Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
From a Worldnutdaily article about Joe the Plumber that declared, "He's Back!" When, exactly, did he ever leave?
Her husband, Greg Holloway, said the protest will also feature doctors who will offer insight about the reality of government health care. He said they also invited Joe the Plumber to speak because he is an excellent example of regular citizens who are demanding answers from their leaders."Prior to [his encounter with Obama], Joe was not known at all," Greg said. "I don't know that he'd had a lot of political science background, but he thought about the country and asked questions. We saw the difference it made. He's a good example of what a grassroots movement should be about."
No wonder I don't like grassroots movements. More dumbassery:
Joe the Plumber said the best advice he can give to citizens who are frustrated with intrusive government is to stop voting along party lines and begin electing leaders who will abide by the nation's founding document."Learn the Constitution," he said. "Then when someone wants to be elected, hold their feet to the fire and make them follow it because that's what we need to get back to. It works so well when we follow it. Forget party politics. Learn the Constitution and vote the best American in, not the best Democrat or Republican."
Being told by this ignoramus to learn the constitution -- I'll happily challenge you to dueling tests about the constitution any day, Joe -- is like being told by Jeffrey Dahmer to eat more veggies.
Asked if he has plans to run for public office, he replied, "I hope not. You know, I talked to God about that and he was like, 'No.'"He continued, "I believe he's gotten me on this grassroots movement. If I can encourage leaders to step up, that's what I would like to do. That's a heavy role. That's something I don't know if I am prepared to do yet."
But Wurzelbacher said he will keep that door open if God ever calls him to be that leader.
"I just know whenever I fall off his path, things get really hard," he said. "So I just stick with what God tells me to do."
Hey, maybe God has a point. After all, so far by following His alleged advice, (not) Joe the (not) Plumber has managed to make a total ass out of himself from coast to coast.
Politics
Comments
I have 3 cats and each one has a higher IQ than he has. I doubt if his makes his age. I don't suppose he would go away if everyone just ignored him, wishful thinking I guess
Posted by: Ex Partiate | July 4, 2009 9:32 AM
I doubt Joe can spell the word constitution.
Posted by: Dogbert | July 4, 2009 10:08 AM
I'm sure the only part of the constitution he (and other wingnuts) are aware of is the second amendment. I bet you they don't even know why it's called the second amendment, since none of them seem to have heard of the first.
Posted by: mxh | July 4, 2009 10:53 AM
"I don't know that he'd had a lot of political science background..."
... and can't make an educated guess?
Posted by: Scott Hanley | July 4, 2009 11:07 AM
There, fixed it for y'all!
Posted by: James Hanley | July 4, 2009 11:29 AM
What does it sound like when God talks to you? Apparently he only talks to people like Joe and G.W. Bush. When I was a Christian, I had a lot of one-way conversations with the imaginary guy in the sky, and always wanted to hear back. (Occam's Razor--there's a simple reason why he didn't respond.) Does it require the use of psychedelics?
Posted by: Eric | July 4, 2009 11:39 AM
Well, god showed Palin the door, so maybe he'll do the same for JtP.
Posted by: NYCMike | July 4, 2009 11:48 AM
NYCMike - In the cases of G.I. Joe* & the Impalinator it's more like:
"God proposes; man deposes." - DJ
_______________________
*G.I. = 'gormless idiot'
Posted by: DingoJack | July 4, 2009 11:56 AM
What a startlingly idiotic thing to hear from a Republican, even if it is "Joe" the "Plumber"! The Republicans have been forcing apologies if not resignations from their members lately over the most inconsequential breaks from strict party-line ideology. The best that can be said about this comment is that it was totally disingenuous.
Posted by: thinkoplex | July 4, 2009 12:49 PM
I'm annoyed. Joe was in Austin yesterday speaking to the local Tea Party (reportedly about 100 people), and I didn't know about it! I would have gone along just for the experience of mixing with such a crowd.
Here are some photos someone else took of the event:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dah-sab/sets/72157620775363669/
Posted by: tacitus | July 4, 2009 1:07 PM
Palin/Wurzelbacher 2012!
Posted by: Ferrous Patella | July 4, 2009 1:54 PM
Is Faux The Plumber paid for these appearances? If so (and probably even if not), then he really is slime. He tells people not to vote Republican (at least not by default) even though the only reason anybody listens to him is because the McCain campaign made him a celebrity.
Granted, I do not like shills, but biting the hand that feeds you is not too classy either.
Posted by: Blue Nine | July 4, 2009 3:27 PM
Morgan Freeman, of course.
Posted by: Smidgy | July 4, 2009 3:32 PM
Blue Nine, I somehow doubt that in his mind 'voting for the constitution' would ever be a vote against a republican - unless it was a primary.
Ferrous, there's some tea party video coverage at
http://www.shortsshortsshorts.com/
Posted by: Uncle Glenny | July 4, 2009 5:25 PM
Palin/Plumber 2012
Posted by: Dr X | July 4, 2009 7:10 PM
Slightly off-topic: There's presently an ad banner next to the comment above which reads: "FREE NEWT! Sign up for a FREE Weekly Email from Newt Gingrich"
...what a ripoff.
Posted by: Azkyroth | July 4, 2009 7:25 PM
What a cluster-frigg of ad hominem attacks. Since what Joe the Plumber is saying is unassailably correct, people here attack the man instead of refuting his very clear points.
I am so disgusted with the mean-spirited left. This guy didn't ask for fame. He was the only person during the entire election to slip trough the cracks and dare to ask a challenging question of his holiness the Dali Obama. So the left just rips to shreds a poor plumber whose legitimate concerns goes unanswered by the President to this day. We meanwhile are getting exactly the redistribution of wealth that the President has promised. And a devaluation of of currency that would make Stalin blush.
The new left sucks. All the compassion in the world for an endangered species that they couldn't even identify with a wikipedia chip up their ass, and none for their fellow human beings who dare to adopt a viewpoint different from their own.
The right has relinquished the mantle of intolerance to the extreme left. You guys SUCK.
Posted by: Chrishoffmanmusic@mac.com | July 4, 2009 10:06 PM
Chrishoffmanmucussucker@mac.com:
The new left sucks? Where did you find them, in a steam bath? Like most reichwing fuckheads you confuse the centerline of the road with the ditch.
Joe The Dumber is one of your heroes? Boy, you are fucked.
Posted by: democommie | July 4, 2009 11:24 PM
#17, that's so sad. Do you want a hankie, a teddy bear or a hug?
So all the photos of W with a halo weren't worship? All the shouts of "traitor" and "kill him" during the campaign directed at Obama weren't mean?
Joe the plumber has been chasing after fame for months now. Someone who isnt after fame stays home, he doesnt go on tv.
Posted by: iRobot | July 5, 2009 9:38 AM
Something can be essentially correct in its particulars and still be dumb because of who said it. I couldn't possibly disagree with the statement that Americans should study the constitution, but it's being said by someone whose previous quotes have included "This country has been great for 180 years" and "The founding fathers knew socialism didn't work". So, you know, study the Constitution by all means, but I think Joe wants us to study the fantasy constitution he has in his head which was written in the 1820s and starts with "COMMIES SUCK".
Posted by: Der Bruno Stroszek | July 5, 2009 2:48 PM
Now, now Brüno - G.I. Joe is just stuck in the late 1950's (too much LDS in the following decade no doubt), and probably thinks that uppity nigger should be sent to the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities, not acting as America's President. - DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | July 5, 2009 3:07 PM
Chrishoffmanetc.: I saw the initial question that he asked Obama, and I saw Obama's very good answer to it. But somehow, McCain seemed to think (or just pretend?) that there was something particularly insightful about the question, and/or inadequate about Obama's answer, neither of which was true. And he kept stupidly harping on "Joe the Plumber" -- and because of that, Wurzelbacher is now famous. It's farcical. In any campaign other than McCain '08, it would've been a low point. As it is, it's just one more disgrace among many.
In other words: No, you suck.
Posted by: Nemo | July 5, 2009 4:52 PM
I could agree with Chrishoffmanmusic@mac.com more. Look at the first response to his post. The left is more full of punks and jerks than the right could ever be. Lefties are always calling the right intolerant, but there is NOBODY more intolerant than a liberal.
Posted by: mroberts | July 5, 2009 6:31 PM
One of the local radio stations had an interview with Joe the Plumber on April 1. Joe was obviously prepared for a political interview, but instead, they asked him questions about plumbing. :-) It was rather amusing.
Posted by: Paper Hand | July 5, 2009 6:38 PM
Posted by: Taz | July 5, 2009 7:12 PM
This guy didn't ask for fame.
In case we needed any further examples of how unanchored the Right's apologists are from reality.
Posted by: Molly, NYC | July 5, 2009 7:51 PM
Taz:
"Why conservatives think they need to rush to his defense is beyond me."
Because they actually think he's a "winner".
mroberts:
Not ALL leftwing people are intolerant and not all intolerant people are leftwingers. I'm a conservatively moderate communist, and you're an idiot, STFU.
Posted by: democommie | July 5, 2009 11:04 PM
"...the left just rips to shreds a poor plumber..."
Like JTP hasn't done any shred-ripping himself among people he disagrees with (his assertion that an Obama presidency would mean "death to Israel," his desire to see Senator Dodd "strung up," etc.).
Posted by: daniel rotter | July 6, 2009 12:46 AM
Chris the Plumber's mate posted (#17):
"He was the only person during the entire election to slip trough the cracks and dare to ask a challenging question of his holiness the Dali Obama. So the left just rips to shreds a poor plumber whose legitimate concerns goes unanswered by the President to this day."
G.I Joe didn't 'slip through the cracks', as you put it, he is a lying Republican shill*, who was placed into the crowd in order to ask 'a embarrassing question' of the Democratic Presidential candidate.
It backfired magnificently. Senator Obama easily answered the question, cogently and clearly. And the blow-back only intensified when it was discovered that Mr Wurzelbacher was neither a plumber (not being licensed as required by law) nor poor (unless you consider planning to buy and illegally operate a business generating over 5 times the median wage, poor).
Further, Mr Wurzelbacher's antics during, and since, the election show all the grubby finger-marks of a desperate Republican Party trying to convince voters that ol' G.I. Joe is one of "us" in tightly scripted appearances in front of carefully chosen 'friendly' audiences.
Sorry Chris, save your nickels, no-one out here in the real world's buying it. - DJ
__________
*(Yes, I am aware that's self-evidently redundant, although I'm not sure that Chris realises this)
Posted by: DingoJack | July 6, 2009 1:38 AM
What does it sound like when God talks to you?
Morgan Freeman, of course.
Hah, they wish.
Trust me the rest of the world sees Joe the plumber as a dull fool. Right or Left, whatever. A 2nd rate celebrity seeker long since past his sell-by-date.
Posted by: Richard Eis | July 6, 2009 4:30 AM
Asked if he has plans to run for public office, he replied, "I hope not. You know, I talked to God about that and he was like, 'No.'"
Well, I'm ordinarily an atheist, but now, I'm beginning to have serious doubts...
Posted by: Christophe Thill | July 6, 2009 5:34 AM
Palin/Plumber 2012
Now there's an idea that's sure to flush the Republicans for a long time to come.
Posted by: ??? | July 6, 2009 8:36 AM
Crackpot/Butt-crack 2012!
Posted by: Michael | July 7, 2009 2:35 PM
This guy didn't ask for fame. He was the only person during the entire election to slip trough the cracks and dare to ask a challenging question of his holiness the Dali Obama.
Are you kidding or just delusional? If it was just one question at a campaign stop and then he went back to the leaky pipes and clogged drains biz, I could believe he's just an ordinary humble guy. But he hasn't shut up since! He's an obvious attention-whore.
Posted by: Eamon Knight | July 8, 2009 1:28 PM