Joe The Plumber Interviewed By Tufts Student Paper

A freshman at Tufts University talked to Joe The Plumber about the election and his future political prospects.

On his role in the election:

Q: How did you feel when you became such an important factor in the final presidential debate and the campaign as a whole?

A: Initially, I thought it was completely absurd. I was glad that I could be used as a focal point to possibly bandy around some ideas, and maybe people would open their eyes to Obama's socialist ideology. However, there were so many important issues to be discussed other than the "Joe the Plumber, Joe the Plumber." [The debate] was absolutely ridiculous. After a while, I actually got tired of it. Not so much the "Joe the Plumber" I am tired of, but there are other issues that need to be discussed.

On John McCain And Sarah Palin:

Q: You had the opportunity to campaign with Sen. John McCain in different areas of Ohio. What is your opinion with regards to Mr. McCain?

A: This is a tough question. [The McCain campaign] is trying to throw Sarah Palin under the bus. They are trying to allude to the fact that she is the reason that John McCain might have lost this election. That does not sit well with me. John McCain has not come out and said that Sarah Palin is an honorable woman and has not protected her. In terms of my opinion, he has my respect for being a war hero, and I told him that personally, but you got to get along to go along or go along to get along. Washington has been ingrained with that mentality.

Q: As a Republican, do you feel that Gov. Sarah Palin was the right vice-presidential selection?

A: Honestly, I think she shines too much. I think vice president no, president definitely. She has moral values. She has a record of change that ... John McCain had supposedly ... Sarah was actually too big of a personality, too big of a person to be vice president.

On his own political future:

Q: There has been a tremendous amount of speculation about your political future. Web sites such as joewurzelbacher2010.com and others envision you challenging Rep. Marcy Kaptur [D-Ohio] for her seat in the House. Is there any truth to these rumors?

A: No. Marcy Kaptur is so entrenched in this area, I do not believe [anyone] could actually win against her. People around here for whatever reason love her to death. No one actually has ever come close in how many years to take her seat. Also, if I were to run for Congress, it [would be] a very big sacrifice. I would not take it lightly or as a sense of entitlement as some congressmen do. I would actually represent the people. I would be out there day to day, talking to people and finding out what is going on. I would really work hard.

The problem with that is I would not go along to get along in Congress. I would be loud, but I would be one voice among 435 people. I can do far more with this watchdog group that I am creating ... the watchdog group is going to be essentially for the American people, Democrats or Republicans; I do not care. The Web site will remind the people in Washington that they are there to serve us ...

Read the whole thing.

Comments

[Kalitipo]

Wink Wink '''Congratulations Joe,you are rich.Congr­atulations­'''

[dsmithr]

Wow. I can't say too much more than my jaw hit the floor when I saw this guy thinks Sarah Palin is possibly more prepared to be president than John McCain. Wow. That's who votes for some of these politicians. Holy smoke. Americans scare me with their lack of wisdom and ability to discriminate between capable and you just like someone. I'm an American and we scare me. No wonder human kind is still killing each other to solve our problems. Wow....

[littlequeenie]

One of the things that excited me so much about the election results (besides the fact that now our constitution is going to mean a lot more than toilet paper!) was NO MORE JOE THE PLUMBER!!!

PLEASE MAKE HIM GO AWAY!!! Bad enough I heard that Palin mentioned his name I don't know how many times in a speech at that GOP conference - but come on MAKE HIM GO AWAY!!

[Snwbnny9]

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

[Demi-Crat]

why was he even interviewed?? Who cares what a wacko has to say!!

[littlequeenie]

Really!!! I am SO DISAPPOINTED in Tufts! What does a Massachusettts university student - whom I assume is educated and reasonably intelligent - want to do with a no-nothing-nobody like His-name-i­sn't-Joe-a­nd he-isn't-a­-plumber-t­he-Plumber­! IT'S OVER!! GO AWAY JOE!

[crz112112]

I dont think he watches much TV.
John McCain defended Sarah Palin on Jay Leno and other shows.

[cjk002]

If there's anything we learned about this guy during his already elapsed 15 minutes of fame, it's that facts don't matter much in the formation of his opinions. This is yet another example.

[crz112112]

He is on informercials now, selling products he doesnt even know what the heck they are...

[meede]

Shows you this peon's mentality -- nil. Like Palin, he doesn't pay attention to what goes on around him Therefore he too has no capability of speaking truthfully. As for throwing Palin under the bus -- she must have hit you as you were under it first.

Just so ya know -- let me enlighten you if you can read -- McCain did support Palin after the campaign. In his first interview after the election on Leno. I know most people check facts and research but I have to remember who we're talking about. Duhhhhh

[SOLERSO68]

Im too f***ing sick of the bald man army. You dont look tough, you dont look wise, you dont look like anything except all those other bald men and you all look like mental patients.

[MontereyJack]

u, woman, are prob. bald down below, right, eh?

[whsmith]

Doesn't this guy have a plumbing business to get back to??

[MarieLA]

I'm afraid not. Even if he actually went out and got a license, would you trust that guy to fix your toilet?

[hardlyhikin]

Instead of putting in a toilet he ought to be put in a toilet.

[libbygirl]

Get a job Joe. Your 15 minutes is on life-support. Maybe Palin has a job for you in Alaska.

[Bronx56]

After his payday fades Joe will go away.....J­ust wish it would be sooner than later.....­..

[BillyShears]

So good ol Joe the du m a$$ wants to launch a watchdog group...Yi­kes isn't this really pushing the farthest limits of stupid? This is likely to embolden a small army of boltheads who think they've actually got something meaningful to contribute­.... Joe the Neocon meet Joe the Dumber....

[QuantumofSilence]

An idiot with a sound bite or two is still an idiot. He t alks about Obama's socialist policies as if he knows what it is. Sarah Palin's Alaska is the ONLY state in the Union which has socialist policies of wealth redistrubution written into its constitution. Alaskans get about $2,500(this yr) per person from oil wealth from taxing Oil Companies. And it is written in their constitution. a Man with a GED is not an expert on anything. This joker is a publicity hound.

[StevenBolstad]

Don't get me wrong (I know he is wrong) but I actually like this guy.
He is a bit under informed, that is all. Needs to see the world in some new shoes (or mix in another metapor).
The working man that the Democrats lost to the Reagan era- the Reagan Democrats.
They are now Tradesman. Still working class, but independent business people too.
Two social types in one body. Same work, more worries, more paperwork, more money.
We have to keep these guys on our side too.
We need to inform them of the greater social benefits of a Democratic vision.
Not ridicule them. In many ways this guy was set up, but we need to win him over with some LOGIC.
The principle of the greater good, etc.

[MrMike513]

This man is not a working man, or a tradesman, or a victim of a set-up. He is/was a Republican plant, who was hired to ask Obama questions based on false pretenses designed to make Obama's economic plan look bad for aspiring business owners, so that McCain could exploit Obama's answers in the last debate. Joe is not a plumber (not licensed), has no plans on buying any business that nets over $250,000 a year, doesn't pay his taxes anyway, doesn't even pay his medical bills. This man is more a catfish than a plumber...­a scum sucking Republican bottom feeder.

[Pastilles]

I always believed he was a plant by the McCain campaign. If you hear or read his words, his mind is opened to nothing but his own beliefs. He was and is a phony. I am happy not to see him in the media anymore...

[StevenBolstad]

I don't think he was a GOP plant, but they definitely drafted him. Sucked him right in and fed him pure baloney for a diet.
I did not here him say the word "socialist" in the beginning until after it had become a talking point hot word.
He WAS just a regular guy, I believe, who got sucked into this and captured by the right.
With the proper information and education he could be more enlightened like Courtney250 above. But he was captured.
Now he is an Icon for what he is "supposed to be" regardless of the facts.
Now he is the representative Tradesman. And many real Tradesman will identify with him. That is why blatant ridicule can work against the cause.
So he still needs to be educated to the Full Reality.
He awaits to be Enlightened and instead he has been captured by the Big Spin.
Someone rescue him -

[Courtney250]

'Joe' (Sam, his real name) is none of the things you listed. I agree that the Dems need to get the working guys, but 'Joe' is nothing more than a prop of the McCain-Palin folks. He is not a business owner, tradesmen or even a licensed plumber.

If 'Joe' would listen to intelligence or logic, he could be won over but his head is too far up his own hindquarters to hear anything but his own ego. There is nothing worse than a semi-celebrity who believes his own press.

As a tradesperson and business owner myself, I know that Barack Obama's proposed policies will benefit my family and business. If 'Joe' had a molecule of sense or intelligence, he would know that too.

[newsweek1945]

Really great reasons for granting him political sway and elective office, I say. The kind of guy you'd really like to have a beer with, ya know? W re-incarnated. Damn. ain't we all so lucky?! The torch has been passed. In all sincerity, these people must be educated: definition, history, world political dynamics, science...­you know really educated so they can speak instead of vomitting mindless pablum force-fed down their throats and into their child-like, and blank, minds.

[zoozey]

That is what happened in the first five minutes of his fame. Obama took the time to explain to him, like he was an adult, about his tax plan. Obama was about as gracious as I have ever seen anyone be on the campaign trail. After talking to Joe for about 5 minutes, Obama shook his hand and acknowledged that he knew Joe would probably support McCain, but thanked HIM for letting him (Obama) explain his stance.

What more could he ask for???? For Obama he was an adult. For the McCain camp, he was a stereo.typ­e and a cardboard character.

The guy got 5 minutes of unfettered, uninterrupted mano et mano with the future Pres. of the U.S.! For criminy's sake, what more could he ask for regarding be won over with logic?

[hardlyhikin]

And after that he, Johnny Mac and Sad Sarah twisted around what Obama said to make it into some kind of a socialist stretch. The pity is the guy would be FAR better off under Obama's tax plan and would have a better chance of getting his business in the first place. Good luck with having the Republicans creating an environment where he could prosper.

[Gotcha54]

I thought we were through with this guy?

I didn't even read the article and went right to the comments!

[Marshabio02]

Me 2

[INALdem]

A four year old with half a brain could beat this F**kin nitwit.