Here we go again with a fake 'ranch'

George W. Bush has never ridden a horse in his life. His activities at his Crawford "ranch" consist of wrangling brush, fishing, and riding his bike. Yet the "liberal media" have always played along with Bush's faux cowboy persona.

Now McCain's doing it too, and once again the major news outlets are being good little enablers (The Washington Independent):

For months, the media has been reporting that Sen. John McCain spends weekends at his "Arizona ranch," where he can be with his family, visit with close friends or occasionally entertain possible vice presidential contenders.

The steady reference to the presumptive GOP presidential nominee's "Arizona ranch" projects a powerful image of the American cowboy that has long played an important role in presidential politics. The description of McCain's sliver of Arizona's outback as a "ranch," however, is misleading at best. And, perhaps inadvertently, it allows McCain to obscure his carpetbagger role in Arizona politics with a veneer of American mythology. [...]

The property is located in a "subdivision" where there is no cattle roping, branding or herding of heifers. Far from a ranch, McCain's getaway is really nothing more than a retreat. But the retired Navy captain and surge advocate certainly doesn't want the media stating that McCain went to his "Arizona retreat" for the weekend, lest that conjure up images of French cowardice.

It's a $1.7-million house surrounded by 20 acres of land. I think that's called an "estate."