater.
6.
Rugs: Collection of antique throw rugs from a Navajo reservation
blanket the pine floors. Not pictured: Texas steer horns.
World War II-era Coca-Cola machine. Turn-of-the-20th-century
player piano. Branding iron (never used on animals) by the
fireplace. NFL helmet signed by the entire Arizona Cardinals
team.
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The house: 1951 ranch, Cindy McCain's childhood home. In
her family since early '60s. 8,300 square feet. 5 bedrooms, 5 1/2
baths.
Value: Assessed at more than $900,000.
Tax bill: $12,208. Setting: 2.16 acres in a busy commuter
corridor in Phoenix.
Neighborhood: Just north of downtown, with citrus and pecan
trees. Squaw Peak mountains are three miles east in the background.
Leisure time in room: The McCains' four children, ages 8-15,
pitch tents for sleepovers here. More than 100 guests come over
for Mexican cuisine. A 40-inch TV lets McCain watch simultaneous
football games on a split screen. A jukebox plays favorite tunes
by Chuck Berry and Roy Orbison. "I grew up on rock and roll," McCain
says, "and I never grew out of it."
-- By Dennis McCafferty
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