JTP is Back

I always knew that Joe the Plumber (aka Samuel J.Wurzelbacher) didn't have a whole lot of candle power going on upstairs. That doesn't mean he's a bad guy or anything, it just means that he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. Some folks that operate on a lower wattage than a lot of us are fully aware of their shortcomings. Some. Not all. Unfortunately, not all. No, some are just as unaware as to their dimness as they are unaware of a lot of other things. Joe the Plumber seems to be in the latter category.

I thought this guy had finally figured out that he was no longer needed for any sort of political anything and would have gone quietly away. And he did go away for a while, though he could have gone a bit more quieter. (Did he really need to slap his name on a book that we're all supposed to pretend to believe that he actually wrote?) But he's back and it doesn't sound like he's learned much from his 15 minutes of fame.

According to a one Scott Detrow, who is a reporter for PA Public Radio, Joe the Plumber was on hand to lend his support to Representative Sam Rohrer’s Mobilize for Liberty event. According to JTP, he's been approached by over 200 politicians looking for his "endorsement". (I have that in quotes because I'm not real sure what an endorsement from JTP would actually consist of.) So far, he's only seen it fit to back five of them. He makes it sound as if he has some sort of complicated vetting process, but it sounds to me like he sits down with folks to listen to them for a bit and then he decides whether or not he agrees with what they're spouting. I'm not saying that's a bad idea. It sounds fairly reasonable. All I'm saying is that it's not a complicated and drawn out process or anything.

I find it amazing that anyone would want to have this guy stump for them. I mean, after all, who is this guy anyway? He's not really anyone other than the guy that John McCain grabbed onto and had as sort of a backup spokesperson for his campaign. (You remember John McCain? Him and that quirky lady from Alaska gave President Barry a pretty good run for the presidency.) If it hadn't been for McCain elevating JTP to a position of anything more than just a guy who asked a question of Barack Obama during an election stop, there would be no reason for JTP to be doing anything today other than unclogging toilets and laying pipe. (If that is, in fact, what he did before. I really have no idea, nor do I care. I was just going with stereotypical plumber duties there.) Oh, but don't expect him to be loyal or grateful to McCain or anything. No, he's done with that.

According to Mr. Detrow, Joe the Plumber "...said he doesn’t support Sarah Palin anymore...Because she’s backing John McCain’s re-election effort." He also said that “John McCain is no public servant" and he called him "a career politician". All rightee then. Let's see where that came from, shall we?

Apparently, Mr. Detrow had the same reaction that I did and he "...pointed out he’d just be plain old Sam Wurzelbacher of Ohio...without McCain." Yes! That's exactly who he would be. But that doesn't matter to JTP as he responded with “I don’t owe him s—. He really screwed my life up, is how I look at it.”

Umm...screwed your life up? That's how you look at it? How, exactly, did he screw your life up? Because if it hadn't been for John McCain then you wouldn't be supporting those five politicians that you chose to support? Is that it? No, that can't be it because that would be asinine. Was it that your life was so screwed up that all you can do now is support those five politicians? No, that can't be it because that, too, would be asinine. Maybe it was having to put his name on that book. Maybe that's the life screwing that he's referring to. (Oh, sure, I realize that seems asinine as well, but I'm running out of speculative theories here, so you're really going to have to work with me on some of this!)

Joe the Plumber believe that “McCain was trying to use me. I happened to be the face of middle Americans. It was a ploy.” Why, yes! Yes it was a ploy! Congratulations! That might be the first thing that you've gotten right all the live long day! What the heck did you think McCain was doing with you?! Using you! Yes! And what do you think these five politicians that you've chosen to support are doing with you? Using you! Yes! Wait...does he get that last part?

I don't think he does. When Mr. Detrow asked him why he's still milking the whole JTP image thing he replied that "...it’s his duty to take advantage of the platform he’s been given. He wants to talk up the issues he cares about, and encourage the grassroots tea party movement." Wait. What now?

So, it's OK for him to take advantage of him, but it's not OK for anyone else to take advantage of him? It doesn't matter how he got to where he's at, even though what he's stumping for is right along the same platform that McCain was campaigning on. That has nothing to do with it, am I understanding this correctly? I'm pretty sure that I am, but it's just so ridiculous that I'm beginning to question it myself.

It's completely unclear to me why JTP has this impression of John McCain, but he's not exactly acting like a guy whose life has been "screwed up". He seems to be a rather unappreciative and clueless guy who is pretty lucky to be in the position that he's in regardless as to how he got there. I'm not saying that he's lucky because he was some sort of hidden genius that the world would have never been aware of otherwise. I'm saying that he's lucky because who wouldn't want to be handed a platform (and a bunch of money) to go out there and say what they believe and have people seemingly want to listen to you? That's a pretty good gig if you can get it.

Fortunately, these Joe the Plumber appearances are usually short lived. We shouldn't have to hear from him or about him until at least May, maybe June if we're lucky.