Political Commentary

OK, They’re Officially Insane

24 Comments

I’m listening to Fox, on which an Obama spokeshole is claiming that the McCain campaign “didn’t vet Joe the Plumber.”

They must be terrified.

[Late morning update]

Jeff Medcalf visualizes the vetting process in comments:

McCain Rep: Excuse me, sir, but I need to ask you a few questions.

Joe the Plumber:: Why? Are you the police?

MR: No, sir, I’m with the McCain campaign. I need to ask you a few questions, on the off chance that you are playing football in your front yard when Senator Obama decides to make an unscheduled stop to try to talk you into voting for him.

JTP: Oh, that’s not a problem: I won’t be voting for him, anyway, because I’m afraid he would raise my taxes.

MR: That’s not the point, sir. The point is, if he were to stop by and ask for your vote, you might ask him questions.

JTP: So?

MR: He might answer them.

JTP: So?

MR: If he answers a question that he isn’t expecting, and without a TelePrompTer to fall back on, he might accidentally tell the truth. And that could embarrass him. And that means that you need to be vetted just in case.

JTP: <dumbfounded look>

MR: So I have this twenty page form for you to fill out, listing your background, education, financial details, professional affiliations, friends, family, voting history, embarrassing incidents from elementary school. You know, standard stuff.

JTP: <slams door>

24 thoughts on “OK, They’re Officially Insane”

  1. Insane? Or thugs that think any person who dare exercise their 1st Amendment right be vetted by the Government to assure they did their patriotic duty to pay taxes? If Obama wins, they better have their union card too.

  2. What would that conversation have looked like?

    McCain Rep: Excuse me, sir, but I need to ask you a few questions.
    Joe the Plumber: Why? Are you the police?
    MR: No, sir, I’m with the McCain campaign. I need to ask you a few questions, on the off chance that you are playing football in your front yard when Senator Obama decides to make an unscheduled stop to try to talk you into voting for him.
    JTP: Oh, that’s not a problem: I won’t be voting for him, anyway, because I’m afraid he would raise my taxes.
    MR: That’s not the point, sir. The point is, if he were to stop by and ask for your vote, you might ask him questions.
    JTP: So?
    MR: He might answer them.
    JTP: So?
    MR: If he answers a question that he isn’t expecting, and without a TelePrompTer to fall back on, he might accidentally tell the truth. And that could embarrass him. And that means that you need to be vetted just in case.
    JTP: <dumbfounded look>
    MR: So I have this twenty page form for you to fill out, listing your background, education, financial details, professional affiliations, friends, family, voting history, embarrassing incidents from elementary school. You know, standard stuff.
    JTP: <slams door>

  3. I imagine the phase for such vetting would have been before the debate. When McCain decided to use Joe the Plumber as an example, that’s when the 20 sheet form comes out.

    MR: “As you know, John McCain is going to be debating Obama in two hours, so we really need you to fill this form out fast.”

  6. Hey, Rand:

    This is just mind-bogglingly insane. The Obama cult is getting scary. Ask a tough question, see your life destroyed. Sheesh.

    My concern though is whether enough swing voters out there are “getting it” this time around.

  7. What does a story about a couple being talked to by the Secret Service have to do with the public sliming of a voter that asked a question of Obama when Obama came into his neighborhood?

    Why do leftys always try to distract people from the issues?

  8. Uh, MU789, I’m not a lefty, and the point of my comment (which I admittedly forgot to make clear) was that this isn’t really anything new from the left. Lots of Clinton’s critics found themselves across the table from the IRS.

    The only new wrinkle this time is the willingness of private individuals to do the heavy lifting of thuggery, and the way the press acknowledges and excuses it — previously the press just ignored it.

    Now we’re being told this is “the price of fame” — with “fame” defined as asking a question of a politician and receiving an answer that makes the politician look bad.

  9. “Why do leftys always try to distract people from the issues?”

    Because facts are devastating to their cause.

  10. i would point out that i would never criticise or dare to admonish Barack Ob_ma, may His name be praised. i would not even use the upper case “i” as that should be reserved for HIM. i recommend that , to avoid trouble, anyone meeting HIM refrain from direct eye contact – it could be interpreted as unseemly temerity.

  11. To be constructive, if anyone asked BHO a *really tough* question, it would have a very serious impact on the elections, and might cause BHO to lose. That would greatly reduce the power of those who’d seek to “vet” the person who’d asked that really tough question.

    The question JTP asked wasn’t that tough; I’m talking about a “prosecutorial-style” question that calls BHO on his lies or points out a major flaw in one of his policies. BHO has rarely been challenged and who knows how he’s going to react?

    Please contact those listed at my name’s link and urge them to back this plan.

  13. Let’s all send Joe a check. It’s tax free to him, his address is posted by Kos who ironically wanted to hurt Joe. Lets show the people they can get rich by challenging Obama on camera. Let’s go viral people!

  14. Here is the address.

    [deleted by site proprietor–I don’t know if it’s valid, and unlike Kos, I’m not going to publish someone’s home address without their permission–rs]

  15. If folks who ask Obama questions must be vetted, surely that applies to reporters.

    If asking Obama a question means that it’s appropriate/good to go into Joe’s background, surely that applies to reporters.

  16. As the guy who saved the republic, Joe deserves a few bucks from each of us. Can someone research this and set up a paypal tip jar. If I could, I would.

  17. Scary. And true to form, Obama-ites are briefing everyone on the talking points. Here is an article that starts with the assertion “John McCain hung his final presidential debate performance on an Ohio plumber who campaign aides never vetted.”

    What are the odds?

    BBB

  19. “I imagine the phase for such vetting would have been before the debate. When McCain decided to use Joe the Plumber as an example, that’s when the 20 sheet form comes out.”

    Why? What difference does it make if Joe is the second-cousin-in-law to Keating? What does that have to do with Obama’s answer to his question?

    I can only imagine the reaction if Joe was pals with terrorists and racists. Like, you know, the frickin’ Democratic Presidental candidate.

  20. “If asking Obama a question means that it’s appropriate/good to go into Joe’s background, surely that applies to reporters.”

    It would, if the press ever asked Obama a tough question.

  21. I’m just wondering how this Indonesian citizen born in Kenya (or was it two different hospitals in Hawaii, yes it’s a miracle) gets to not show proof that he is eligible for the office of POTUS?

    I have to show proof to cash a check. Isn’t someone in the government responsible for this?

  22. McCain referred to Joe the Plumber 14 times during the debate. He certainly should have vetted him if he was basing his last attempt to take back the election was standing on Joe’s shoulders. It made perfect sense that the media would go after him to find out his story after mcCain pulled him into the eye of the political storm. Do any of us recall this story:

    As you may recall, back in 2007, a young boy from Baltimore named Graeme Frost was tapped to give the Democrats’ weekly radio address. Congress was in the middle of debating whether to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). Frost, who relied upon the program to cover ongoing medical treatments from a severe car accident, used his story to argue for the program’s growth.

    Within days, though, right-wing bloggers started digging into the Frost family story in order to prove he didn’t really need S-CHIP. To make their point, they published “revelations” based on hearsay, hasty public records searches, or mere suspicion. The Frosts had new marble countertops in their kitchen! They had enrolled their kids in one of Baltimore’s toniest private schools! They could have bought insurance if they wanted it!

    Few jumped into this fray with more zest than Malkin, who visited the Frost’s commecial property in Baltimore. When she failed to find the father, Halsey Frost, there, she drove by the family house. She didn’t call or knock on the door, claiming she wanted to respect the family’s privacy.

    Here’s what Malkin had to say when some complained she was not respecting his privacy:

    A word for all the faux outraged leftists accusing conservative bloggers of waging a

  23. In the UK, an elderly member of the Labour Party was pulled out of a party convention by the Police, using anti-terror legislation. His offence – he shouted “Bollocks” at the Home Office Minister (think Attorney General – sort of).

  24. Wake up, Richard. The Frost family chose to get into the fray. Joe the plumber was playing football on his lawn when Obama approached him. Obama’s socialist agenda was revealed by his candid answer to Joe’s question. The media quickly came to the senator’s rescue. The point was never about Joe or what he does or who he is. The point is Senator Obama’s comment about “spreading the wealth.” Since that is way too damaging to actually talk about, libs, with the help of the MSM, do what they do best – change the subject and go for the personal attack. This is who you want to run the country? Better hope YOU never say something he disagrees with.

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