What we're reduced to: Joe The Plumber campaigns for McCain; forces an appalled disclaimer from Fox News
Joe The Secretary of State Wurzelbacher
Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher today agreed with a McCain rally attendee that the election of Barack Obama would mean the 'death of Israel'. He, like many opponents of the Illinois senator, bases this informed opinion on: absolutely nothing.
I mean: wow.
Maybe it's a diabolically clever strategic move by the McCain camp to make Governor Palin's foreign policy cred look better by comparison. Let me tell you, it almost works.
After dropping this bomb, JTP has a spasm of refeshing candor:
"You don't want my opinion on foreign policy," Wurzelbacher said. "I know just enough to kind of be dangerous."
Right you are, Joe.
.......
But here's the beauty part: Shepard Smith, Fox News anchor, was so non-plussed by this bald-faced (!) assertion that he revealed considerable journalistic skills. From Jason Linkins' blog on HuffPost:
"...five minutes with Joe The Plumber had Shepard Smith so frustrated that the Fox anchor felt compelled to issue a disclaimer, immediately following the segment, pushing back on any notion that Obama would mean the "death of Israel," saying*: "I just want to make this 100 percent perfectly clear — Barack Obama has said repeatedly and demonstrated repeatedly that Israel will always be a friend of the United States, no matter what happens once he becomes President of the United States. His words." Smith later added, "The rest of it — man...some things — it just gets frightening sometimes. We'll be right back."
*This excerpt starts right at 5:00.
A few days ago, I was (rightfully) upbraided on this blog for referring to JTP as a 'GOP Operative'; but that was before he actually became one. Don't have to worry about THAT anymore.
Yeah; pity the press, used to pounding politicians to pulp, chose to pound this guy who -- was it only two weeks ago? -- was actually a "normal Joe." Now, they've flushed him out into the maelstrom of the GOP camp and Paris Hilton-style celebrity: undeserved.
At least he, unlike Paris, publicly acknowledges he doesn't deserve it. But I would counsel him to shy away entirely if possible. Politicians bite back.
Of course, he MAY BE COMPELLED to pick up a quick check here and there, having (perhaps?) been driven away from plumbing for the nonce. I don't know enough about his situation to even be dangerous.
BTW, Cog, the whole "his name really isn't Joe" thing just dampens any real points you might be scoring; I worked under a guy named Graham for years whose name wasn't Graham, and last time I checked I knew a guy called Artie whose name wasn't Artie, and a guy called Sandy whose name isn't Sandy.
No one who knew these guys were scandalized in any way. Give it a miss. I expect it from the rank-and-file spewers only.
As for my reaction to JTP on the campaign trail for McCain? see below!
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You're my best editor - thanks for the input.
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and now, the promised reaction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWaLxFIVX1s
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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"The Ohio plumber, whose real name is Samuel Wurzelbacher, also agreed with a McCain supporter who asked him if he believed 'a vote for Obama is a vote for the death of Israel.'
'I'll go ahead and agree with you on that,' Wurzelbacher told the man, retired Florida lawyer Stan Chapman who was visiting Ohio."
Watch out now for: Stan the Lawyer! And again, note the odd, AP urgency about "his REAL name isn't Joe!" Gasp! What's that supposed to mean?!
The You Tube clip I referenced above is, truly, my reaction for egging this guy on... however, the gambit seems lower-key than a keynote speech for McCain at a major rally or hiring him as an advisor or naming him to the cabinet:
"Wurzelbacher's first trip to the podium was without notes. He often apologized to reporters gathered in a flag store for talking from his gut..."
-- a FLAG STORE? and who are his undercard:
"Wurzelbacher was scheduled to make stops in Dayton, Middletown, Milford and Cincinnati. The bus tour included guests billed as Mary the Flag Lady, Mike the Painter and Linda the Fitness Trainer."
I'm withholding my opinion until I get a bead on what Mary the Flag Lady is touting. Obviously, JTP is the draw to some kinda down-homey bus tour thingy.
Still. I were him; I'd go home and play more football with the kid. Or so I'd like to think.
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I can imagine Joe thinking he'll get a little air time like the JoeBoxer dancing guy got one New Year's Eve broadcast...
great googly-moogly, here's hoping that's the end of that.
Do I read this incorrectly, or is Fox news getting mocked for quickly correcting a horrible misrepresentation of a presidential candidate's position?
What were they supposed to do? Just let it lie there as CBS, ABC or NBC and affiliates would opine, it's true that these guys spoke these words, after all...
How often in today's "news" reports do the journalists correct egregious misrepresentations? Not on their Sunday morning shows or sound-bite newscasts (no, not just misrepresentation of GOP stuff, any misrepresentation... the "media" ain't liberal so much as it is lazy)
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Yeh, I caught that, too. Cogito is actually highlighting a little-believed fact about Fox: they aren't as in-the-bag for the right wing as popularly believed. Here, the reporter inserts actual, relevant material on-the-fly. I'd like to see one a the MSNBC guys try that.
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I could not agree with you more, raymurgy. My blood boils whenever I hear some politico say something completely inaccurate, fanciful, or just plain stupid and the 'interviewer' (or should that be 'question reader') just goes on to the next point with no reaction, or followup, whatsoever.
This used to bug the hell out of me with the allegedly great Tim Russert - yes, he'd get his 'gotcha' footage in, but then he'd just let whoever it was explain it away and go on to the next one. Infuriating.
So Shepard Smith gets kudos from me on this one, no irony about it.
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Must say, am lookin forward to all the excitement of yer election! Yer posts and links are keeping an otherwise ignorant person from oor ra watter much more informed than ever I would be from the snippets on TV over here so far. Hopefully, there'll be lots of coverage for me to watch, when the battle commences!
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