Paul the FOMC Chair vs. Joe the Plumber
We don’t have permission to reproduce the entire column, but this recent Dan Gross column is definitely worth reading:
The third fatal date? Oct. 15, when the third debate took place. Throughout the fall, Obama had rounded up financial icons such as former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker and Warren Buffett to serve as surrogates. They could reassure Wall Street and Main Street that Obama could steer the nation through treacherous financial waters. Rather than enlist a respected businessperson such as Mitt Romney or former eBay CEO Meg Whitman as his chief economic surrogate, McCain turned to an unlicensed plumber from Ohio. McCain mentioned “Joe the Plumber” seven times in the Oct. 15 debate. In the ensuing weeks, McCain routinely trotted out Samuel J. Wurzelbacher’s economic folk wisdom as gospel.
Warren the Investor and Paul the Central Banker vs. Joe the Plumber was never going to be much of a fair fight. Given the macroeconomic backdrop of recent years and the microeconomic disasters of recent weeks, neither was the presidential campaign, which is why Obama has won the White House.
Good stuff . . .
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Source:
The day John McCain lost the election.
Daniel Gross
Slate/Newsweek, Nov. 4, 2008, at 10:05 PM ET
http://www.slate.com/id/2203763/
November 6th, 2008 at 11:16 am
While what is stated is true for sophisticated people, I don’t think it worked for the majority.
McCain did what the Republicans have been successfully doing for nearly 30 years. That audiobook I recently mentioned posits, and I think correctly, something to the effect crowds can only grasp simple slogans; they have no grasp of the subtlety that real truth requires. Joe the Plumber was a good slogan.
The Demos have vainly tried to explain subtleties and failed, e.g. Gore’s pedantry, or Kerry’s statement that he voted for a bill after he voted against it. The masses yawned at Gore and went for the meaningless (and boy was it meaningless) “Compassionate Conservative.” The Republicans came up with “flip-flopper” for Kerry and it stuck, regardless of whether Kerry had valid reasons for what he did, e.g. changes in the bill.
But, this time Obama or his handlers outsloganned the Republicans with “Yes We Can” and “Change You Can Believe In” which any dolt can repeat. If he had actually tried to explain how Volker’s measures, while painful, had cured the economy’s ills and set the stage for growth, you could have watched the eyes of the adoring crowds roll back in their heads.
November 6th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
yeah Mike,
straight from Mussolini’s playbook, all the makings of post-modern Fascism.. Should be fun for the whole Family: little Jr. can join ClimateKids Corps, the missus can pull a stretch in the Civilian Anti-Terror Squad, while ‘Pop’ can boot up for some more foreign wars of misadventure..Good Times.
November 7th, 2008 at 9:00 am
agree with ya Mikes
“Trickle Down has Trickled Out” c2008 Greg0658
Joe the Plumbers savings accounts have Trickled Out … just doesn’t cut it