Originally posted @ 9:31 pm, Sun 19th Oct 2008
Sky News produced a set of “trump cards” on politicians for the recent party conference season, which they themselves regarded as a success, even though I never saw anyone playing with them.
Nevertheless, I wondered how the scores might read for the latest two key individuals to develop in the American Presidential Elections – Colin Powell and Joe the Plumber.
1. Ability to get his first name right; all set to be a decisive defeat for Powell – after all, he can’t even pronounce his first name correctly; however, it was soon reported that "Joe” is actually called Samuel; but it transpires it's "Samuel Joe"; so a draw;
2. Successful having come from a modest background; Powell did serve through the ranks to achieve the level of General; Joe does not have a plumbing licence; 1-0 to the General;
3. Honesty about political affiliations; Powell is widely known to have been a registered Republican, who happens to be advocating a vote for the Democrat this time (perhaps a flicker of doubt there); “Joe” had told people he was independent, and then it was reported that he wasn't registered to vote; it's also been reported that he is a registered Republican, having according to one TV programme (I think “The Daily Show”) been previously registered with the “Natural Law Party” (love that yogic flying); so what might have been a simple point for the General is now muddied in the confusion of media reporting; nevertheless, 2-0 to the General;
4. Pay the higher taxes the better off are expected to pay under an Obama administration; now I’m guessing, but I presume Powell is doing well enough to be able to pay the extra that is to be asked of him; Joe of course made his name by querying the change that would punish people like himself, except “He does not earn enough money to be affected by Obama's tax policies. He does not have the scratch to be setting himself up in business.” (This having been the key reason why he couldn't back Obama). So – 3-0 to the General.
Now I’m vaguely aware these may not be the criteria used on trump cards; and that trump cards are actually scored in terms of units of currency or some other measure of standing. (And I’m happy to let readers develop such a scheme.)
But the impact of “Joe the Plumber” did seem at one stage to be the basis of a springboard for a John McCain recovery.
An ordinary Joe who was to symbolise the reasons to vote Republican. As such, an ordinary voter does not deserve to be scrutinised to such detail, or "exposed". Trouble was, he was changed from an ordinary Joe into a political concept and then described as a lot of things including “as phony as a 3 dollar bill”.
Compared with the authority demonstrated by Colin Powell in his statement for choosing Obama today, the General is set to trump the concept.
... platoons of journalists [have] uncovered a new spin to McCain's presumed icon of working-class heroism.
It turned out that the man whom McCain put at the center of his tax debate was delinquent on his taxes. He wasn't quite an independent swing voter, either, having voted Republican in this year's primary. Even his plumber status was questioned. He was not licensed, although the company for which he plumbed was licensed. Still, according to reports, the local plumbers union was mad at him.
Most important to the presidential debate, a host of experts said Joe's taxes probably would not be increased under the Obama tax plan. In fact, if Obama's health care proposal and tax breaks went into effect, Joe's new business might fare better than they would under McCain's tax plans.
All of which led to new questions as to whether anyone in McCain's campaign bothered to check Joe's background before McCain used him as a debate foil ... And once Joe unleashed his own ultra-libertarian views to reporters, he, too, may have damaged McCain. For example, he casually bashed such popular long-established programs as Social Security ... "Social Security is a joke," Wurzelbacher told CNN. "I have parents; I don't need another set of parents called the government. You know, let me take my money and invest it how I please." ...
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