I’m Joe the Plumber

I’ve just seen the John McCain advert where people claim that they are ‘Joe the Plumber’ and that they will suffer higher taxes if Barak Obama wins the US election.  I’m not sure if I should be offended, or just keep laughing.  I’m a British ex-pat who won’t be voting as a green card holder, and even I’m wondering how deserate a campaign must be getting if they are falling back on portraying the population of the United States as an unqualified, tax-evading, water and waste repairman.

I’m a skilled worker in the field of Information Technology, and I’m not ‘Joe the Plumber’ because before making an opinion I do a basic amount of research and look at the claims and proposals made by the candidates.  I also then compare their candidate’s promises with past performance.  I consider the global economy as it stands today (probably worse tomorrow) and I look at how I want to be treated next year, as well as in 4 years time, and in a decades times.  I do all this, and then I wonder “who would want to be Joe the Plumber?”

I don’t want 15 minutes of fame, I don’t want to fall into a campaign that makes adverts that look like the pissing contest between Apple and Microsoft, and I really don’t want to be associated with some poor schmuck that got pulled into a world of global politics that he was in no way prepared for.  I want a candidate that has stood in 3 debates and said he will try to maintain or lower the taxes of 95% of Americans, even when the global economy states that anyone would have to raise taxes.  I want a candidate that will allow everyone to recieve medical care without facing crippling bills, regardless of their job.  I want a candidate that doesn’t rely on McCarthyism to try and force voters away from reform just because it might not favour the rich.

As I said earlier, I’m an ex-pat, and I won’t be voting, but I really hope America doesn’t become more isolationist than it is already viewed on the world stage.  I don’t want to live in a region where we joke about being a target and I don’t want to watch a proud nation slip back to a time of “reds under the bed” and “if you’re not with us, you’re against us” policies.

So if anyone from the McCain camp is reading this, you missed your target with that advert.  Have a long think about who you are reaching for and try again, because unless you come up with a new message it will be a quiet and lonely evening for you on November 4th.

—update—update—update—

Looks like I’m not alone, Obama has drawn attention to the misleading, negative campaigning too:

BBC News – Obama criticises ‘ugly’ tactics

The commercial as listed on John McCain’s YouTube page

The “Try This” tax cuts commercial from Barak Obama’s YouTube page:

John McCain ‘endorsed by al-Qaeda supporters’

The Telegraph – John McCain ‘endorsed by al-Queda supporters’

Associated Press – Al-Qaida-linked Web site backs McCain as president

United Press International – Al-Qaida Web site supporting McCainas president

Just when you thought the campaigns couldn’t get more weird, this happens.

The Last Presidential Debate

I’m feeling a bit weary of these debates now.  This evening’s was not as exciting as the Biden vs Palin bout of a few weeks back, possibly because both of these candidates are politicians.  The thing is I was expecting fireworks, I was expecting McCain to “come out fighting” as he’d promised in rallies last week, I was expecting an attempt by the Republican candidate to try and claw back some territory from what appears to be a foregone conclusion as the race reaches its final weeks.

Wait until the microphone is off Tom!

On the FOX News Live Stream from the second presidential debate, before they cut the feed back to the studio you could clearly hear Tom Brokaw chatting jovially about how both candidates ignored the time limits.  At the one point he could be clearly heard saying:

I was looking for a trapdoor I could spring…

We hear yah Tom!

Brokaw was definitely the winner in tonight’s debate.  With Obama in second place, and a laclustre McCain in a low third place.  McCain’s policy announcement for the government to buy out all defaulted mortgages was a brilliant example of the ‘main street rescuing Wall Street’ policy that will cost the tax payer billions while saving the banks from any major losses by letting them offload their bad debt to the government.  Was this a half-baked vocal slip?

Obama defended well against McCain’s occaisional swipes, and appeared the global politician alongside the aging national figure.  You can bet that both sides will claim victory in the morning’s papers but really with his figures slipping in all the polls was McCain’s performance enough?  I think not.

Brokaw made the “trapdoor” comment shortly after this chaotic ending to the debate:

I don’t know Joe Biden…

but if I could vote in the election next month I know I’d back Joe Biden over Sarah Palin.

Both entered tonight’s debate with mountains to climb.  Joe had to overcome the impression that he is long winded and “boring”.  Sarah had to convince a sometiems doubtful American public that she is competant and capable.  Now both of these candidates are confident people, both having winning smiles, and both would grace a debating team, but that is where the similarity ends.

Unfortunately this evening showed that even the intensive training given Sarah Palin by the Republican party in recent days could not prepare her fully for this debate as she skirted questions, and spend entire answers deriding her opponent’s policies rather than addressing the issue in hand.  In contrast Joe Biden’s performance was entertaining to watch, especially while Governor Palin was answering questions.  Watching him struggle not to smile too much, and not to laugh at obvious errors was almost too much of a distraction.  He was professional in his conduct, neither condesending nor too easy on his inexperienced opponent.  He didn’t bring personal or family issues to the debate until Governor Palin had mentioned both her own family, and his own family circumstances.

On the economy and on foreign affairs the difference between the experienced and learned politician, and the small town mayor became even more apparent.  Biden managed to answer every question given him, bringing cross party examples to the table.  Palin’s reliance upon rehearsed topics, and her “small town charm” appeared to play well with the audience that CNN were monitoring in Ohio for the first few questions, but then they spotted the familiar pattern of answers and consistently scored her lower through the latter half of the debate.

In my mind, if you listened but did not watch the two of them, and cast party politics aside, then Joe Biden’s greater experience and more solid answers made him an obvious winner.  If you watched through the lens of the popular media then both were warm, entertaining, and polished orators.  Biden may show a greater ability at public speaking, but both could deliver heartfelt answers to the “everyman on the street”.  Both have struggled with family issues, and experienced hardship before succeeding in their lives.

So now for that clincher question.  Imagine the chips are down, a global crisis has occured and the United States must send one of these two candidates into a critical conference with global leaders.  Now be honest with yourself, which would you want to send in to that conference?  If you look at that question impartially you’ll see that, like her or not, Sarah Palin’s lack of experience and inability to roll with the questions and keep answering them would not serve America well.  Joe Biden’s confidence and personality make him a far more believable world statesman… I just hope America agrees with me.

My final score – Biden wins on points

Palin tried hard and got some good popularlist lines out.  This wasn’t a repeat of last weeks terrible interview by any means but she didn’t convince.  Biden was polished, fair, and delivered real options as well as answers.

For more on the debate, and to see that most other pundits agree with my declaration of a Biden win, go and check out Politico.com!

He was a clear winner.  Palin was…..silly – James J. Zogby, Arab American Institute

They both did what they had to do. She avoided a train wreck. He talked, looked, and is ready to be, vice president. And he will be soon. – Lanny Davis, Attorney and Democratic Strategist

She played the outside game rather than the inside game that Senator Biden played. – Ron Bonjean, Republican strategist