If you scroll down you will find several posts by me and others here about the attacks from the left on Joe the Plumber, the Ohio man who dared to ask The One a question when his Messiahness strolled into his neighborhood. That is the subject of my Townhall column today as well. Here is an excerpt:
Some liberal bloggers went after Joe the Plumber saying he didn’t even make $250,000 and that he would receive a tax cut under Barack Obama’s plan, supposedly proving “Joe the Plumber” was a Republican lie. Here is what Joe said in the exchange with Obama: “I’m getting ready to buy a company that makes about 250, 270-80 thousand dollars a year. Your new tax plan is going to tax me more isn’t it?” So much for the Republican lie. Joe told Obama that he was planning on buying a company, which he hoped would put him in that $250,000 or more income range in the future, which prompted Obama’s response about spreading the wealth around. By choosing that line of attack, those on the left proved what many of us on the right already believed – that they don’t “get” the basic concept of the American dream.
The American “dream” is about aspiring to improve your lot – to take advantage of the freedoms this country affords those who are willing to work hard, invest time and energy and often to take risks, to achieve success. In the response of liberals trying to blunt the effect of Obama’s spread the wealth comment they revealed their inability to understand that basic concept. Obama did the same in the full response he gave to Joe’s question. Obama stressed over and over again not what his tax plan would do to those who have begun to experience the success of the American dream, but only what it would do for those behind them. The idea that increasing taxes on the rich could negatively impact the not yet rich is a completely foreign notion.
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On Good Morning America in an interview with Diane Sawyer, Joe the Plumber said Obama’s plan to take more money from those who are successful is “scary” and a “very socialist view” and a “slippery slope.” If he continues to talk like that, and if he continues to resonate with Americans, there is no telling what we will learn next about Joe Wurzelbacher. Is he Trig Palin’s baby daddy? Does he wear silk undergarments? Is he really bald? The point those on the left now trying to destroy Joe the Plumber don’t get is that it doesn’t matter. Not only do their nasty attacks on him discourage anyone else from becoming involved in public political debate, but nothing they could dig up on him would matter anyway.
Whether Joe the Plumber is a Republican or a Democrat, a decided or undecided registered or unregistered voter, gay or straight, a wearer of boxers or briefs, a huge GOP donor or even the secret love child of John McCain doesn’t matter, because it doesn’t change what Barack Obama said. Of his own free will, Obama admitted that he believes his tax plan is a good thing because when you “spread the wealth around” it’s good for everybody.
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Read the whole column for the Gallup poll information James Pethokoukis cited that explains why the Left is so determined to destroy Joe the Plumber. Then read Michelle Malkin’s column, “The Left Declares War on Joe the Plumber.” As you can probably tell by the title, we were on the same wavelength. Update: Betsy is right there with me and Michelle.
Update: Red State has a way for those interested to show their support for Joe.
Update: I thought the stupid (sorry, but that is the kindest word I can think of) claim that Joe the Plumber is not REALLY named Joe because his full name is Samuel Joseph was just something some crazed Obama followers were making in comments (like the one I posted earlier following the jump below). I just read some posts at Newsbusters though and there are several news outlets (including ABC News) that reported this blockbuster revelation as news! Un-freaking-believable. Guess what. I think Joe Biden isn’t named Joe either. I think his name is actually Joseph. I have said some dumb things in my life, but that is just about the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Those Obamacrazies might be interested in learning that some people used to refer to John F. Kennedy as “Jack.” Congressman Murtha is trying to deceive people too. I have heard him referred to as both John and Jack. Let’s just go ahead and expose all these frauds that do not use the full first names their parents gave them at birth. This deserves an hour long prime time special and possibly a congressional hearing. Geez. When I first read a “Joe is really Samuel Joseph” comment I thought it was a joke, posted by a McCain supporter to ridicule the absurdity of the Obama supporters attacks on Joe, then I looked at the name on the comment. I even checked the IP to make sure it was not someone posing as a regular Obama supporter commenter. I could barely believe it when I saw that it was, no joke, being presented as a serious criticism by a real Obama supporter. I could not make this stuff up people.
The second dumbest attack regarding Joe the Plumber is that McCain didn’t vet him. So now McCain has to vet private citizens who happen to live in a neighborhood Obama chooses to campaign in? I guess it only applies though if that private citizen asks a question that elicits an embarrassing, though true, comment from Obama. I also thought this was a criticism just made by a few people writing in the comments section, you know, where they wouldn’t embarrass themselves in front of too many people. Not so. David Gergen and Alan Colmes, among others, made the same “accusation” against John McCain on national television. I don’t get it. Why come up with lame, ridiculous, stupid “arguments” that make you sound like an idiot, when your candidate is so far ahead in the polls?
Update: Lest anyone doubt the nastiness and anger and hatred of those on the left in their desire to destroy anyone who questions the Obamessiah, just take a look at some of the comments to this post.
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