4 November, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Joe the Plumber has been getting a lot of media attention during this presidential campaign. On this election eve, I have decided to turn to a plumber I know, my dad, John. He’s been a self-employed plumbing contractor for more than 30 years and like his daughter, has a lot of opinions about politics. As you will see, he is right-wing, which means we usually end up arguing a lot. Many of his views make me cringe in horror, though he’d say the same about me. [Have you ever read the blog My Right-Wing Dad? It's priceless.] Anyway, we did this interview this evening, but I was pressed for time so there isn’t much follow-up to his responses. BTW, I got the idea for this post when I read Stanley Fish’s column in the NYT this morning, which he wrote about his dad, called Max the Plumber.
Anglofille: What do you make of Joe the Plumber getting all this attention? Does he represent the plumbers of America?
John the Plumber: I wouldn’t say so. He certainly doesn’t represent the union plumbers (I’m not union). They would never have asked the question he asked Obama. The union leadership’s point of view is that the wealth should be redistributed, like communism. I would say that what I’ve heard him say pretty much I agree with. The fact that everyone knows his personal business is disgusting! The Dem’s didn’t waste any time violating his privacy (their basis for abortion).
Anglofille: Who are you voting for tomorrow?
John the Plumber: I’m voting for Palin. She’s the only one of the four who has any experience running anything. Senators make horrible presidents. Lyndon Johnson and John Kennedy were two horrible administrations. (If Kennedy would not have been killed, his administration would have gone down in flames instead of being a folk hero). Senators aren’t sure why any of the rest of us are even here. They look at the world from a bastardized prism. In fact, I’ve added a new rule to my “Never vote for” list (it was only lawyers before) is never, ever vote for senators for president.
Anglofille: So you’re voting for McCain?
John the Plumber: No, I’m voting for Palin.
Anglofille: She’s not running for president. So you’re voting for McCain.
John the Plumber: I’m not voting for McCain, I’m voting against Obama.
Anglofille: Do you think Palin is qualified to be president?
John the Plumber: As much as Obama is. He has no executive experience at all, period. I have no qualms whatsoever about Palin, she has executive experience (and is the commander of the Alaska National Guard, as much experience as Clinton had). She could hire people to be her advisor, just like any president has done since the beginning of time. Obama has no experience. Biden has no experience. Biden is so effed up he doesn’t know what planet he’s on. Palin is plucky and she reminds me of you mother! You (and others) say we need a woman to straighten things out and the first chance you get you start whining because she doesn’t believe in the big A [abortion]. Funny how the blacks vote for blacks no matter what (and have changed their lot in America dramatically), but women are too full of crap to see the forest for the trees!
[Anglofille inserts editorial comment: sigh.]
Anglofille: Are you nervous about Obama becoming president?
John the Plumber: Only if congress goes Democratic with large majorities. I think he will move the whole country radically left if that happens.
Anglofille: It’s funny you think Obama is left-wing. From my point of view, he is very conservative and centrist. To say he’s left-wing is laughable.
John the Plumber: You’ve been in England (Europe) too long. They’ve slid into quasi socialism and I’m thinking in not too many years some countries over there will collapse (or at least turn very sharply right to clean it up). Here Obama is the most liberal senator and some of his ideas border on socialism. I am fully capable of giving my money away on my own!
Anglofille: And one last question…why does everyone think that plumbers are rich?
John the Plumber: We WORK hard, we VOTE, we don’t usually give up much (like in quit), we LOVE America, our FAMILIES, and last of all, we have daughters in England getting PHD’s!
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SpliceGirl Says:
November 4th, 2008 at 4:39 amOther daughter SpliceGirl inserts her editorial comment: double SIGH.
Wait till Mom reads he compared her to Sarah Palin! Wowee! I’m outta here for that one…it’s gonna get LOUD!!!
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Gregory Says:
November 4th, 2008 at 4:43 am“To say he’s left-wing is laughable.”
Your Dad’s correct, Obama is sort of like a Marxist, you’ve been in England too long, you don’t even know what a Commie looks like, behind all that bad dentistry is fifty years of incestuous socialism,
“you get you start whining because she doesn’t believe in the big A”
There you go, you also get go go boots and store bought ammo, she is plebian on the gun side.
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President Palin! OMG!
What a scary thought!
