Joe The Plumber Makes "Worst Person In The World" On Countdown (VIDEO)

Joe the Plumber made it back onto the political scene for, as Olbermann describes it, "fomenting violence against elected officials." According to the Wasau Daily Herald newspaper, Joe the Plumber, while speaking in Wisconsin, more than once asked about Senator Chris Dodd, "Why hasn't he been strung up?" Olbermann awarded Joe the gold in his "Worst Persons in the World" segment.

Joe also proved that his off-the-cuff public speaking needs a little more work when he told the crowd that the Founding Fathers "knew socialism doesn't work. They knew communism doesn't work." Alas, these ideologies did not exist yet.

An anonymous donor who funded ads urging atheists to reveal themselves to bolster the cause of atheism was awarded the bronze medal for, well, remaining anonymous. Rush Limbaugh took home the silver for interpreting a 5-4 Supreme Court decision reversing a case nominee Sonia Sotomayor upheld as not only indicting Ms. Sotomayor as a racist, but that the verdict, properly reflected upon, was actually a 9-0 decision instead of one that settled along rough ideological lines.

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Comments

[Daniel Torluemke]

Obama's biggest asset are the representitives of the Republican Party. They are gifts that keep on giving.

[joli78]

Chris Dodd should have resigned a log time ago... He should be treated with the same disdain and anger people have directed at Wall Street-ers­...

[FlamingLibrul]

If you support death threats against public officials, just remember, not all public officials are democrats. Way to justify sheer stupidity. There is a respectful way to say you disagree with someone and their policies, and then there's the hateful rightwing way.

[Dostoevsky]

joli78 said nothing whatsoever that could be reasonably interpreted as support of death threats. You should apologize.

[kareemachan]

Maybe yes, maybe no. But Sam the non-plumber still shouldn't be advocating lynching him.

[cariintexas]

You think? Guess you trolls have conveniently forgotten who headed the banking committee before Sen. Dodd. it was non other than Richard shelby, Mr. NO regulations.

[mrfreeze]

Joe the Plumber-type Americans call into question the principles of honesty, integrity and authenticity. We have become a nation of "American Idol" performers who lust after that 15 minutes of fame. Blessed (cursed) with little talent, a microphone and a camera Joe the Plumbers pretend their way onto the national stage without a sense that their ignorance and incompetence is emblematic of what we've become: a society that's "winging-i­t."

Every time I hear about Mr. Plumber, I am NOT filled with pride and I'm certainly not inspired. He reminds me of the kid in school who never cracked a book, who parroted the politics of his father, who always got his way (because he was on the football team) and who picked on the nerds whenever possible.

To me he is an embarrassing symbol of the mediocre country we've become.

[FlamingLibrul]

We've become a country that celebrates mediocrity partly because of our worship of all things related to celebrity and wealth. We also endured 8 years of a republican administration and GOP- controlled media empire that attacked intellectualism at every turn. "Media Elite, and Liberal Elite" became the buzzwords used to nullify reason and critical thinking.

Without the internet and other savvy technological tools that were beyond the grasp of your average GOP'er, the Obama campaign would have been swiftboated faster than you could say "neocon." Joe the Plumber is a dumbed-down hoax who only affects the lowest common denominator among us- and they can have him.

[mrfreeze]

Would it be so difficult, really, if Americans started to invest in the basic of education to ensure that we all knew the meaning of basic concepts? As you correctly point out, we are living with a legacy of anti-intel­lectualism that started with Ronald Reagan and found a comfortable home in the words and deeds of the last administration. If it feels good in your "gut" then it must be true. Concepts such as socialism, fascism, democracy, torture, civics etc. have been co-opted by the notion that being informed is somehow "elitist."

One can only hope that America will someday awaken from its drunken-stupor brought on by the last 8 years of intellectual debauchery.

[TotalRecall9]

When is a republican­/conservat­ive not the worst person on countdown?!?

[rfshunt]

I'm afraid your recall is something less than total...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/29/obama-makes-keith-olberma_n_130445.html

[TotalRecall9]

Was he the worst? NO. And also that was just being facetious.

[imfedup]

I'm sure those atheists, the bronze winners on this day, are conservative. RIGHT!

[mcvet]

I'd say there's a better than average chance the knuckle draggers who call themselves Conservatives are NOT in that group. Is there a point here?

[Daniel Torluemke]

One night he made Obama the "Worst Person."

[johnr49]

Why do they provide KO with so much material on which to make his decisions?

[0whole1]

Question asked/question answered.

[Vieux Charles]

Ignoring the obvious over-exaggeration, I'd agree that Joe Wurzelbacher is the World's Worst Person. But, not for the reasons given by The Great Sports Announcer. 'Joe the Plumber' became a rallying cry for the right, not because of Wurzelbacher's personal beliefs or philosophy, but because he symbolized the common man and the American desire to speak truth to power - for that the State of Ohio violated his privacy and the public trust. Wurzelbacher made the mistake of not recognizing that the rallying cry of 'Joe the Plumber' was really about every American, the little guy being violated by his own government for voicing his opinion. It was never about him.

[Skepticat]

I think Joe was discovered created and packaged as the GOP "mascot" for the white working stiff demographic much like the costumed mascots who were created for college and pro sports teams. The sports teams however either wisely kept their mascots from offending potential fans. So far I haven't noticed anyone admitting that they really identify with Joe, and sales of Joe memorabilia have been somewhat less than brisk despite constant attempts to keep him in the public eye.

[Vieux Charles]

I'd agree that 'Joe the Plumber' was largely created and packaged by the GOP, but the myth was based upon a real person who had the audacity to ask a presidential candidate a difficult question.

And not one cry of outrage from a single commenter that a citizen (right or wrong) after having publicly asked that question had his private records violated by the state of Ohio and the contents distorted and then wired to the press.

[I once had a Crysknife]

Why is Keith so negative?

[kappa08]

...he reflects the exasperation people of moderate intellect have towards "stupid".

[Francis99]

Simple, clean, precise answer. Good.

[insanityfollows]

and the exasperation of greater than moderate intellect as well.

[DBtv]

He is actually positive in that he supports excellence by calling into question the mediocretins supported by the amerikkkan idiocracy.

[Earl]

If he was positive, he'd have to call the show "Countup."

[DennisMM]

*rimshot*

[ProudlyConservative42]

Keith Who?

[I once had a Crysknife]

I bet his resume he submitted to MSNBC said hire me, because everyone else is a horrible person.

[Francis99]

You sure are pretty.

[Brooklyn79]

Just a question..­.Do the conservs here actually feel that Joe actually speaks for them?

[0whole1]

I'm not sure they listen to what he has to say, really. He is (or, at least, was) more useful as a mute icon. When he opens his mouth he ruins the "everyman" myth and starts to become "that man, there" -- and that particular man, there, ain't too bright.

In that way, he's even more Palin than Palin.

[Haus]

Not this one.

[Brooklyn79]

Conservatives must LOVE to be labeled as stupid and ignorant, if they keep this dude as a spokesman.

[Earl]

It's not the label they love, it's the lifestyle.

[GreatTruthsSeeker]

My goodness, the people are out sharing their perspectives of alternative reality. In the spirit of observing the obvious, some of them appear defensive. In logical argument, which some people are not capaple of, defensiveness erodes and negates one's argument. This defensiveness appears as denial, rationalization, minimization, and projection (blaming others) processes.

It's a great truth that logic and democracy were born in the same part of the world, were tied together at the hip, and that propagated ignorance for personal benefit or gain affects them both.

Hopefully, people will continue to have more opportunities to speak to the truth as they see it and fight propagated ignorance through civilized debate, with a generous splash of humor. It is difficult not to poke sarcasm towards someone that is inflicting pain for personal gain. It is impossible to remain silent and watch that malignancy grow.

[Mangler]

re: Joe the Whatever it is he Does: This is what happens when you take someone with no education, no interest in public affairs or government, just knee-jerk reactions and lazy thinking.

[yankees]

Hey that sounds like a lot of us and our comments.

[insanityfollows]

Bite your tongue!!

[PDXTransplant]

I know he reminds me of Pa|in - I wonder if they are re|ated somehow or just have the same edu-ma-cation.

[FrankensteinBlack]

"Hey, this guy's a great Big phony!"
Why is Holden Caulfield not around to call "Joe" out?
http://www.offeroftheday.com/post/family-guy-phony/
Seth, Its not to late ;^)...

[cheisdead]

In 2004, the University of Michigan's American National Election Studies (ANES) survey asked about 1,200 American adults to give their thermometer scores of various groups. People in this survey who called themselves "conservative" or "very conservative" did have a fairly low opinion of liberals -- they gave them an average thermometer score of 39. The score that liberals give conservatives: 38. Looking only at people who said they are "extremely conservative" or "extremely liberal," the right gave the left a score of 27; the left gives the right an icy 23. So much for the liberal tolerance edge.

In the end, we have to face the fact that political intolerance in America -- ugly and unfortunate on either side of the political aisle -- is to be found more on the left than it is on the right. This may not square with the moral vanity of progressive political stereotypes, but it's true.

[Clavis]

Your comment is a model of ignorance, dishonesty and stupidity.

[maca]

What a load of illogical hooey. Giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming these figures are legit, a person's OPINION of someone else is far from "intolerance". Denying others the same rights you enjoy, as you conservatives are so fond of doing with gays, women, minorities, etc., is intolerance. Inciting violence against those with whom you disagree is intolerance. No one on the left wants to take away the right of conservatives to say whatever you want and do whatever you want within the law. No one on the left wants someone to shoot you or "string you up". All that's reflected by your survey is the fact that we tend to not LIKE you. And on that point alone, I'll plead guilty as charged.

[imfedup]

Hilarious conclusion.

[DBtv]

Qelle idiote!

[insanityfollows]

Your argument is flawed. While the divide is there, to be sure, the reasons are not just those of simple intolerance. The right's low opinion of the left is due to their becoming much more far right, rendering them less flexible in their thinking, acceptance of other viewpoints, less tolerant, and less expanded in their education. The left's low opinion of the right is not that of the far left, but the left as a whole, because the right's having become more extreme frustrates the left's desire to participate in intellectual debate. The left sees the right as having turned in on itself to the exclusion of other viewpoints, and this frustrates the left, so they throw up their hands in futility, because trying to engage the right is like talking to a rock. So long as the right remains so extreme, this huge political and ideological divide is going to remain. I just hope it doesn't produce reciprocal extremism on the left. So far, it hasn't.

[nyranger]

Didn't Plato come up with the concept of communism long long before Marx? Not to defend the plumber, but I'm pretty sure Madison, Jefferson, et al we're pretty well versed in The Republic.

[StanNotFromCA]

If you compare the teachings of the son of Joseph Christ, Jesus, to that of Marx you'd see that he certainly was.

[bimplebean]

Joseph Christ, aka "Joe the Christ." LOL!

[Bushwillresign]

Why do Republicans hate America so much?

[profounddogs]

Much easier to hate than to love.

[I once had a Crysknife]

That's a states rights issue.