Character Assassination: The attacks against "Joe the Plumber"

**Caelius** · October 17, 2008, 06:19 AM

Caught this off another website and I have to say it pretty accurately reflects my view of the ridiculous attacks that are being made against a private citizen who's only crime was to ask a Presidential Candidate a question.

I don't know why I'm e-mailing you, except that I just need to vent to someone. Pass this around to the others if you like — I bet I'm not the only one.

I really don't like McCain. I'll probably vote for him just as a vote for divided government. I'm far too libertarian in my leanings to be comfortable with McCain (or Obama, for that matter).

That said, the way the pro-Obama media and bloggers, and Obama himself, have responded to Joe has got me nearly shaking with rage. They are attempting to destroy a man — a private citizen — who had the audacity to ask The One a question. Mind you, Joe was on his front lawn playing football with his son when Obama strolled up to give him his hopenchange spiel. Obama approached Joe, not the other way around. And Joe asked Obama an honest question. And Obama gave him an honest — and very, very revealing — answer. Again, mind you, the embarassment was on Obama's end, not Joe's. It wasn't a gotcha question.

And yet, for that Joe is being pilloried, every aspect of his private and professional life being sorted through and exposed. To prove ... what? What does that have to do with Obama's answer? What does Joe's situation have to do with Obama's philosophical answer — that he wants to "spread the wealth"? Obama's answer goes down the memory hole while the media concentrates its fire on obliterating Joe the Plumber in stark contrast to someone like Bill Ayers.

It's sickening, it's maddening and it's downright chilling.

Sorry for the length. But I am just SEETHING.

**MathiasOfAthens** · October 17, 2008, 06:47 AM

Joe walked over to Obama, you can see it on the video and Joe (sam) said it himself to couric.
Honest question of course and no one has a problem with that. But McCain the one who brought Joe up when he mentioned him 20+ times.
And it wasnt Obama campaign it was news agencies. Reporters were doing their job and found out all this dirt.

**Hunter Makoy** · October 17, 2008, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by MathiasOfAthens

Joe walked over to Obama, you can see it on the video and Joe (sam) said it himself to couric.
Honest question of course and no one has a problem with that. But McCain the one who brought Joe up when he mentioned him 20+ times.
And it wasnt Obama campaign it was news agencies. Reporters were doing their job and found out all this dirt.

and most of it ended up being false, or totally irrelevant.

ur right, it is the news agencies's job to slander and ruin people, certainly wouldn't be to just report the NEWS.

**morteduzionism** · October 17, 2008, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by Hunter Makoy

and most of it ended up being false, or totally irrelevant.

ur right, it is the news agencies's job to slander and ruin people, certainly wouldn't be to just report the NEWS.

What has turned out to be "false?"

**Hunter Makoy** · October 17, 2008, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by morteduzionism

What has turned out to be "false?"

he isn't registered to vote: false, he registered under his first name, goes by his middle name (see joker's thread)
doesn't have a license, so he isn't a plumber: false, appearantly he doesn't need a license to do wat he does. (also see joker's thread)
maybe more more, i cant remember off the top of my head.

btw, how come no addressing my second point?

**morteduzionism** · October 17, 2008, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Hunter Makoy

he isn't registered to vote: false, he registered under his first name, goes by his middle name (see joker's thread)

I suppose when he said his name was "Joe" and someone checked for "Joe" no hit was made...

...I hope the new ruling in Ohio doesn't cause him to be considered inelligible

doesn't have a license, so he isn't a plumber: false, appearantly he doesn't need a license to do wat he does.

According to officials from Toledo he in fact DOES need a license to do what he does

sorry, that one is true.

But Wurzelbacher still would need to be a licensed apprentice or journeyman to work in Toledo, and he's not, said David Golis, manager and residential building official for the Toledo Division of Building Inspection.

maybe more more, i cant remember off the top of my head.

There isn't much more. The only other stuff is that he owes taxes which is true also.

Unless you're talking about the connection between him, Charles Keating and Alaska...

I don't know if that's been verified yet.

ur right, it is the news agencies's job to slander and ruin people, certainly wouldn't be to just report the NEWS.

Wrong. It's the job of news agencies to dig into every aspect of someones life once they've been brought to the publics attention.

They have no control over the effects of this, their only job is to bring to light as much stuff about your life as they can find.

Why?

Because the American public (non-American too) eats it up. I too wish that this type of stuff didn't sell advertisement space, etc...but it does.

Whose fault is that?

One more thing: McCain was the one that put the guy on full blast...trying to score points...

**Viking Prince** · October 17, 2008, 07:08 AM

But perhaps the media could do the same work to ask each campaign for details on their tax policies. But that might be too much like work and they would need to know what they were talking about to even ask the questions. Better to kill the messenger than debate the message.

**Mikelus Trento** · October 17, 2008, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by Viking Prince

But perhaps the media could do the same work to ask each campaign for details on their tax policies. But that might be too much like work and they would need to know what they were talking about to even ask the questions. Better to kill the messenger than debate the message.

So you don't have an issue with one of the parties trying to subvert honest discussion about their tax policies by creating a false situation?

Perhaps if McCain's campaign wasn't trying to fabricate Obama as a terrorist, registration manipulator, and a political child, then the media wouldn't have to keep reporting about it.

And then the Repubs whine about the coverage. *sigh*

**MathiasOfAthens** · October 17, 2008, 07:23 AM

McCain campaign: Better to kill the opposition with smear tactics then to discuss the Issues.

Media doing their work, if they can find out who joe is then they can find out about a cadidate tax plan. As seen below.
NYDAILYNEWS on Obamas tax plan.
MoneyCNN on both McCain and Obama plans.
Thinkprogess on CNN distortion of Obama tax plan - interview with Charles Barkley.
FoX prob bias and distortions but what the hell ill put it here.

**morteduzionism** · October 17, 2008, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by Caelius

Caught this off another website and I have to say it pretty accurately reflects my view of the ridiculous attacks that are being made against a private citizen who's only crime was to ask a Presidential Candidate a question.

This is pathetic (not you Caelius whoever wrote this) ... It absolutely clearly shows that some people have a seriously distorted view of reality "Obama initiated the conversation"... which tape did he see?

Obama spoke to Joe at length and gave straight answers even when it wasn't good news (he told Joe his taxes might go up)... and this person is "seething" at the way Obama treated Joe... huh!?

People are looking for any/everything that they could use to hate Obama: he's a socialist, a muslim, hates America, a terrorist, wants to let babies die on hospital floors, is trying to destroy the fabric of democracy...

Joe walked over to Obama, you can see it on the video and Joe (sam) said it himself to couric.
Honest question of course and no one has a problem with that. But McCain the one who brought Joe up when he mentioned him 20+ times.
And it wasnt Obama campaign it was news agencies. Reporters were doing their job and found out all this dirt.

That sounds too much like "actual events" which is synonymous with "the truth"...Fox News doesn't cover those topics...

But perhaps the media could do the same work to ask each campaign for details on their tax policies. But that might be too much like work and they would need to know what they were talking about to even ask the questions. Better to kill the messenger than debate the message.

"Details?" They talk about them all the time...I might know this because CNN is on ALL day where I work...but info is out there...as seen in the post below yours...did you know you could go to Obama's website and calculate appoximately what your taxes would look like under his plan...