Uppity Plumber Flusters the Obama Campaign
Who Is Joe the Plumber?
.
Almost overnight a guy who asked a question has become a celebrity.
Last weekend Barack Obama decided to entertain reporters by stepping out of his SUV for a few minutes of door-to-door canvassing on Joe Wurzelbacher’s street near Toledo, Ohio. Joe and his neighbors gathered on the sidewalk, amazed that the Presidential campaign had burst into their quiet, middle-class neighborhood.
As Obama approached Joe asked a simple, straighforward question:
“I’m getting ready to buy a company that makes $250,000 to $280,000 a year. Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn’t it?”
Obama gave a similarly straightforward reply,
“its not that I want to punish your success, I just think we ought to spread the wealth around.”
And then the proverbial stuff hit the fan. “Joe” is now a hot interview. Well, getting grilled is more like it. Breathlessly we are told his name isn’t really Joe, (he pleads guilty to prefering his middle name) he doesn’t make $250K yet, he’s a Republican plant, and he’s had a tax lien. The anti-McCain media paid a call on the pro-Obama union, the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters, and Service Mechanics, and found an obliging official who regaled them with allegations that Joe’s union credentials are not in order and he’s probably not properly licensed.
“Looks like there’s a crack in Joe the Plumber’s story,” sneered Obama adviser Bob Mulholland. “Joe the Plumber’s story sprang a few leaks,” the Associated Press snickered.
One day Joe was at home, minding his own business, when a candidate for President invaded his street. The next day the leftist media shifted into high gear in a grotesque quest to destroy Joe. It’s appalling and amazing. In two days the media has managed to investigate and get more information into the public eye about ‘Joe’ than they have on Obama or Bill Ayers in two years!
Why is this happening? Because of who and what Joe represents, of course.
Who is “Joe” the Plumber? It’s simple. “Joe” is Everyman, that’s who. He’s every ambitious guy who wants to save, take risk, and work hard with the goal of achieving the American Dream – independence and financial success. Same as it ever was.
And what did Obama tell him? Basically, Obama said “good luck saving, investing, and working your fingers to the bone and all the late night worries, Joe.” “And if it works – no offense, I don’t want to punish you, you see – but I want the money you make to sprinkle around to those who weren’t there, shoulder to shoulder with you Joe. They didn’t risk their money, or invest their sweat equity, but the way I see it you owe them some of your money, Joey boy.”
Obama’s answer was the quintessential socialist answer, and probably the biggest single gaffe of the campaign, because it laid bare Obama’s true philosophy and goals: wealth distribution. Take from the earners, the risk takers, the doers, and give to the hanger’s on. So the campaign and the media had no choice: time to destroy ‘Joe,’ and take the focus off Obama.
A couple weeks ago I published an essay speculating about the motivations of the public and their predilection to vote for politicians promising to hand out goodies in return for votes. My conclusion, crass as it might have seemed: a large portion of the public appears perfectly willing to vote for a guy who will take their neighbor’s money away and give it to them. Thank you Mr. Obama, for coming clean and laying it out so clearly in your own words. I hate it when I’m right.
The decision lines in this election are now clear. Do we elect a man who will continue to encourage the nation to cherish the American ideals of risk, entrepreneurship and success, in short, The American Dream, or elect a man who will let the nation drift into the philosophy of the mediocre and the followers: Obama’s socialist nanny state. This is one of those rare inflection points in our nation’s history. I hope we get it right.
