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Joe the Plumber

Jill

is not a licensed plumber. He owes some money in back taxes. His name is spelled incorrectly on his voter registration card.

More importantly, why does anyone give a shit? And yet here I am, writing about it anyway.

Perhaps it’s because the repeated mentions of Joe the Plumber last night made me want to stab myself.

30 thoughts on Joe the Plumber

  2. Whoa, did you see this quote from Joe the Plumber later on in the article? He’s talking about asking Obama the question about the American dream and all.

    He went on, “You know, I’ve always wanted to ask one of these guys a question and really corner them and get them to answer a question,” he said, “for once instead of tap dancing around it. And unfortunately I asked the question, but I still got a tap dance.”

    He added, “Almost as good as Sammy Davis Jr.”

    Somehow that doesn’t sit well with me.

  5. glad I’m not the only one. That whole Sammy Davis Jr, thing made me uncomfortable as well. This campaign has put a spotlight on many isms from everyone.

  6. So…he’s not registered to vote, he’s not really a plumber, he can’t afford to buy anything anyway because he owes back taxes, and his name isn’t even Joe?

    JoeMyGod. What’s next, he’s really a Golden Retriever?

  7. More like Joe the Republican… from everything I have heard he had his mind made up and was no where near an undecided voter. Plus isn’t he glad McCain dragged him into the national spotlight?

    I still can’t believe McCain last night said “health of the mother… what does that mean???” about abortions. Compassionate conservatism at it’s best there…

  8. Nope, no overreaction there, folks. I’m from Ohio but have lived in Georgia for the past 30 years. What you picked up on was pure racism. It’s as easy to recognize in a Northern Ohioan as it is in a South Georgia redneck.

    Let’s see whether McCain rushes to “repudiate” this “out-of-bounds remark,” as he claimed last night he always does.

  9. I’ll go one further and predict “Joe” the “Plumber” was planted by the RNC. McCain seemed just a little to quick to pounce on the opportunity.

  10. I read that he has been earning his money illegally. He’s not licensed and he’s using another plumber’s credentials. Obama’s plan could actually help him since he’s middle class . He claims the question was not answered but considering he won’t be buying that business he probably didn’t really listen.

  11. “I’ll go one further and predict “Joe” the “Plumber” was planted by the RNC. McCain seemed just a little to quick to pounce on the opportunity.”

    Is there an echo in here? (me too…)

  12. “More importantly, why does anyone give a shit? And yet here I am, writing about it anyway.

    Perhaps it’s because the repeated mentions of Joe the Plumber last night made me want to stab myself.”

    The entire time he kept rambling about Joe the Plumber I kept thinking “I don’t think Joe the Plumber signed up to be the subject of tonight’s debate, dude” and wondering what Joe the Plumber was going to think when he went to leave for work the next morning only to find a dozen news crews blocking him in, waiting for an interview. ‘Cuz that’s a hell of a thing to dump on someone because they asked a candidate a question. Either he’s a plant or McCain is an industrial-grade douchebag even to people who support him.

  13. So, the truth will out. Joe the Plumber is actually Sam the Schnook. And a tax deadbeat. And didn’t do his research before he asked his question. And runs an illegitimate business. And is a racist. Great guy. Hope he’s not related to Joe Sixpack.

  16. He’s made it onto the BBC news as well:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7674248.stm

    After the debate “Joe the plumber” from Ohio said he was “floored” by the impact he had made.

    He refused to say who he would vote for but said Mr Obama had a “very socialist view” of taxes “and that’s incredibly wrong”.

    Yeah…sounds real independent there.

    Also, as someone from Ohio…sigh. Between this and the Strongsville vid we’re going to be permanently seen as racist and ignorant after this election. I really think these jerks are a minority.

  18. Well to be entirely fair, there do seem to be a lot of people on both sides of the aisle who think that the Bradley Effect is a myth and more the result of poor polling.

  19. This is true, Cara. It still worries me, though — especially when, in some places and among younger voters, the Obama campaign is a lot trendier than the McCain campaign. And there are a lot of people who will claim to be “undecided” so that they don’t seem racist, but are already planning on voting for McCain (see our friend Joe, for example). I’m just nervous. And I feel like I live in such a liberal bubble, I have no idea what other people are saying and thinking.

  21. Jill, what I mean is, I grew up about 30 minutes away from the mall “Strongsville Mob” takes place at. (Incidentally also only a few blocks away from the Stadium in Berea that Obama spoke at.)

    It’s definitely gone downhill since most of the industry left Cleveland, but growing up it was one of those areas where anyone was welcome.

    I’ve encountered much more overt sexism and racism since moving to New England, so seeing the lynch mob tactics successfully used in Strongsville but not in Dover (http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081016-NEWS-810160401) was genuinely shocking for me.

    Meanwhile, found another Joe-ism:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7673170.stm

    “Robin Hood stole from greedy rich people and redistributed it to the peasants, so to speak, so if he’s calling us peasants, I kind of resent that,”

    Seriously, WTF is up with this guy?

  22. Lynn said :
    “Also, as someone from Ohio…sigh. Between this and the Strongsville vid we’re going to be permanently seen as racist and ignorant after this election. I really think these jerks are a minority.”

    We in Idaho know how you feel, with our history of Aryan Nation and the LA cop who investigated OJ having located in North Idaho.
    Time heals; they’ve left Idaho, and Obama drew over 15,000 to an appearance in Boise on a freezing morning in February. Idaho was Obama’s best state in caucuses. Remain hopeful.

  23. Its kind of annoying that some joe six pack, white dude is always held out as the mythological, american working class hero.

    Don’t brown and black people have working class jobs?

  24. First of all, to label an entire group (the Republicans) as racists is extremely prejudice, in and of itself. Second of all, if you truly are concerned about racism why does your logo have an aryan girl rather than a black or brown girl. Third of all, I don’t believe that “Joe the Plummer” was racist at all. Personally I would like to try to corner several politicians with questions (regardless of what race, sex, orientation, etc.) because they never answer the questions they are asked, and they do dance around the issues. Anyone who thinks that they don’t isn’t paying attention, and that’s coming from someone with ADHD. Stop with all this oversensitive bullshit and pay attention to what’s really going on.

  25. As someone who attended a well-respected private college* in a rural Northern Ohio town and seen the level of economic deprivation in the area and the resentments it engendered as expressed in the mostly White working-class town/area residents’ racist, homophobic, sexist, anti-progressive/liberal/left, and anti-college taunts towards students and the college community…..a town resident who earned $250k/year or more would easily end up above the 99th percentile of all earned incomes in that town.

    Heck, not even the college president earned anywhere near that much and the institution she headed was the largest employer of the town and the surrounding area.

    If what Joe says about his situation is true, he’d practically be among the wealthiest residents of my college town if not the wealthiest.

    * Attended said college on a near-full scholarship based on academics and financial need. Stated just to preempt any possible accusations of being one of the socio-economically overprivileged majority who were dominant at my undergrad institution.

  26. OMG… Joe the Plumber is not licensed! Actually as he works for a company that is, he is not required to have a license. To draw a parallel, the commander and chief of the armed forces is not required to have ever actually served in them and is apparently allowed to pall around with those whom have admittedly bombed the pentagon.

  27. Forget the character attacks, however deserved or not. Let’s deal with the actual issue that was raised. Here’s a relevant excerpt from the (very) conservative Wall Street Journal article of OCTOBER 17, 2008, ‘As Joe the Plumber Grows Famous, the Politics Get Murkier’:

    “To reach a level that would be affected by Sen. Obama’s proposed tax increase, Mr. Smither said, a mom-and-pop plumbing company like Newell would have to clear $5 million in annual sales. [Joe’s company actually reports only $100,000 in sales.]

    Even if Mr. Wurzelbacher reaped taxable income from his business of $280,000 a
    year, he’d pay only about $900 more a year in taxes under Sen. Obama’s plan, which
    would raise the tax rate on the income between $250,000 and $280,000 to 36%
    from 33%.

    […]

    If Mr. Wurzelbacher earns the wages of a typical Ohio plumber, $40,600, and holds a $90,000 mortgage, he would see a TAX CUT (emphasis added) under Sen. Obama’s plan of more than $1,000, compared with no tax reduction under Sen. McCain’s.

    If he succeeds in buying the plumbing business where he works, he could see even more tax benefits, including Sen. Obama’s proposed elimination of capital-gains taxes for small-business investment, a 50% tax credit to purchase health insurance for employees and a $3,000 tax credit for every new hire over the next two years.”

    Yep … facts are pesky things.

  28. Thank God for Joe the Plumber who has put some life into this wretched, interminable campaign. If Nixon had had him on his plumber squad ihe would have served his whole term honorably. Joe the Plumber for Congress.

  29. @Raul
    OMG… Joe the Plumber is not licensed! Actually as he works for a company that is, he is not required to have a license. To draw a parallel, the commander and chief of the armed forces is not required to have ever actually served in them and is apparently allowed to pall around with those whom have admittedly bombed the pentagon.

    Actually, to quote from here, “According to the Lucas County Building Regulations office: You can not work under the permit of someone else while practicing a trade (plumbing, electric, etc). Every person working on the site must obtain a permit for their trade.” Toledo officials are already looking into the issue of how exactly Joe has been practising for the “fifteen years” he claimed, without any formal qualifications all the while.

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