Mr Joe Goes To Washington

John McCain has run a "Joe The Pumber Campaign," some sort of appeal to the people most screwed by the Republican ideology of rewarding wealth. Now, he's promising to take Joe to Washington DC with him. I'm not completely confident about this, but I'm pretty sure that there is somebody on staff to take care of toilet problems at the White House. Otherwise I'm mystified by Joe's role in a McCain/Palin administration. Is this going to be another Bush style appointment, "heck of a job Brownie," sort of thing?

There is something desperate about this kind of thing. It reeks of the stupidity of having no ideas for average Americans. Bear DNA is a campaign theme, "not sure if it is a criminal issue or a paternity issue," as though DNA is simply a CSI tool. "Fruit flies" are an issue, in virtually the same breath as "special needs children" when their use is one of the most important tools in the kit for finding genetic markers. This is the campaign of 'up with anti-science,' an appeal to those who fear it, who fear that which looks anything like it is out of their grasp. Considering a man and dinosaur VP candidate it makes sense, science threatens such nonsense.

When I ran in the Democratic Primary I told one of my construction crew that I'd take him with me if I won. I told him that because he made sure I never had an opportunity to start thinking I was real special, I'd take him along in that role as office gopher (go fer). That was a not for publication offer, I saw it to my own benefit to have someone close by who was more than willing to give his employer shit anytime he started getting a big head. My benefit in regard to a constituency's benegit, not as a political campaign tool. Well, it may have gotten me his vote...

Holding up Joe as a political icon of policy is the magnification of the ignorant into a role they are totally unsuited. I have nothing against Joe, as a plumber. I work in the trades and many of my friends are tradesmen and Republicans. Most of them also seem to be brighter than Joe. Joe is Sarah Palin in a smaller role, a non-entity held up as a policy voice. It isn't a requirement that a candidate be an expert in all the fields affected by their aspirations, the experts are hired help, but it is totally important that a candidate demonstrates sufficient grasp to be able to set a direction on the basis of facts. Is there a real mandate for somebody like Sarah Palin to set the agenda for science? Joe to set the foreign policy or economic policy directions?

That bunch will get a lot of votes and you have to ask yourself why that is s0?