We love the attention that "Joe the Plumber" has brought to the presidential race. Senator Obama was "out with the people" when he happened upon Joe, and that one backfired on him. We hope Joe the Plumber becomes a symbol of why regular folks everywhere need to realize what is at stake in this election, and that they will go vote for the straight-talking John McCain and his "one of us" running mate, Sarah Palin. To the chagrin of the smooth-talking Barack Obama and his running mate, the gaffe-prone Joe Biden.
Lost in all the attention given to the last debate and Joe the Plumber was another jewel from Joe the here-I-go-again-with-my-foot-in-my-mouth VP candidate. Senator Biden said, about Senator McCain’s economic plan, that it "does nothing to tackle the number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S." Yes, that is a quote, emphasis added by us. Just when you think Joe Biden can’t top himself, "there he goes again." We don’t guess what he meant was that Senator Obama would also call "jobs" a three-letter word. But, hey, the latter did say something about our "57" states.
Just imagine the furor from Big Media had Sarah Palin said either of those remarks. We would be treated to story after story from the liberal media, once again questioning whether Gov. Palin is "ready" to be vice-president, or president. But when Joe says still another gaffe, it’s not even a story to most of Big Media. Same with Senator Obama. Sure, all four of these candidates are out every day, talking to many people, and mistakes can happen–to anyone. But if it is "big news" to Big Media when Republicans trip over their own two feet, it ought to be when Democrats do, as well. But not in the world according to Big Media and the Left.
Big Media is too busy fawning over its Anointed One to actually report the news. Big Media is too committed to carrying out its PR job and agenda of electing Obama to do much of anything to upset what it thinks is an unstoppable train.
However, you, the voters, can knock that train right off the tracks. Joe the Plumber gave you plenty of incentive to do so. Joe the Plumber recognizes that what Obama wants to bring to this country is a socialist/welfare state. Joe the running mate apparently hasn’t caught on to that, or has to keep silent in order to be a real "team" player. Either way, we think Joe the Plumber has a better grasp of the bill of goods Obama is trying to sell, and makes a lot more sense than Joe the running mate does, even on the latter’s good days.
In the debate, we were heartened to see Senator McCain tell Senator Obama that he should have run for president four years ago if he wanted to run against President Bush. We said as much in our earlier column, "EDIT THIS!..." In the VP debate, Senator Biden had harped on the Bush administration, once again, as Senator Obama continuously attempts to do. We said then: "Here’s a tip, senators: your opponent is named John McCain. You know, that fellow on the other side of the Senate aisle that you have so often wanted on yours. Your opponent is not George W. Bush, no matter how much you wish or will it to be so."
We’d love to know if it was a simple slip of the tongue when McCain called Obama "Senator Government"–whether intentional or not, that was a great way to put it. Senator Obama wants you, and Joe the Plumber, and everyone, to believe that "I’m from the government, and I’m here to help you." Apparently by taking more and more of your money and giving more and more handouts to others. What a great way to "build" the economy...
One thing we’ve grown weary of hearing from the media pundits is that Senator McCain "didn’t score a knockout," or words to that effect. Guess what? That wasn’t going to happen. Senator Obama is much too smooth to completely fall apart in a debate setting, even outside the "comfort zone" of a stadium-sized pep rally. Even though we think Senator McCain did win this debate, we won’t be voting on the basis of how pundits or pollsters grade the candidates after a ninety-minute encounter. In our opinion, that doesn’t have a whole lot to do with answering the crisis calls at three a.m., or leading this country in a way that makes the best use of common sense.
There’s about as much truth in Senator Biden’s description of "jobs" as being a three-letter word as there is in his and Senator Obama’s promise of a "tax cut" for "95%" of all of us, to "help" the middle class. The more accurate way to put it would be to say that the "95%" claim is 100% false. Once again, as simply as we can state it: if the Bush tax cuts end, then anyone who pays taxes now will pay more then. That, and the litany of other tax increases Obama has planned, will torpedo the middle class, not "help" it.
Obama wants to end those tax cuts. His priority is hand-outs to those who don’t pay taxes and an increased tax burden on those who do. That’s what his "share the wealth" comment to Joe the Plumber was really about.
"Jobs" isn’t a three-letter word. Even if Barack Obama says it is, too. "Joe" is a three-letter word, and we’ll take Joe the Plumber over Joe the running mate, and his running mate, anytime.