Does anyone really give a shit about Joe the Plumber?

[fatbuckRTO]

Originally Posted by OneSickPsycho

Pretty sure he was a plumber... The deal was he wasn't licensed or some shit... which doesn't matter cause his boss was, blah, blah, blah... Not that any of that shit mattered... the media drug that dude through the mud like he was running for office. Fuck the media.

His own candidate started it. How many times did McCain say "Joe the Plumber" in that one fucking debate? Of course the media was going to pick up on it. "Joe" sure doesn't seem to mind, though.

The guy's a fucking tool, to answer the original question.

[OneSickPsycho]

Originally Posted by fatbuckRTO

His own candidate started it. How many times did McCain say "Joe the Plumber" in that one fucking debate? Of course the media was going to pick up on it. "Joe" sure doesn't seem to mind, though.

The guy's a fucking tool, to answer the original question.

If by starting it, you mean McCain mentioned him... yes, he did. I still cannot substantiate any reason for that guy to have been run through the paces by the media like he did... Oh yea, because his question and Obama's answer represented something that scared the media... afterall, anything that questioned Obama's omnipotence certainly should have been scrutinized, ignored, or otherwise discredited so their boy could get in with as little resistance as possible. The man shouldn't have been the news... the question and Obama's answer is what mattered.

[EpyonXero]

Originally Posted by OneSickPsycho

Pretty sure he was a plumber... The deal was he wasn't licensed or some shit... which doesn't matter cause his boss was, blah, blah, blah... Not that any of that shit mattered... the media drug that dude through the mud like he was running for office. Fuck the media.

Ha, blame the media.

[OneSickPsycho]

Originally Posted by EpyonXero

Ha, blame the media.

Why not?

[fatbuckRTO]

Originally Posted by OneSickPsycho

The man shouldn't have been the news... the question and Obama's answer is what mattered.

Obama's answer was pretty straightforward, as I recall. McCain picked up on the name "Joe the Plumber" and threw it around like it meant something. No one would have even known the guy existed if McCain hadn't harped on it so much, and not just "Joe's" question. Every point McCain made in that debate was "your policies will hurt Joe. I'm going to help Joe. You don't remember Joe. Joe's my best friend," etc. etc. ad nauseum. He talked about "Joe" so much that Obama didn't have any choice but to talk about him too. After that, it was over. Of course the media was going to dig into the guy's life. All they had was one question, which had already been fielded and answered. And once they found out he was lying about who he said he was, which wasn't hard to find out, of course they were going to dig deeper.

Did he deserve it? I don't think so, he was a tool but nothing more sinister. But McCain put the spotlight on him, the media just did what the media does when someone's put in the spotlight.

[OneSickPsycho]

Originally Posted by fatbuckRTO

Obama's answer was pretty straightforward, as I recall. McCain picked up on the name "Joe the Plumber" and threw it around like it meant something. No one would have even know the guy existed if McCain hadn't harped on it so much, and not just "Joe's" question. Every point McCain made in that debate was "your policies will hurt Joe. I'm going to help Joe. You don't remember Joe. Joe's my best friend," etc. etc. ad nauseum. He talked about "Joe" so much that Obama didn't have any choice but to talk about him too. After that, it was over. Of course the media was going to dig into the guy's life. All they had was one question, which had already been fielded and answered. And once they found out he was lying about who he said he was, which wasn't hard to find out, of course they were going to dig deeper.

Did he deserve it? I don't think so, he was a tool but nothing more sinister. But McCain put the spotlight on him, the media just did what the media does when someone's put in the spotlight.

You must be a big fan of Dead or Alive, cause you spun that shit like a fucking record...

He asked the question and Obama's answer indicated his policy could have had negative impacts on his business... or the business he intended to purchase.

The man was simply used as a metaphor for the American small business owner. There was NO reason what-so-ever that anything about his personal life should have been made public or was part of the story... it had NOTHING to do with anything, but acted as a great distraction from the real issue in question... Obama's policies.

I theorize that if Joe the Plumber had been used by Obama against McCain, he would never have been vetted by the media, but rather the media would have focused on the obvious metaphor he represented.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by OneSickPsycho

Pretty sure he was a plumber... The deal was he wasn't licensed or some shit... which doesn't matter cause his boss was, blah, blah, blah... Not that any of that shit mattered... the media drug that dude through the mud like he was running for office. Fuck the media.

He put himself in the media and puffed his qualifications in order to support his questions. He wasn't a licensed plumber, but claimed to want to buy his boss's business. He asked questions about business income, when personal income was the only issue.

[fatbuckRTO]

Originally Posted by OneSickPsycho

You must be a big fan of Dead or Alive, cause you spun that shit like a fucking record...

*shrug* I call it like I see it. He wouldn't be a household name if McCain had not made him so. Were you watching that debate? Maybe we saw different things, but I remember McCain throwing the name "Joe the Plumber" around like a wind sock. And only McCain's first mention of him had anything to do with "Joe's" question to Obama. One mention out of at least 7.

[OneSickPsycho]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

He put himself in the media and puffed his qualifications in order to support his questions. He wasn't a licensed plumber, but claimed to want to buy his boss's business. He asked questions about business income, when personal income was the only issue.

You seem to be an expert on Ohio law... Turns out, you don't need to be a licensed plummer to do his job, since his boss was licensed... all good. Further, he could most certainly buy the business without being licensed, though he would have to get licensed to do the work... Also, I never saw anywhere that he puffed up his qualifications... there were just a lot of assumptions and 'gotcha' reporting.

So all the stuff about him being behind on child support, him failing the test to get his license, back taxes, voting Republican, etc, etc, etc... had WHAT to do with the question he asked?

Had the media questioned the business vs personal income issue, I would have been right there with him. Truth is, they ripped through this guy's personal life to mask the real issue...

[OneSickPsycho]

Originally Posted by fatbuckRTO

*shrug* I call it like I see it. He wouldn't be a household name if McCain had not made him so. Were you watching that debate? Maybe we saw different things, but I remember McCain throwing the name "Joe the Plumber" around like a wind sock. And only the McCain's first mention of him had anything to do with "Joe's" question to Obama. One mention out of at least 7.

I agree with this post... My problem is not with what made him a household name, but rather why the media felt the need to rake this guy over the coals when EVERYTHING they 'uncovered' had NOTHING to do with the candidates or the situation that brought him into the limelight.