What's Up With Joe?

by Pattie Hughes | More from this Blogger

17 Oct 2008 06:21 PM

"Joe", the 2008 equivalent of John Q. Public, has dominated some of the rhetoric in the current presidential campaign. The idea is that "Joe" is the every man, or the common guy. Where did this come from and is it an effective strategy?

The first Joe we heard about was Joe Six Pack. This fictional caricature was made famous by Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Joe Six Pack has been referred to at most of her rallies, becoming fodder for Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live.

The idea with Joe Six Pack is that the candidate, in this case Palin, understands the common man and is just a regular "Joe". In recent weeks, McCain has increasingly tried to present himself as a champion of the common man. He can't really claim to be a Joe Six Pack since he is quite wealthy, but he says he will fight for the middle class.

Obama has run on this idea throughout the primaries and the general election. Born to a single mother and raised in a middle class household with his grandparents, Obama claims his own background as proof of his identification with and understanding of the working guy with a family.

His running mate, Joe Biden, has been referred to as the every man for years. He grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania at a time when the then coal based economy was changing and work in Northeastern Pennsylvania was scarce. In fact, Scranton has suffered for years as a result of this shift and has only recently begun a regentrification process.

In the Senate, he has a reputation for concern for the little guy with both Democrats and Republicans. His straightforward and unapologetic style has gotten him into trouble on more than a few occasions, but some appreciate his off the cuff and unscripted style. Clearly, the voters in Delaware would agree with this statement. So is he the real "Joe Six Pack"?

Now a new "Joe" has entered the race. Joe the Plumber made his debut at the debate the other night. His name was invoked 26 times during the debate as the poster boy for small business owners making over $250,000 per year. The idea McCain has been floating is that he will fight for the poor plumbers making a quarter of a million dollars and Obama will tax them.

As more information comes out about Joe Plumber, he may not be the ace in the hole McCain had hoped for. There are several factors that have come to light about Joe the Plumber. For example, he isn't a plumber, has no immediate plans to buy the business and has a tax lien filed against him in Ohio. In addition, he doesn't make near the

In fact, Joe the Plumber isn't even the independent voter he pretended to be at Obama's event. He is a registered Republican who did vote in the last primary, for John McCain! It seems he is hardly the independent voter he has claimed to be.

So, will Joe Six Pack or Joe the Plumber make any difference in the outcome of the election? So far, it appears the answer is no. Despite the distraction of the Joes, the polls have continued to shift in favor of Obama, particularly the electoral college map. According to CNN polls, Obama now has 277 electoral votes that are considered safe, meaning he is leading by double digits in all those states. Time will tell if this new Joe will help turn the tide. Two weeks to go!

Learn more about Pattie Hughes

Pattie Hughes is a freelance writer and mother of four young children. She and her husband have been married since 1992. Pattie holds a degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University.

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Valorie Delp (49340) 17 Oct 2008 07:16 PM

Ahh. . .gosh and I so liked Joe the plumber?! ;-)