I am writing this post today in typical Man Overboard fashion. Tonight I go so Overboard as to pledge that my vote, regardless of the outcome, will be decided by “Joe the Plumber.”
For those of you who did not watch the 3rd and last Presidential Debate tonight, Joe the Plumber is the working class man from Ohio who has worked hard his entire life as a plumber. Now, after all these years Joe is finally in a position to potentially buy the business he has worked for during the last decade.
At a rally earlier this week, Joe asked Barack Obama if his taxes would be raised by an Obama presidency. This was Barack Obama’s reply:
My pledge to my readers tonight is this: Joe the Plumber decides my vote.
Here is why:
1. I live in New Jersey and Obama will obviously carry the Garden State in the election, so it won’t matter anyway.
2. I am so confident that any self made man, struggling for a decade and finally in a position to make a better life for himself and his family by starting his own business does not want to “spread the wealth around,” that I am willing to stake my precious, meaningless vote on it.
You heard it here folks. Even if the decision is Obama, Joe the Plumber will decide my vote. I go with the working man from Ohio because I know he will not allow his hard work to be taken from him by the government and given away to those not willing to work as hard as him.
I know this becuase:
- Joe is a hard working, self made man.
- Joe does not want to spread it around, he wants to earn it.
- Joe does not think it is patriotic to pay higher taxes.
- Joe is not rich, even though Barack Obama thinks so.
- Joe is not a communist.
- Joe is not a socialist.
- Joe is an American.
So tell me Joe. Who am I voting for? It’s your call. I know you’ll make the right choice.
~Man Overboard
72 Comments
Good for Joe the Plumber. Let me get a medal and nail it to his chest.
What’s ridiculous is political exploitation of “regular people” – whether it is McCain talking about Joe or Obama singing his songs about “regular people” and their health care woes.
It is all a total farce. A complete joke. These politicians do not care about us, and to think so is nonsense. These clowns are just making special interests stories out of there demographic in a transparent attempt to connect.
I’m sorry this is a total and complete insult to the intelligence that I clearly lack.
Clearly Greg, you and I do lack the intelligence to control our own health care, retirement, and childrens education.
Lucky for we, the hapless pleebs, Senator Obama the savior is there to make the call for us.
Someone needs to take that intelligence and spread it around.
We need to change the course we’re on and embrace intelligence that can work for Americans on Main Street.
My opponent voted 9 times against Intelligence.
If I could digress for a moment (moderator to be named later), my record clearly shows that on 5 occasions I voted in favor of intelligent people against those that are against intelligence in people who aren’t intelligent.
But you know who voted against that bill? That one over there.
That…that’s not true…I…if I could take just a moment to speak to that…
Unlike “that one over there”, I will adhere to the rules of this debate.
It looks like Joe the Plumber is smart enough to not reveal who he wants to vote for, but does feel that Obama’s economic plan does have holes in it.
I’m definitely going with Joe’s vote as well… but now I just have one question: How do we make it fair for “Joe”?
We don’t have to do anything for Joe. Joe takes care of himself. If we leave him alone he will grow his business and hire more people who will pay taxes on what they make at their new job.
Then the government makes more money and there are fewer people that need help.
Joe is now an instant celebrity who will receive over a million dollars for interviews and media appearances. He will probably be offered a great deal of money if someone is allowed to write a book about the story of his life.
Therefore, he will be in the top 2% of income earners. He will be able to buy his business and have plenty leftover.
Given that he will make at least a million dollars from the instant rise to fame, I am betting he will vote for the candidate who supports tax breaks for the rich, not the candidate who wants to tax the heck out of him.
Two words for all of you: Vote Nader.
I’d love to see Nader get 10% of the American vote (smirk).
I wonder if people with write in “Joe the Plumber” during the General Election?
I’m writing in George W. Bush. I’m gonna miss this funny piece of crap.
You know Andrew people say you’re a funny piece of crap, except no one is going to miss you.
Bush 08….he’s that good..haha
I’ll vote with Joe….If he votes for Obama
So, it turns out Joe is not a plumber, does not belong to the plumbers union, can’t afford to buy the plumbing company that doesn’t make even close to $250,000 and he only makes $42,000 a year and owes back taxes. Just the man to help me choose the next President.
It’s a real shame that McCain had to go using this ‘poor’ guy as an instrument in his campaign. He never asked to be used by the GOP to further their needs . . . he was just used. And then the media had to go and smear this guy’s name through the mud. The guy has dreams and issues achieving those dreams, but what American doesn’t?
It doesn’t surprise me that the Liberal Media has turned their attack dogs loose on this guy.
Anyone that costs Obama 2pts in the polls for two straight days is obviously going to have his character assassinated the same way Palin did.
“Spread the wealth around” is just the bump the McCain camp needed. It’s the first straight talk to come from the Obama campaign all year – accidentally of course.
I hope Joe the Plumber or his family or his community never have to work a minimum wage job…after all McCain has thwarted efforts to raise minimum wage 19 times. Since thats not “spreading the wealth”, could we call it “hoarding the wealth”?
No other “group” of people have been used more often by politicians to make a point than the “working class”.
Oh Jack your back attacking the liberal media again. Did you know liberals aren’t crazy about the media either. Michael Moore blamed them for the violence in this country in his documentary “Bowling For Columbine” Who was it that for a week showed Senator Obama bowling pathetically , broke the story on Bill Clinton’s affair(s), or told us about Rev. Wright? You make it sound like the media never goes after the left. The media will go after anyone as long as they get ratings.
The republicans trumpeted up Joe the plumber and Sarah Palin as this everyman or woman. The media just exposed them for who they are. One is a man that made a point based on a lie and the other is a completely unqualified, book banning, yahoo.
You really can’t attack Senator Obama for not being genuine. Even your boy O’reilly says, “He’s a sincere man, a tough guy. His policy is what he says it is. He’s no phony.” when asked about Senator Obama in Time Magazine September 22, 2008.
Keeks,
Every point you just made is so easily refuted:
Ahem…
1. Michael Moore is parasite, a loser, and inconsequential to this issue. The liberal media is every newspaper, tv channel, and website (excluding Babeled)in the country, and before you say it – talk radio amounts to peanuts so don’t even act like that balances anything.
2. Bill Clinton’s affairs were broken by the media because sex sells, not because of a conservative agenda or Hillary’s “vast right wing conspiracy.”
3. If john McCain went to KKK rallies for 20 years you bet your hide he would not have won one single vote in the primary let alone the nomination. But the media gave Obama a free pass for listening to the same racist hateful crap for decades because the source was a different color and the media tolerates intolerance as long as it comes from a minority.
4. Sara Palin was attacked becuase she gave McCain a 10 point swing and there are documented examples of armies of lawyers and reporters flying to Alaska to dig up dirt on her the day after her nomination. Trooper-gate? A governor can fire any employee of the state regardless of a spouses advice. Didn’t hillary give advice to her husband while he was president?
5. Joe the Plumber was attacked by the media saying his name is not Joe and he is not a plumber. Well his name is Samuel Joe and plenty of people go by their middle name (Your name isn’t even keeks…gulp). He is a plumber, he just isn’t liscensed becuase you don’t need a liscense if you are only a journeymen plumber. The media turned their attack dogs lose on this guy becuase he threatened Obama and two point swings in the polls for two consecutive days prooved it.
6. How genuine is someone who roots for both teams in the same game becuase they both reside in swing states? Much like the issues, Obama won’t choose a side if it will anger a voter he needs to win.
7. Time is also liberal garbage and does not add any creditbility to your case.
8. His policy is what? He’s too chicken to tell the country that he will put ME out of a job because it would expose him for his laughable, weak energy policy which is the direct result of his inability to take a stand against his base.
Andrew,
Is raising the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.00 for a 14 year old kid who flips burger’s at Macdonalds supposed amount to something?
Minimum wage is not meant to support a family and that kid is not a victim of anything but acne.
A good number more people make the minimum and slightly above than people who are wealthy, like the executives of the companies that pay these individuals a pittance. Seriously, does raising it $0.85 hurt the business owners that much that they can’t cover the cost of inflation since the last minimum wage increase? People making minimum wage still need to buy groceries, gasoline, heat their homes, etc., all expenses that have increased dramatically since the last minimum wage adjustment.
Conservatives complain about people abusing government handouts, or whatever they want to call it, but why then would you make it more attractive from an income perspective for someone to lay around and pop out kids to bring in TANF support by allowing companies to pay their employees wages less than what can be achieved through government assistance? The rhetoric and the execution of policy are incongruent.
Jack I apologize for not giving you a challenge. If you allow a humble attempt to venture another attempt.
1)I brought up Michael Moore because he was the most liberal figure out their. People on both sides are always complaining about the media. The right does not have carte blanche on media hating.
2) Thank you for making my point even stronger. Sex sells and it doesn’t matter which side messed up.
3)I don’t think Senator Obama has been given a free pass on this issue at all. It nearly cost him the primary and it is what his opponents cling to and cite when they try to attack his character.
4)The lawyer thing was never proven and in fact was globaly renounced as untrue. You really show your partisanship when reffering to Sarah Palin. She is a horrible vp candidate and besides her looks I haven’t you say a positive thing about her. Before the debate she did a total of 3 national interviews and Senator Biden had done 90. The right was trying to hide her and then got upset when the media found out how incompetent she was. I know of 6 people who have always voted republican and now are voting democrat. The reason they cite is because of the selection of Sarah Palin as McCain’s running mate.
5)How about the owing back taxes and that he is no position to buy the business. It’s a shame what happened to this man. However, I don’t agree that this was done because he helped the right. If he came out in support of the left the same thing would have happened.
6)Your kidding right.
Senator Obama has done a much better job of laying out his policy then Senator McCain. McCain is very passionate and impressive when he talks about his experience in the pow camp. However, when he talks about any other topic he sounds like Mr. Rogers.
7)I get it anything that doesn’t support your views is trash. How convenient. Your opinion of Times aside, I mentioned it because that it was a direct quote from O’reilly. Is he trash now too. If so then we finally agree on something.
In closing oh mighty one, this is like complaining about the refs when you lose a game by 40. When you don’t win the game it’s the game’s fault. So I’m guessing your next move is taking your ball and going home.
Jack, the difference in wages for someone who works 40 hours a week but makes that extra $0.85/hr is $136.00/month.
Since they are working minimum wage they probably don’t have health care, so that extra $136 could go for health care. Unless of course you think we should keep minimum wages low but socialize health care so low paid workers still get coverage…?
Keeks, it appears your last comment was written in full throttle Boom Shakalaka mode!
Andrew, that’s how I roll.
Like a Rick Roll perhaps?
That’s it exactly
I could have been Rick Roll impressionist in high school. Just stretch him out a bit and add some acne.
Believe me, I’ve had you pegged for that …err…um… roll, for quite sometime.
Well I’m never gonna give it up.
What has Obama laid out in terms of energy policy?
Anti nuclear
Anti drilling
Pro Ethanol subsidies
Pro Wind subsidies
Pro Solar subsidies
So he is against the only two sources that have proven to be economically viable and self sustaining and at the same time he is in favor of three sources that require government subsidies (aka higher taxes) in order to compete.
That is a pathetic energy policy that will only increase our dependency on oil as demand rises and further damage our economy as taxes are raised.
I guess the points I made must have been a better challenge this time because you changed the argument.
“Senator Obama has done a much better job of laying out his policy then Senator McCain.”
Not that your other issues were air tight – but this one just leaps out at me.
By the way – Ayers,Wright, ACORN absolutely should have cost him the election already.
Any republican with decades of interaction with a terrorist, a racist, and voter fraud in over a dozen states would not stand a chance and you know it.
Given the minor impact all of these three have had on his campaign – Obama has been given a free pass as the liberal media has actually given more coverage to Obama’s rebuttal of them than the stories themselves.
It is safe to say that everyone here makes less than 100K a year, right? According to Obama, none of us will see a tax increase.
Now how are you going to feel when he does increase our taxes at our salaries? Will you try to justify it? Will you be outraged?
If he does that while in office, I guess I’ll just have to vote for John McCain.
McCain ’09!
While a Senator in Illinois, he voted yes to 100% of the bills, issues, and nominations involving a tax increase on people making as little as 40K per year.
Is this actually ignored, like Ayers, Wright, and ACORN?
Jack,
You are avoiding the other points in my post because you know I’m right. You want to talk about laying out a plan take another look at the convention speeches. What you will see is Senator Obama laying out his plan and Senator McCain sounding like a preschool teacher. You may not agree with his plan but his plan was laid out. Just ask Bill O’reily.
Like any good politician Senator McCain went digging and couldn’t find anything on Senator Obama so he went after people he knew. It’s weak. Instead of saying the media didn’t cover it because their liberals maybe you should look at the fact that people heard all of this and realized it was crap. Was McCain effected by the fact he was brought up wealthy and nearly pissed away his good fortune screwing up. Was the fact that he dropped his first wife to upgrade to a very attractive heiress?
The argument doesn’t hold any water. Both parties leak information to the press i.e. the swift boat disaster. Don’t blame the press because the attacks they had against Senator Obama had no substance and therefor didn’t affect his popularity.
Again who you should blame is John McCain for pick a completely under qualified vp candidate.
It amazes me when Liberals say Palin is unqualified.
She is as or more qualified than Obama and she is running for VICE PRESIDENT.
Again – why does the media call Palin unqualified and then ignore Obama’s non-existent record?
Obama has one term as a Senator in which he wrote four books and zero legislation.
Why is the media putting Palin’s wardrobe expenses on the front page?
Sara and Scott Palin are the only middle-class people involved in this election. Every other participant is a millionaire ten times over.
So why is Palin’s wardrobe front page news? How much did Hillary spent on her pantsuits? How much did Pelosi spend on the scarf she covers her head with when she has a sit down with extremist governments?
Why is Palin’s wardrobe so important? I’ll tell you why – because the media is trying to make her look wealthy and out of touch even though she is the only candidate who has any idea what it is like to be middle class.
It’s not just Palin’s inexperience. Listen to the woman talk (I can see Russia), recall some of the things she’s done (banned books), remember her husband is a secessionist (and she spoke at a rally), and then listen to her talk again (I read all the magazines).
Interesting how the “media” constantly showed the picture of Obama not wearing a pin but the fact that Sarah Palin’s husband wants out the country gets very little play. Damn conservative media.
The decision to put her on the ticket was the defining moment of the campaign. It showed McCain’s judgment and his willingness to bend to the parties wishes. He’s no longer the maverick he was in 2000.
There’s a couple of things we both can’t deny.
Me: Mr. Obama was in the church for 20 years. At least a few times he heard Rev. Wright say something outlandish and offensive.
You: Sarah Palin was a terrible selection as vice president. The fact that she is a heart beat away from being president is terrifying.
Keeks, you can see Russia from Alaska.
Here is what actually happened with regard to Palin trying to ban books.
As far as her husband being a secessionist, who cares? You know how many people said they would move out of America if W. was re-elected in 04?
There is a lot more you cannot deny about Obama, Keeks! A heck of a lot more than the sugar-coated Wright statement you just made. What about Ayers? What about Acorn? What about Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Chris Dodd? Come on now!
The wardrobe “scandal” is not about painting Sarah Palin as rich, or wealthy, or even a big spender. Remember, its the Republican National Committee that has been blamed for that waste of money, not Mrs. Palin.
I’m pretty sure the point is that the RNC thoroughly believed it was worth spending lots of money to make sure Palin looked good on stage and gave an “good” impression to her audiences.
Jon
I don’t care if you can actually see Russia from Alaska it doesn’t make her an expert on foreign affairs. As far as the book banning goes I’m confused was that list in the article bogus or real. If it was bogus what is the real list. Either way she tried to ban books and that is mind blowing.
It’s not a big deal that her husband wants to secede from the United States? You are really showing how partisan you are now. I’m trying to think of an act that is more un-American then that. You can’t compare some overly left liberals wanting to leave the country to the vice presidential candidate’s husband wanting to secede.
Let’s talk about Ayers and how Senator Obama barely knows the guy. William Ayers is a professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with whom Barack served on the board of an education-reform organization in the mid-1990’s. According to the Associated Press, they are not close: “No evidence shows they were “pals” or even close when they worked on community boards years ago …” If you want to say Senator Obama was part of the radical movement Bill Ayers was involved in then you are saying Mr. Obama was part of radical violent group when he was 8.
As far as ACORN goes I find it rather amusing that republican are talking about voter fraud. Again the connection is a huge stretch. He represented them in court in the mid 90′s that’s it.
• Fact: Barack was never an ACORN community organizer.
• Fact: ACORN never hired Obama as a trainer, organizer, or any type of employee.
• Fact: ACORN was not part of Project Vote, the successful voter registration drive Barack ran in 1992.
I went online to get a little more information on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack. This is what the Washington Post had to say:
The Pinocchio Test
The McCain campaign is clearly exaggerating wildly in attempting to depict Franklin Raines as a close adviser to Obama on “housing and mortgage policy.” If we are to believe Raines, he did have a couple of telephone conversations with someone in the Obama campaign. But that hardly makes him an adviser to the candidate himself — and certainly not in the way depicted in the McCain video release.
So basically what I found was that the McCain campaign and all its digging found some very exagerated and weak connection between Senator Obama and any wrong doing.
I’m sorry my concession came off sounding sugar coated. Did you make a consession yet or are Democrats bad and Republicans good?
Here is my concession: John McCain is old and Palin is a hypocrite for preaching pro-life while gunning down moose in Alaska.
So you are willing to dismiss, argue, and even defend Obama’s ties with Ayers, his involvement in ACORN, and his contributions from Fannie and Freddie…Yet you are willing to attack Palin’s husband and her alleged book banning?
And I quote…”You are really showing how partisan you are now.”
I didn’t dismiss these claimsI thought I very elloquently illustrated how they were at the very least a weak connection but more then likely not worthy of discussion.
So Palin didn’t ban books? As far as her husband and his desire to sucede: I think it is strange that Senator Obama was grilled for not wearing a flag pin and not much is said about Todd Palin and his desire to make Alaska an independant country.
I visited the web site for the Alaska Independence Party. Have a read through their platform. Notice that their #1 is to comply with the US constitution.
At least their policies do not include the following:
-Accept political contributions from organizations who are largely responsible for the sub-prime mortgage crisis (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac).
-Use bombs on government buildings (NYPD in 1970, US Capital Building in 1971, and The Pentagon in 1972).
-Accuse the US government of inventing aids to kill minorities.
How can you take the position that the policies of Ayers, Wright, and ACORN are not worthy of discussion?….especially when you are attacking Todd Palin’s membership to a harmless organization and book banning allegations which are not documented and proven in any what whatsoever?
Sorry, here is the link for the Alaskan Independence Party’s platform.
Come on Jon. Bottom line is they want to secede. It’s right their in their by laws.
Check this quote and then tell me about how harmless they are. “I’m an Alaskan, not an American. I’ve got no use for America or her damned institutions.” – Joe Vogler,
founder of the Alaskan Independence Party
As far as book banning I went to Snoops.com and it turns out you were right their isn’t any proof she banned books and I agree that it is terrible that a phony list was made. However, she did ask the librarian about banning books and when the librarian did not agree she was fired. So two questions come to mind. While there isn’t proof she banned books why would you ask about this topic three times and why would you fire the librarian who was against it for “not being on the same page”.
Again we discussed Ayers, Acorn, and Fannie and Freddie: weak connections. I already explained why so I won’t rehash.
Exactly when did Senator Obama bomb those buildings. When he was 8. When did he accuse the government or inventing aids to kill minorities. Or are these just horrible things that people Barack Obama knew did?
When it came out that the campaigner for McCain beat herself up and carved a “b” into her face. Then she claimed it was a black guy attacking her because she had a republican sticker on her car. I didn’t blame it on McCain because there are a lot of people working for him and he can’t possibly be held responsible for everyone on his staff. Yet you are holding Senator Obama responsible for William Ayers even though he barley knew the guy 15 – 20 years ago.
So Obama was 8 when Ayers was blowing up government buildings? I will agree with that. Does that justify the connection? I don’t think so!
Here are some facts about Obama and Ayers:
- Obama and Ayers attended meetings, retreats, and at least one news conference together during the operation of an educational program at the University of Illinois – Chicago (1995-2001).
- Obama visited Ayers’ home for a meeting at the start of his first state Senate bid in the mid 1990′s.
- Ayers secured a $50 million grant for Chicago Public Schools. Obama then served on the board of directors that distributed the grant funds. Ayers then served on the Chicago School Reform Collaborative, the operational arm that worked with the grant recipients.
- Obama and Ayers served on the board of the charitable Woods Fund of Chicago for three years.
- Ayers helped launch Obama’s political career by hosting an informal campaign event for Obama in 1995.
Here are some facts about Rev. Wright
- Rev. Wright married Obama and his wife
- Obama has been a member of the church for over 20 years.
- Obama claims he never knew about Wright’s disturbing comments until Obama was running for president.
Keeks, I can see how it is easy for you to say, “I already addressed these issues” and “I wont rehash.” However, at this point I think we should respectfully disagree. I will not get you to say that these are important issues just as you will not get me to say these issues are dead end roads.
A behind-the-scenes exclusive on Obama’s associations can be found here.
Jon, what is the worst that can come from the Obama/Ayers relationship?
Why do people voting for Obama have to be worried about this relationship?
Jon we are obviously getting our facts from different sources. I can’t argue about Wright. As I stated before that it would be foolish to believe during the 20 years they knew each other Senator Obama never heard a sermon that wasn’t distasteful, un-American, or indecent.
I believe you’re right we have reached the point in the debate where it’s obvious we need to just accept we disagree.
Andrew, based on the Obama’s relationships and connections with Reverend Wright and Bill Ayers, I am concerned that Obama is not the person everyone thinks he is.
I say the worst that can come from this is a president in the white house who is a racist at heart and is not afraid to support domestic terrorists.
People voting for Obama have to be worried about this relationship because Obama might give into the pressures of radical groups (black panthers for example) just like he gave into the pressures of Bill Ayers during his political rise to power in the State of Illinois.
Actually the racism I’m worried about is a group of Americans who say they can’t vote for him because he’s a muslim.
Keeks, the Bradley Effect could play big in this election.
David Alan Grier has a few words for Americans hesitant to vote for a Black candidate:
It could happen Jon. Another scenario is that the poles are asked of people who voted in the last election. Senator Obama is very popular with new voters and the gap may even be wider then predicted. We’ll have to see.
I don’t know about the polls. They seem to shape opinion rather than reflect. How do they choose? Only 3000 people sampled out of over 300,000,000? I have never been polled, have you?
I don’t think Keeks swings that way.
haha
I refuse to answer the question on the grounds that it might incriminate me.
Historically, the average poll has been skewed by as much as 10% in favor of the Democratic candidate.
This race is a dead heat if you go by this pattern. It will be a 0-5% popular vote margin of victory for whomever comes out on top of this one.
Keep telling yourself that. Can I get a link or cite to verify this historical truism?