Joe the OH GOD JUST GO AWAY

On my way to class the morning I walked by a taxi stopped in front of a hotel. The cab itself was fairly unremarkable; I’ve seen dozens like it in the last week alone. The advertisement on top of the cab, however, bothered me a little. It was for some guy or business calling himself Joe the Jeweler. I just rolled my eyes at this, annoyed by it but not especially infuriated, and forgot about it until I got to class.

In class, a little bit bored with contracts, I went to CNN.com, and the first story on their political ticker brought back a flood of fury. Joe “The Plumber” “Appalled” by McCain. Who fucking cares? Seriously, why is anyone still paying any attention to this guy? I won’t lie, I thought his conversation with Obama was interesting; a politician was giving honest answers to a voter, even when that wasn’t necessarily what the voter wanted to hear. It was almost refreshingly honest.

Of course, with 24 hour news, and McCain’s desperately flailing campaign, this had to be beaten into the ground, and it was, spectacularly. After the election it seemed like Joe, or Sam, or whatever, was going to go back to plumbing and not paying taxes in Ohio. But I guess there’s a media whore in everyone, because he just won’t go away.

Why does anyone care what this guy thinks about McCain’s support of the bailout? Do people actually change their opinions because of what this dumbass says? Why is Glenn Beck still talking to him? As frightening as it is to consider, would more people actually listen to Beck’s show to hear what Joe the Plumber things? And why is CNN.com writing about this? Why can’t he just go away?