The General vs. The Plumber
By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, Conservatism, McCain, Republicans, TaxesThe Christian Science Monitor has an interesting article looking at the effect of Colin Powell’s endorsement versus Joe the Plumber’s symbolic resonance. Do people care more about the decision of a statesman or about the concerns of an aspiring small businessman?
The CSM article gives both sides of the story. But, as far as I’m concerned, Republicans’ fascination with Joe Wurzelbacher borders on the bizarre. I mean, it’s fine to give the guy credit for tripping up Barack Obama and prompting the Democratic candidate to admit that sharing the wealth is more important to him than rewarding success. But what’s with treating Joe the Plumber like he’s some Peter the Fisherman called up from his humble life to serve a higher power? The man expressed an opinion on taxation. That’s it.
Joe Wurzelbacher makes an adequate symbol of the small businessman’s concerns, and he certainly hasn’t deserved the kind of invasion of privacy and snide treatment he’s received from certain segments of the left. But the John McCain campaign’s obsession with this man is fundamentally unserious. I’m glad McCain is finally hitting Obama on taxes, but I’m sorry he’s felt the need to rely on an insta-celebrity and not on a more serious repudiation of Obama’s tax plan.
I guess it’s too late in the campaign to expect McCain to delve into the details of tax policy, or to expect the media to care. But this deification of Joe the Plumber by McCain and his conservative allies has left me wondering if they even take themselves seriously anymore. A political party really shouldn’t have to rely on a plumber from Ohio to make their case. I’m sorry if I sound elitist, but an endorsement from a general and former Secretary of State means more.
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October 20th, 2008 at 11:24 am
I expected Powell to either endorse no one, or to endorse Obama. So IMO, the only Powell endorsement that could have changed the current dynamics would have been for McCain. I mean, c’mon now, if you were forced to bet your house on who Powell was going to endorse, would you have put it on red or black? oops I mean blue.
I just don’t see a Powell endorsement changing any minds. I missed most of the joe-the-plumber stuff, but I understand why in modern campaigning it’s necessary to climb aboard whatever opportunity train shows up at the station. The big problem for McCain is not over-plumping Joe Plumber. It’s the iffy argument that its necessary to CHOOSE between sharing the wealth and creating opportunity. Sure, there’s a relationship, but it’s not exactly zero-sum.
GOP pro-business policies have probably run their course, and the current downturn sort of turns that battle into a rout. I mean, RW partisans are still talking about the supposed beneficial effects of diminishing the capital gains tax. What percent of Americans even PAYS a capital gains tax in a normal year, let alone this year? How tin an ear do you need to keep shipping less government and more opportunity in the current climate?
A substantial majority of Americans at this point feels like they’ve been waiting for that promised extra opportunity for a long time, and it never arrived. The GOP needs to go back to the drawing board to come up with a platform for the early 21st century. The candidate is dated, the party is dated. Folks, Republicans are just plain out of style. They need a makeover. As long as the economy is as screwed up as it is, they better have something more compelling than to call Obama a socialist. The thing is, socialism doesn’t look so bad these days. Aint that a B, Newt?
October 20th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
But what’s with treating Joe the Plumber like he’s some Peter the Fisherman called up from his humble life to serve a higher power?
Because he asked Obama a question that has been the elephant in the room, but none of the media dared to comment on. Obama’s answer made it obvious why no one in the media had asked him.
October 20th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I’m sorry, where did Obama admit that sharing the wealth is MORE important to him than rewarding success. A little rightwing spin there. He said sharing the weath is important. It is not an either or proposition.
As for “the kind of invasion of privacy and snide treatment he’s received from certain segments of the left” I certainly don’t care for the snide, but the “ïnvasion” is a direct result of the deification of Joe the Plumber.
Is Obama simply supposed to go along with this deification?
October 20th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Alan…
Good article… but the follow-up comments are better! And while those comments probably aren’t in any way representative of the voting electorate, let’s pretend, just for a moment, that they are, even a little bit; what does that say about how people are viewing this situation?
I agree with one of the early respondents, who brought up those other “plumbers” from GOP days gone by.
As to Joe Wurzelbacher and what he may or may not represent: I think all he represents are half-hearted slackers with pipe dreams about being big players, while having little or no dedication, drive, fortitude etc. to make those dreams happen. Joe Wurlezbacher represents about what you’d get if George Bailey never went to college, let go of the old Bailey Building and Loan, took the first decent-paying job he could get from Old Man Potter, and put Life on “AutoPilot”… never daring to step out on his own, despite talking about the idea every weekend night over endless drinks at Martini’s.
Sounds like a wonderful life, doesn’t it?
Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com
October 20th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Spot on analysis.
For me, Joe is what has worked for the GOP, and what hasn’t worked for the Dems. The GOP has done an excellent job at creating the emotional underpinings for his support; no matter whether the reality of their programs cheat him. He understands that, and that’s what he’s gonna do when/if he’s that successful
The Dems haven’t done a very good job in mattering in his life. They caved on protecting unions, trying to become Republican lite, and had a difficult time coming up with ideas that weren’t New Deal or Great Society rehashes. Opposing wars and not focusing on military strength.
Dems have a window of opportunity to matter in people’s lives again. I think Obama gets it. The question is, will Congress?
October 20th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
The General Vs. The Plumber…
Alan Stewart Carl responds to a Christian Science Monitor article that looks at the effect of Colin Powell?s endorsement versus Joe the Plumber?s symbolic resonance. The moderate blogger opines: “Do people care more about the decision of a statesman…
October 20th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Being that Joe the plumber isn’t licensed in Ohio, He can’t be union. I doubt that lack unions is to his advantage, that way he gets more jobs with weak labor standards.
October 20th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
No, John, the jobs with weak labor standards are all going to illegal immigrants… who will do the work for 25-30% less money than Joe.
–Ag
October 20th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Ag-
Again an argument for unions. There are few illegals in unions, it’s much harder to pull that off. They may be mexican or polish or whatever, and maybe with limited english skills, but they are still americans. So the illegals taking the jobs is bull, and ask any union guy, the jobs that illegals get on are small beans, some non-union cities have whole crews of guys who might be like joe the plumber. Perhaps knowledgeable, but not necessarily legal or licensed to do his job. There is actually a reason they license plumbers, and not so much other trades. So, yeah, plumbers don’t have weaker labor standards, and nor is it the “evil” illegal immigrants (code for Mexican), that are the problem there. It is companies that see their bottom lined raised by not paying their labor what they’re worth, or doing their due diligence to verify that an employee is legal (especially since it benefits them).
October 20th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
gerry: when I watched the whole exchange between Barack the Senator and Joe the Plumber, Obama’s response sounded to me like he was saying: I want to make sure the people down the ladder have a chance of climbing up, but, once they reach a certain rung, I will expect them to pay back down the ladder. If that’s not putting sharing the wealth over rewarding success, I don’t know what is. But I wasn’t saying he ONLY supports sharing the wealth. Just that it’s a higher priority.
As for digging into Joe’s background. Other than succumbing to the allure of the spotlight, what has he done to deserve having his problem’s broadcast across America? Even before he’d done a single major interview, liberal blogs had dug up his tax records. That’s not fighting back against the deification. That’s fighting dirty. I would think the better approach would be to start some kind of Plumbers for Obama group to highlight how Obama is actually better for the working man than McCain.
Ag: That’s a pretty harsh analysis of Joe. No need to demean the man.
October 20th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
ASC,
I don’t know how you can compare the importance of the endorsement from such an important, distinguished figure as Colin Powell, a key figure in the history of the present Republican Admin, with the symbolic representation of a ‘concerned citizen’ who turned out to be a partisan hack full of B.S. Are we having this much trouble discerning reality from fiction simply because the the untruths are accepted as political spin?
As for Obama’s tax policies, I don’t think you can make a fair judgment given this unfair scenario posed by Joe the Asscrack…err plumber…dude…whatever. Obama tried to honestly answer a question that was asked dishonestly as a means of making a partisan statement - increasing taxes are bad. You’re a bad liberal so and so for proposing a tax plan that would keep me from reaching my goal, the American Dream. I don’t know what’s more pathetic; this guys B.S. question or the McCain campaign trying to capitalize on the ‘emotions’ generated from it. Look at the facts of the candidates tax plans, and decide what works for you.
if you listen to people who are know what they’re talking about, like Collin Powell and, oh I don’t know, maybe like Warren Buffet, you’ll be able to make a well informed decission that will help us out of the mess we’re in. Mr. Buffet is the guy who’s embarrassed that he gets taxed on his income less then the lady who cleans his office and takes out his trash. It’s really not right the the richest man in the world gets so easily red in the face. I wonder why John McCain doesn’t blush so easily!
October 20th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Maybe Obama isn’t too concerned with “sharing the wealth” but needed some explanation to try and connect with his audience and botched it? I mean, wealth redistribution is clearly his plan, but I believe it is for economic reasons rather than ideological reasons as everyone seems to be screeching about.
As for Joe, November 5th he’ll be forgotten and allowed to go back to his life, unless the liberal elite have plans to continue to punish him for his direct dissension in the presence of the special one. Muwahaha
October 20th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
I hate sharing the wealth. I hate clean water, clean food, clean air, good roads, prisons, the military, police officers, firemen, state universities, schools, government, civilization.
Seriously, how anti-tax are you? It may be just me, but I’d prefer higher taxes in exchange for a government and services that work. Please note how successful how tax cuts and rebate checks from the government have saved the economy. Viva la American consumer!
Also, about Colin’s endorsement, I have a simple rebuttal/example how ridiculous attacks on him have been.
If you vote for McCain, it’s only because you’re white.
Think about it.
October 20th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Call me a conspiracy theorist but I honestly believe that Joe the Plumber was a Republican plant designed to give John McCain something to go after Obama on in the last debate and leading up to the election (ala Karl Rove). Joe the Plumber’s script was just a little too contrived.
October 20th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Well, you can compare anything — it’s the result of that comparison that’s telling. I’m pretty sure I was on the “Powell is far more important” side with this post.
Lit3: there’s a difference between taxes that go towards government services and taxes that are taken from one tax payer and handed directly to another. The question is: does the guy making $250k a year have a responsibility to hand the guy make $20k a year a check? That, in an admitedly crude example, is how the Obama tax plan is designed to work. It’s cool if you’re ok with it. But I’m surprised how many Democrats can’t see why many others find that kind of “sharing” to be based on bad principles.
I have no problem with taxes. But I do care how they’re used. I’d much prefer spending taxes on job training, student loans, relocation services and other opportunity creating programs rather than just giving people cash. I want us to be an opportunity society. Not a welfare one. Unfortunately for me, McCain is just using this issue to rev up the base and is not proposing real alternatives. That leaves a guy like me in a bind. Do you vote for the guy with the bad plan but right intentions or the guy with no serious plan?
October 21st, 2008 at 7:36 am
This is not welfare! Quit speaking of it in terms of welfare. The thing is $250,000 does not sound like all that much (those people aren’t struggling, however), but the additional tax to that bracket is minuscule as well. The real fact of the matter is that he will be taking a much bigger chunk of money from the guys that make Millions a year. So does your argument work as well when you say do you think it’s fair to take money away from the guy making $40,000,000.00, has a Lamborghini, 7 houses, who’s 4 children are all going to go to Ivy league schools, who will draw social security even though he clearly won’t need it at retirement and who has never gone hungery or worried how he will pay his electric bill.. a year and give it to the guy making $20,000? Then you have a much harder argument. Quit comparing the lowest guy on the totem pole when you’re actually protecting the highest guys. You’re protecting that 1 or 2% that make millions, That hold 80 or 90% of the wealth, that pay 40% of the taxes. You’re not protecting the guy making $250,000 who’s paying a few percent more in higher taxes. This is Libertarian and Republican double speak. The sad thing is, you don’t even realize you’re doing it.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:42 pm
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