Joe the Plumber: McCain was just the lesser of two evils
posted at 6:30 pm on December 9, 2008 by Allahpundit
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He’s been sold to us as an unerring proxy for conservative grassroots opinion.
GLENN: Well, okay. Let’s take them one by one. Tell me about John McCain, something that I don’t know.
JOE THE PLUMBER: Well, something you don’t know, actually it’s probably stuff that you’ve already guessed and has already been painted in the different media spotlights. Just, well, you know, the bailouts. When I was on the bus with him, I asked him a lot of questions about the bailout because most Americans did not want that to happen, yet he voted for it. At the same time he’s talking about how he’s going to make somebody famous if they even think about putting pork in the bill? We all know how much pork was in the $700 billion bailout package. And why did he vote for it? And I asked him pretty direct questions and some of the answers you guys are going to receive, you know, they appalled me, absolutely. You know, I was angry. In fact, I wanted to get off the bus after I talked to him.
GLENN: Really?
JOE THE PLUMBER: Oh, yeah.
GLENN: Why didn’t you get off the bus?
JOE THE PLUMBER: Honestly because the thought of Barack Obama becoming President scares me even more…
I mean, you know, hopefully I wasn’t too big a proponent of that, this — what do you call it — tripping post, if you will. There isn’t somebody. Neither campaign put out a — no, I’m not going to speak for the Democrats but I mean, the Republicans didn’t put out a candidate for us to really vote for. It’s the lesser of two evils.
He also adores Palin. Of course.
I can’t believe Beck didn’t set him up for the kill by asking about immigration. Exit question one: How do you suppose Joe feels about Obama’s birth certificate? Exit question two: Anyone else feel a teensy bit sorry for Maverick? Yeah, he’s a squish, and yeah, he cynically milked JTP’s working-class credentials for everything they were worth, but the guy can’t even catch a break from people he’s made famous.
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Ah, I see JtP must have had a nice long chat with Michelle Malkin….
MrScribbler on December 9, 2008 at 6:33 PM
I’d like to know what those answers were…
Skywise on December 9, 2008 at 6:34 PM
Yet he had no problems with the populist Huckabee. go figure.
CaptainObvious on December 9, 2008 at 6:34 PM
I think he wants us to buy his book…
dc84123 on December 9, 2008 at 6:35 PM
They should have kicked McCain off the ticket and replaced him with JTP!
Sign of the Dollar on December 9, 2008 at 6:36 PM
Who, outside of McCain’s family and Lindsey Graham, feels sorry for him?
Why should we? If the answer involves his service in Vietnam, you’re wrong.
PBoilermaker on December 9, 2008 at 6:36 PM
malkin publishes her immigration pieces at the white nationalist website, vdare.com and is approvingly cited all over stormfront.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 6:38 PM
McCain only needed to do two things to get that other 5% he needed:
1) Vote against the bailout to distinguish himself and not make it look like Republicans = Democrats.
2) Repeat over and over again “95% of TAXPAYERS will get a tax break under my tax plans.” Slightly different from Obama’s, accurate in that only the childless might not get tax breaks, and focused, as Obama was.
Heck, even after Obama was elected, when asked whether he was going to go through with his tax increase on the rich, said, “Look, what my plan calls for is tax cuts for 95% of Americans . . . .”
Many people believed them to be the same in enough important ways, yet thought they’d get more tax break under Obama. At around 78,000 with two kids you’d start saving more with McCain’s plan.
But I’m with Joe, the only things that excited me about McCain were that he was not Obama and that his VP would be Palin.
PastorJon on December 9, 2008 at 6:39 PM
No Juan Hernandez, then yes.
Too bad there was Juan Hernandez.
Hawkins1701 on December 9, 2008 at 6:39 PM
YGBSM
PBoilermaker on December 9, 2008 at 6:39 PM
DFFSFSDGJGKLUYRTU?
eh on December 9, 2008 at 6:41 PM
I buy that, and I buy that he thinks Palin is the real deal…McCain was a disappointment, but it all we had. And you play the cards you are dealt with.
right2bright on December 9, 2008 at 6:41 PM
Joe’s common sense is credible. McCain was probably the worst GOP candidate since Dole. Without his prisoner of war experience, his credibility was lacking for most conservatives. McCain just isn’t trusted to represent the party. He will demonstrate why he never had a chance by moving sharply to the left in immigration and bailouts. I’m sure Obama will use him as a tool to damage the Republican Party. The lesser of two evils was a compliment to McCain.
volsense on December 9, 2008 at 6:42 PM
i’m just saying. that’s more than what it took for y’all to decry ron paul as having unacceptable racist associations.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 6:43 PM
JtP is a TC, Who knew? Oh wait, me.
Didnt like him then, like him less now.
Squid Shark on December 9, 2008 at 6:44 PM
That vote may haunt McCain forever. By the way I just learned today that Sarah might not have supported the bailout vote and that might explain her convoluted answer she gave to Katie Couric as she said one thing and thought another-a classic case of cognitive dissonance.
technopeasant on December 9, 2008 at 6:44 PM
GFY?
PBoilermaker on December 9, 2008 at 6:45 PM
El linko? I love it when Sarah becomes even more awesome.
Pasalubong on December 9, 2008 at 6:46 PM
We should all be reminded how much trouble our candidate was in when Joe the Plumber stole the headlines from him.
A very sad state of affairs for the GOP.
fogw on December 9, 2008 at 6:46 PM
I always wondered– why didn’t he make the bailout pork guys famous? What did he say, Joe? Tell us! Tell us! Although, the MSM should be asking McCain this, too.
Pasalubong on December 9, 2008 at 6:47 PM
that stands for, “it’s not worth discussing me because i am unperturbed by the prospect of forging a coaltion with the kkk and neo-nazis”?
eh on December 9, 2008 at 6:48 PM
Boo Hoo.
The Ugly American on December 9, 2008 at 6:49 PM
Palin-hater Allahpundit wrote:
Why the snark? This interview tells me that JtP is totally in sync with conservatives. They didn’t trust John McCain, most voted for him anyway given the alternative, and the vast majority absolutely still loves Sarah Palin.
Norwegian on December 9, 2008 at 6:49 PM
Gawd Allah!!! Pimpimg for hits. How cheap and … how shall I say it….anybody? ideas?
katy on December 9, 2008 at 6:49 PM
No, thats how you’ve labeled him. Most of see him as another working stiff, just like the rest of us. We’ve all got opinions and flaws and I’ll bet any of us would be just as good an interview as JtP or Tito the Builder.
Joe makes the same point many of us would and have…
liquidflorian on December 9, 2008 at 6:50 PM
So JtP is willing to whore himself out to the lesser of two evils?
Way to stick to your principles, Joe.
e-pirate on December 9, 2008 at 6:50 PM
I felt the same as Joe until Arctic Fox was brought on board. I was very hesitant to support Juan until then. Teh Cuda gave at least a glimmer of hope of having a conservative voice in the McClimateChange administration.
Sh!t. He’ll be buddy-buddy with PEBO from now on.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on December 9, 2008 at 6:50 PM
Tawdry?
PBoilermaker on December 9, 2008 at 6:51 PM
I just read the piece again, I think we should change your nick name from Eeyore-pundit to sand-in-the-vagina-pundit.
liquidflorian on December 9, 2008 at 6:51 PM
I do not feel sorry for a guy that gave the Presidency to the Dems
faraway on December 9, 2008 at 6:51 PM
A teensy bit.
frankj on December 9, 2008 at 6:53 PM
Shut Up and Plumb.
SnarkVader on December 9, 2008 at 6:53 PM
I am Joe the Plumber.
TexasDan on December 9, 2008 at 6:53 PM
right. he’s the fourth wall of the “real” conservative echo chamber.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 6:53 PM
At least he wouldn’t have been thrown under the bus had he decided to get off.
ivrydov on December 9, 2008 at 6:54 PM
Joe the Truther?
faraway on December 9, 2008 at 6:55 PM
The US is like a town protected by an enormous dam. The dam was once rock solid, but scheduled maintenance has been delayed over the years and it’s sprung a surprising number of dangerous leaks.
Along comes McCain, a stubborn and simple guy who offered to put his fingers in the holes. He had no idea how to fix the dam but people hoped someone else would figure that out while McCain kept the town mostly dry.
Obama intends to dynamite the dam to replace it with something else, and never cared that much for the town in the first place.
The guy who wanted to stand there with his fingers in the dam is irrelevant now.
JiangxiDad on December 9, 2008 at 6:55 PM
Good Start.
katy on December 9, 2008 at 6:56 PM
I feel bad for McCain in that he was too dumb to realize he was being used by a third rate novice plumber.
SnarkVader on December 9, 2008 at 6:57 PM
jiangxidad, Obama is the Pied Piper leading us into the valley before the dams breaks
faraway on December 9, 2008 at 6:57 PM
as apposed to the “false” conservative echo chamber?
liquidflorian on December 9, 2008 at 6:58 PM
Obama was the one who made Joe famous.
ddrintn on December 9, 2008 at 6:59 PM
i wouldn’t go that far. though that is a “real” conservative thing, with the cfr conspiracies and the amero and all that. a birther? maybe.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 7:00 PM
The newsletter was kind of a clue. Why don’t we stay on topic?
a capella on December 9, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Joe might indicate the details of the conversation in his new book.
Joe is exactly the typical conservative: disgruntled, voted for the lesser evil, and loves Palin.
McLame really blew it voting for the bailout. What a stupid thing to do!
jencab on December 9, 2008 at 7:00 PM
I don’t blame McCain b/c we got what we nominated. Can’t blame the guy for being himself, if anything he went to the right more than I though he would. I think he got caught up in politics a littl too much but overall was okay.
Remember he was supposed to lose. If the media had done its job it probably is a different story.
lavell12 on December 9, 2008 at 7:00 PM
He’s like some sort of magical incarnation of everything we believe.
He should be the chief advisor to anyone who wants to run for office on the GOP ticket…ever.
jimmy the notable on December 9, 2008 at 7:01 PM
that’s a redundancy. even microscopic divergence from “real” conservatism classifies one as a leftwinger.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 7:03 PM
His principle was and is helping and protecting America so then he did stick to his princples by attempting to prevent O from destroying America.
lavell12 on December 9, 2008 at 7:04 PM
What bugs me about this situation is that JtP is getting shat on for doing what I would’ve done; simply standing up for himself. I really don’t get why people feel the need to piss in his Wheaties, like he made the choice to inject himself into national politics by starting a blog and pretending to be a deity. If any of us wanted to discuss this with him deeper and express our likes or dislikes he’s not exactly difficult to get a hold of now.
liquidflorian on December 9, 2008 at 7:07 PM
right. the newsletters. and michelle malkin actually writes full columns for an unapoligeticly white nationalist rag. that’s all i’m saying.
but you’re right. back on topic.
Joe the plumber is a “real” conservative, and that’s something to be prud of. allegedly.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 7:08 PM
After McCain’s failure to shut his people up when they were denigrating his running mate, one can’t be too sure about that.
baldilocks on December 9, 2008 at 7:08 PM
+5
Never miss an opportunity to point out how Manhattan-corrupted Allah is a Palin-basher.
chunderroad on December 9, 2008 at 7:10 PM
You know, when McCain said he was going to make “them” famous, I had some other names in mind.
Of course, he chucked that promise out as soon as Bailout Paulson came to town.
phelps on December 9, 2008 at 7:11 PM
So you’re baw-ing that people are mean to you on the interbutts? Big fat deal. try having a constructive discussion and maybe people won’t be so quick to slap you with labels. Just do what I do and lurk at Con-punk, people are a lot less judgmental over there…
liquidflorian on December 9, 2008 at 7:12 PM
I’ve had it with this piece of crap plumber. I can understand how his initial skewering by the press was not very welcome considering he simply met Obama and asked him a question but he is dragging out his 15 minutes and his past as a liar makes him hardly credible and someone the Republican party needs to distance itself from.
grdred944 on December 9, 2008 at 7:14 PM
This was an unusual election cycle for the GOP, How often does the GOP standard-bearer, a candidate the majority of the base do not wholeheartedly support, nominate for his VP a virtually unknown female running mate who goes on to become the most popular Republican in America after 3 months on the national stage and then goes on to lose to a Messianic candidate who has little experience in running anything, favors waving the white flag of surrender to the terrorists, has highly questionable radical associations, and is a follower of Saul Alinsky and a radical socialist agenda? The odds of this scenario happening again: 1 in a billion.
technopeasant on December 9, 2008 at 7:16 PM
In many ways McCain is the most authentic Republican of all the candidates. Fiscal conservative, socially moderate.
His fatal flaw was pandering to the social right and trying to become a candidate and a man that he simply is not; enter Sarah Palin.
We need more John McCains. I, for one, think he was the best of the bunch and the kind of Republican I–as an Independent–would rather see running this country than what passes for Republicans among the rest of the crowd.
redfoxbluestate on December 9, 2008 at 7:19 PM
well, we’re here in this thread where everyone agrees that joe the plumber is the avatar for the median sensibilities of the conservative grassroots as it currently exists. i’m not interested in segregating myself, and i’m not interested in being charitable with retarded thugs.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 7:19 PM
i was a mccain guy, but the failure of his campaign was his own incoherance and weakness. he was far to malleable to a “base” which has become deranged and solipsistic. he in fact allowed himself to be upstaged by that base. but that was his fault. a presidential candidate is supposed to be a leader. mccain turned out to be a legislator after all.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 7:25 PM
John McCain had a very slight chance to win the election if he had voted against the bailout but no chance at all because he voted for it. Unfortunately for him I think history will be on the side of those who voted against or did not favor the bailout.
technopeasant on December 9, 2008 at 7:29 PM
Good luck running a spineless moderate without the base next time. Obviously, the support of the base is a bad thing. /sarc
chunderroad on December 9, 2008 at 7:32 PM
eh: you brought an interesting point that very few people have brought up-that McCain acted like he was campaigning for Congress rather than assuming a leadership mantle when running for President. 30 odd years ago a book The Peter Principle came out with the hypothesis that eventually every one reaches his level of incompetence as he or she aspires to move up the food chain. In other words a competent Senator does not necessary make for a successful candidate as President.
technopeasant on December 9, 2008 at 7:33 PM
A great reason why to pay $54.95 a year for Glenn Beck insider where there’s a podcast of the show on iTunes plus more archives on the website. Trust me, I am an Insider :-).
HotAirJosef on December 9, 2008 at 7:34 PM
malkin publishes her immigration pieces at the white nationalist website, vdare.com and is approvingly cited all over stormfront.
Why don’t your READ vdare? It has points of view from everyone, and one of it’s main writers is married to a Mexican and lives in Mexico.Don’t be so scared to start thinking out of your tiny, silly liberal box.And before you start thinking Michelle is ein nazi-seriously consider getting an EEG from the Mayo Clinic. You are in serious trouble!
lizzee on December 9, 2008 at 7:34 PM
JTP is the real deal. I do fell a teeny bit sorry for McCain though. No, I wasn’t happy with him, and yes he ran a lousy campaign, but he also ran in the worst environment for a GOPer since Watergate. I hate to bring up the POW stuff again, but McCain did much more for his country to earn the White House than BO ever did and ever will.
changer1701 on December 9, 2008 at 7:37 PM
that was certainly borne out in his case.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 7:37 PM
I never got the impression that McCain knew why he wanted to be President and that perhaps he was just not hungry enough to do whatever it took to undermine Obama. Never should one’s VP candidate appear to be stronger and more forceful in presenting your case to the American people than you yourself are.
technopeasant on December 9, 2008 at 7:38 PM
Did McCain lose at the Saddleback Forum when he said this? “I believe that life begins at conception.”
Or was it when these words came back to haunt him in October? “I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated.”
chunderroad on December 9, 2008 at 7:38 PM
I felt the same way leaving the voting booth. If only the conservative movement had unified behind a candidate. We can argue about who the best nominee was, be I think we can all agree on who was the closest to upsetting McCain.
If Romney had won either Iowa (missed by 9%), New Hampshire (lost by 5%) or Florida (lost by 5%) the race would have ended differently. If he didn’t come in second of any of these “must win races” he’d would’ve had enough momentum (and McCain would’ve had that much less momentum) going into Super Tuesday, that Mitt would have easily won the nomination. Don’t be fooled by the notion that Huckabee had 7 more electoral votes at the end. Huckabee campaigned for almost a month after Mitt dropped out and still didn’t catch Romney in total votes cast.
Also it bears mentioning that the October surprise of the economy tanking would have faired better for Romney then any other candidate so it’s very little doubt that Romney would have matched up better against Obama.
Micheal on December 9, 2008 at 7:38 PM
You missed all the primary threads, then, when us Fred heads were taking it up the arse for weeks on end? That worked out pretty well.
Dude, you owe me a new monitor. And I don’t mean that in a good way.
wccawa on December 9, 2008 at 7:38 PM
What America REALLY wants to know is how does Joe the Plumber feel about “beta male bloggers with a bad attitude”.
My collie says:
CyberCipher on December 9, 2008 at 7:41 PM
chunderroad on December 9, 2008 at 7:38 PM
technopeasant on December 9, 2008 at 7:42 PM
it is when the base is solipsistic, deranged, thuggish and retarded. if you want to make a sandwitch and the only meat vailable is gry, fuzzy spam, it’s a bad thing to make a sandwitch.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 7:42 PM
Romney might have won this year. I doubt it. His chances in 2012 are even more emote, like practically zero.
chunderroad on December 9, 2008 at 7:42 PM
Palin/Joe 2012??..: o )….I’d bite.
christene on December 9, 2008 at 7:44 PM
Sure, the Dems aren’t “solipsistic, deranged, thuggish and retarded.” When I think of broad-minded, tolerant, lawful and intelligent, I think of MoveOn.org. What enlightened person doesn’t believe that abortion is noble and immigration laws are for losers? Idiot.
chunderroad on December 9, 2008 at 7:46 PM
Once bitten shame on you. Twice bitten, shame on me. I predict conservatives will not allow the ‘McCain scenario’ to happen again in 2012. They will coalesce around one candidate-right now it appears to be Sarah. If not Sarah it will someone else but it will be a conservative.
technopeasant on December 9, 2008 at 7:46 PM
Joe the Plumber knows crap when he sees it-(Pun intended). McCain trying to justify the bail-out was ridiculous.
portlandon on December 9, 2008 at 7:47 PM
McShame could have won the presidency by doing his duty as leader of the Republican Party and naming names,(Frank, Dodd) and placing the Fannie and Freddie collapse directly on the Dem party and subsequently leading the fight against the bailout!
No Coorperate tax cuts Dems? How bout some corporate welfare instead American voters?
He shirked his duty preferring to side with his Dem friends against his party as he has done time and time again.
Feel sorry for him?
Hardly! I feel sorry for my kids and grandkids for the future he has handed them by being derelect in his duty to party and country. McShame!
Palin/Plumber 2012
dhunter on December 9, 2008 at 7:52 PM
Gawd Allah!!! Pimpimg for hits. How cheap and … how shall I say it….anybody? ideas?
katy on December 9, 2008 at 6:49 PM
dont worry..
Allah will be taking tomorrow off..
:)
DaveC on December 9, 2008 at 7:53 PM
There are a heck of of a lot of things that can go on between now and 2012. My biggest fantasy is that he sweeps in to Lansing, Michigan in 2010 as our new governor (long shot I know but the NRO thinks it’s possible) Granted that story was from February and we’d have heard buzz if he was thinking about it… but the climate is right with an unpopular Dem. governor and an automobile crisis.
Micheal on December 9, 2008 at 7:54 PM
No I don’t feel a bit sorry for McCain. And I like Joe the Plumber more now than I did then, because he is right.
The GOP gave us a bunch of Democrat-lite candidates. I want a far-right conservative, not an ex-Democrat like Rudy or a public health system proponent like Mitt.
angelat0763 on December 9, 2008 at 7:57 PM
You must make yourself available at all times since apparently you are the arbiter of what a Republican is or isn’t.
Cindy Munford on December 9, 2008 at 8:01 PM
so, let’s take stock of this. conservatives who disagree with you about bordr enforcement are unwelcome in your coalitional space. neo-nazis and white nationalists are.
that’s the whole deal. don’t whine when somebody talks about the bigotry and racism of the border enforcement crowd. you know about it. you accept it.
and to the extent that it’s been transformed into a first principle of conservatism by the relentless braying of “real” conservatives, i can legitimately be concerned about what that says about me, vis a vis my coalitional association with y’all.
i can’t be expected to feel bad about slinging accusations of racism around, because my reputation is at stake. even less so when it’s established as fact and aknowleged with indifference.
i’ve read in vdare. that’s of course how i came to be repulsed by it. i don’t get this second hand.
my point is not that malkin is a nazi or even a racist. i don’t think some excerpts of someone else’s writing
ron paul allowed to be published in his name means that paul is a racist either. but malkin was amongst those who led the charge in branding paul as an unacceptable racist based on those excerpts even while writing columns for a white nationalist rag.
that’s cynical. i can’t respect that.
and then there’s the matter of the actual racism involved.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 8:02 PM
i’d like the conservative movement and the gop to be unlike the left in those respects.
the conservative movement just got it’s ass beat by a candidate the maoist internationalle picked out. so obviously all things are not equal amongst the deranged. onviously their bottom of the barrell is preferable to our bottom of the barrell. tu quoque should offer no conservative any comfort.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 8:09 PM
oh jesus with the whining again.
“KILL ALL RINOS”
“PURGE PURGE PURGE”
“BORDERS LANGUAGE CULTURE”
’scue me, as the only person in this forum who disagrees with you…
“HOW…[sob, sniff]…HOW CAN YOU JUST MARCH IN AND OPPRESS ME WITH YOUR OPINIONS?”
yawn.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 8:16 PM
Excuse me but I said no such thing, you are the one labeling folks. I welcome all and never insult those who disagree with me. Would you could say the same.
Cindy Munford on December 9, 2008 at 8:21 PM
I would — except for the fact that McCain failed to defend Palin when his staff dumped on her. I was at best lukewarm about McCain but respected him. I respect him less now.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on December 9, 2008 at 8:23 PM
Joe pretty much sum’d up my feelings…
I voted for McCain… but sure didn’t like a lot of his stances… and sure didn’t feel excited about it.
but, was told time and time again, on this very site, that not to vote for McCain WAS a vote for Obama…
With the lack of Conservative turnout this election, I guess a lot of other people felt like me… and Joe…
Romeo13 on December 9, 2008 at 8:27 PM
Sarah/Joe 2012!
They already have one of the most important prerequisites, name recognition and they have Conservative bona fides.
Speakup on December 9, 2008 at 8:29 PM
I don’t read Vdare or Stormfront. I think Ron Paul ran a poor campaign and blame him, Lew Rockwell and Jesse Benton for his losing. I think of him as more Libertarian than Republican.
chunderroad on December 9, 2008 at 8:30 PM
i don’t know what to tell you. the problem isnt with me. i’m just reacting to it.
eh on December 9, 2008 at 8:31 PM
They were more motivated than we were. If you prefer their insanity to the social conservatives or evangelicals, then go join them. It’s a free country. I am not a religious bigot, and I support a culture of life.
chunderroad on December 9, 2008 at 8:33 PM
So, are the same folks here that called me names for the last year and a half, for telling them the truth about McCain going to call Joe the same names for telling them the same things, now that it is too late?
Hmm, apparently some of them are.
LegendHasIt on December 9, 2008 at 8:34 PM
FIFY.
Cindy Munford on December 9, 2008 at 8:40 PM
Yeah, we need more Republican candidates to suspend their campaigns and side with the Democrats on bailouts and nationalization of whole industries.
What a bright future for the GOP!
Valiant on December 9, 2008 at 8:41 PM
Mr. Paul suffered from some rather unfortunate folks becoming attached to his candidacy. I never quite understood why the Truthers became enamored with him. I probably just didn’t pay close attention but it seemed odd.
Cindy Munford on December 9, 2008 at 8:44 PM
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