This is going to be a relatively short diary...apologies in advance. But something is striking to me that seems to be getting miss in all the hoo-hah about Joe the Plumber.
Sure, it's amusing that Joe the Plumber is a registered Republican, and everybody is going crazy thinking this guy might be be a plant or worse. But the thing that gets me is the extraordinary lack of coverage on how Obama himself handled the initial question from Joe the Plumber.
Ask yourself: when was the last time you saw a Presidential candidate handle himself with such grace, tact and honesty?
Here's the deal: Joe the Plumber approached Obama and asked a question that essentially said, Hey, I hear you're going to raise my taxes. Why should I vote for you?
It seemed pretty clear to me from the get-go, and probably pretty clear to Obama, that this wasn't an Obama voter. And yet what did Obama do?
He engaged Joe the Plumber. He spoke with him for five minutes, outlining his plans for the economy. And he tried to convince Joe the Plumber that he was right.
Obama didn't compromise his views. He actually told the guy that his vision is one in which "everyone does better when everyone does better" (hat tip to Jim Hightower). He laid out his vision for the country, even if he knew that Joe the Plumber might disagree with him.
Isn't that refreshing? Isn't that LEADERSHIP, for goodness sakes?
After 8 years of a President who only wanted to have pre-selected supporters as his rallies, after 8 years of a President who clearly wanted "yes" men and women around him, after 8 years of a President who refused to hear, acknowledge, or engage those who might disagree with him...
isn't Barack Obama exactly the kind of person we need at this time in history?
We know through this campaign that John McCain isn't that type of person. He has no use for those who disagree with him. He merely talks about his supporters and has been shown to get cranky, and downright mean, towards anyone who dares to challenge his world view.
And yet, through numerous instances, most recently through Joe the Plumber, we know that Barack Obama is the opposite of partisan gridlock. The opposite of bitterness. The opposite of nastiness. He truly wants to be the President for all the people, even if he knows half the country is going to disagree with him.
That's the real story about Joe the Plumber.
The real story is that it shows just what kind of President Barack Obama will actually be.