By now you have heard about Joe the Plumber. Joe met Barack Obama on a campaign stop in Joe’s neighborhood and asked Obama a question.
Joe said that he works as a plumber. He wants to buy the business he works for and buy some more equipment, so he can employ some more people. The business makes around $250,000-280,000 a year. Will his taxes increase under Obama’s plan? Will he be punished for his success?
Obama’s answer, in part:
When you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.
This is a pretty significant admission on Obama’s part. So far, he has kept his rhetoric focused on who he will lower taxes for. His “spread the wealth” philosophy has not been addressed head-on.
Joe the Plumber gave Obama, and America, a great opportunity for discussion.
But that is not what we got. Instead, the media assaulted Joe – the private citizen who had the audacity to ask a presidential candidate a question. Even my local paper ran a front page story digging up any and all dirt it could find on Joe the Pumber. (ZOMG!! His first name is not “Joe”!!1!!)
Even Barack Obama and Joe Biden mocked Joe, making fun of the idea that a plumber would make over $250,000.
Why is there a full-on attack of this guy for asking a simple question?
Here’s why.
The majority of Americans – even the majority of Democrats – do not support income redistribution.
That is why, instead of defending his position, Barack Obama and the media reframed the discussion around Joe the plumber’s qualifications to ask the question.
The bottom line here is that Barack Obama believes “when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”
Let’s talk about that.
Who cares if Joe the Plumber goes by his middle name?
October 21st, 2008 at 9:59 am
That chart represents a totally false dichotomy. More even wealth distribution and improved overall economic conditions are not mutually exclusive. Furthermore, one choice represents a strategy for achieving an end, and the other is the end itself. Who wouldn’t opt for steps to improve “overall economic conditions?”
Secondly, it’s been widely reported that “Joe the plumber” does not make 250K. He makes 40K.
My neighbor is a plumber and I know his rate is $96/hr. Let’s round that to $100/hr and assume he works 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year (which he does not). That still only $208,000.
Most plumbers simply don’t make a quarter million in a year. It was a very poor strategic campaign move for McCain to bring this up.
October 21st, 2008 at 10:27 am
Haik,
Joe said the business makes 250k/yr.
The point is that Obama made one of the most revealing remarks of his campaign and it’s hurting his candidacy. All those ‘Present’ votes he has cast don’t tell us what he’s all about. It’s only during his unguarded moments that we see the real Obama, like his private remarks in SF about people clinging to their guns and of course his answer to Joe’s question.
Obama’s public image is being exposed as a sham and it’s getting too close to the election for him to fix it.
McCain’s decision to grab onto this and run with it is a good one. It could very well be the thing that gets him elected.
October 21st, 2008 at 10:51 am
Joe said the business makes 250k/yr
And what does that mean? We’re talking about personal income tax.
October 21st, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Ooh, poor not-Joe-the-Plumber. Seems like just about everything else he said indicates he’s a perfect McCain voter.. a working class sap who’s too stupid to figure out how Republican policies hurt, not help him. Also a tax dodger and a racist, too (Obama tap dances like Sammy Davis Jr?) America shouldn’t apologize for anything, he says. What a douche. If he didn’t want the scrutiny, he shoulda kept his yap shut.
Bob, you’re funny, nothing short of finding a dead white boy in Obama’s bed could get McCain elected at this point. Keep chasing that rainbow.
I’m all for spreading the wealth around. And although the press took Obama’s ‘bitter’ comment out of context. I agree with it completely. Joe Sixpack needs to go feed his family. I don’t want him in the Oval Office.
You people really got nothing, that’s why you’ve diligently been posting your typical-hopelessly-unoriginal right wing talking points. Nada. Zip. Howzabout the Republicans arrested in California for Voter Fraud? Or McCain’s appearance at ACORN a few years back praising their work? I won’t hold my breath.
You gonna talk about Reverend Wright next?
October 21st, 2008 at 2:03 pm
As I thought about this some more, I did some searching on your blog.. where was your sense of outrage and outpouring of compassion for Graeme Frost when that kid (literally, a child) spoke out for SCHIP and got savaged by Limbaugh, Malkin and the other mouthbreathers? Nowhere. Big surprise.
What did Graeme do, Charity? Oh wait, that’s right,it’s only bad when the liberals do it.
That should be your new tagline. So much for intellectual consistency.
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:01 am
“More even wealth distribution and improved overall economic conditions are not mutually exclusive.”
Exactly…example…look at the 1990s…raising taxes on mostly the rich yielded a balanced federal budget. When the govt. is fiscally responsible, the economy does even better.
“Joe said the business makes 250k/yr.”
It almost certainly doesn’t though.
“Most plumbers simply don’t make a quarter million in a year.”
Again, this is very true. My Dad is now retired after working in the plumbing & heating industry for over 30 years. He’s only met a handful of people in that industry in New England that make anywhere near that much money. Also, Joe’s not really a plumber, since he doesn’t have a license (even an *apprentice* license)…so he could never buy the business that was even in question in the first place.
All Joe really did was ask a simple question that was based on a bunch of false premises, and he (and apparently the Right-wing now) didn’t like the answers that he got. Joe, like the vast majority of Americans, will be better off tax-wise under Obama than under McSame.
“and it’s hurting his candidacy.”
No, it really isn’t. It’s pretty much game-over for this election cycle anyways…stick a fork in McSame, cuz he’s all done…
October 22nd, 2008 at 7:24 am
“That should be your new tagline.”
I was just thinking of changing my tagline. I was thinking, “In your heart, you know she’s right.”
I did post about the Graeme Frost thing. In fact, I said his family was “fair game.” They chose to have their kid read a script for a Democratic radio address, so they opened their life up to scrutiny.
I did not say that the facts of Joe’s question could not be discussed or what Joe’s life is like. Rather, my point was that the focus was taken off the issue. Obama wants to spread the wealth. His tax program taxes the “wealthy” in order to give refundable credits to people who pay no taxes already. In other words, actually giving money to people via the IRS.
The article in the Free Press did not even state what Joe asked Obama or what Obama’s response was; it was all about Joe – whose real name is Samuel J. (I wonder what the J. stands for) and is not licensed. Not a word about Obama.
Can you say the same about the SCHIP veto? Can you honestly say that the “attacks” on the Frost family overshadowed the discussion of the issues?
Why is Obama afraid of his “spread the wealth” position?
That is what this is about.
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:59 am
Haik said: “That chart represents a totally false dichotomy.”
I was thinking the same thing. I am not satisfied with the two choices being compared, but it does reflect that people are not supportive of income redistribution.
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
“I was thinking the same thing….but it does reflect that people are not supportive of income redistribution”
So…. in other words, the data is invalid for drawing conclusions, so therefore you’re going to draw conclusions from it that fit your preconceptions anyway?
Sure. Why not?
October 22nd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
“So…. in other words, the data is invalid for drawing conclusions, so therefore you’re going to draw conclusions from it that fit your preconceptions anyway?”
Odum, you nailed Charity’s whole schtick quite well. Most of us come here for the comedic element of it all, I suspect.
“Can you say the same about the SCHIP veto? Can you honestly say that the “attacks” on the Frost family overshadowed the discussion of the issues?”
Um, yes, when you have Rush Limpballs, batshit insane Malkin and all your other modern-day Gestapo buddies going after the kid, digging through their finances and personal lives, the family getting threats and such, I’d say it overshadowed a lot of the conversation, at least for those paying attention. But again, it’s only bad when liberals do it.”
Ever try that “praying for wisdom” thing I hear about? Didn’t think so.