Joe the Plummer's time has come and gone...

If he's serious about politics he needs to run in the next two year election against whoever he can...run as an independant...but his clock is ticking...

Palin was a bad pick...he should have gone with Rudy G...Romney was shallow...Rudy would have been the real pitbull!

Palin was probably the real deal but she wasn't Presidential and it cost McCain some votes. He should have picked Condi. Rudy would have been good but he is also old. Mitt is very photogenic but Prop 8/Mormonism might have backfired on him. Condi was the way to go.

The whole "Joe the Plumber" was kind of a turn off.

Nothing like 15 minutes of fame for a unlicensed Plummer to enable him to write a book and make a little money. Does this mean he will hire people to help him type it out?

Palin and Plumber for 2012? God help us all.....

Joe the Plumber was a plant from the start. He is related to one of the Keating 5 and he is from Phoenix. The whole Joe the Plumber thing showed how poorly run and desperate McCain's campaign was from the start. The GOP knew no one could beat Obama so they threw McCain in so he could have his shot and then go away.

You conspiracy nuts just crack me up, but to humor you tell me this:

Just how did the Republicans get Obama to show up in the plumber's driveway?

I think that "Joe the Plumber" will wind up being a Trivia Question that comes up from time to time in various guises.

It's no conspiracy, just one of those quirks of fate where someone is in the right place at the right time, no more, no less.

I agree with several posters, that an "unconventional" and SMART choice for VP would have been Condelezza Rice. WAY more qualified than the bimbo Guv from Alaska! At least Rice seems to have passed Geography class.

I think that "Joe the Plumber" will wind up being a Trivia Question that comes up from time to time in various guises.

It's no conspiracy, just one of those quirks of fate where someone is in the right place at the right time, no more, no less.

I agree with several posters, that an "unconventional" and SMART choice for VP would have been Condelezza Rice. WAY more qualified than the bimbo Guv from Alaska! At least Rice seems to have passed Geography class.

We need no further proof that political smear attacks do work. Repeat a story enough times and it becomes the truth. Case in point the reference by Tom Johnson to Palin's supposed lack of geography knowledge. You do know that the whole Palin Africa-continent thing was a hoax (follow the link)? Hmmm... apparently not. I'm guessing that you also believe that Richard Gere shoved a gerbil up his ass.

Are you saying Fox News lied?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWZHTJsR4Bc

Bubba,

The real hoax was who took credit for the story. Fox News said it was an anonymous campaign staff member and the comedians then pretended they were the anonymous source.

Fox News is sticking by their original report. Not that the story is true, but they are claiming their McCain campaign source really did tell them about it.

So, who is wrong? McCain's campaign, Sarah Palin, or Fox news?

I would guess the staff member embellished the story.

http://www.prwatch.org/node/7961

I'm saying that it was a hoax that was picked up my many different news outlets. It is a good example of urban myths that get perpetuated by a mass media that is notorious for rushing to publish stories before sources are fully vetted. But I guess the story was too good not to be true.

Bubba,

Maybe I wasn't clear but the hoax is who was behind the story. Fox news said it was an anonymous source and then someone said they were the anonymous source.

Fox News said that they are sticking to their story and it really was from the McCain campaign. Are you saying Fox News unfairly maligned Sarah Palin?

Again, Fox News says that real McCain staff members said they story is real.

I think McCain staff members embellished the story.

Why are all you liberals so obsessed with Fox News? You guys need to stop being brainwashed by your own propaganda. Contrary to common belief by the far left crowd, conservatives don't sit around all day long watching Fox News and listening to Rush Limbaugh. My gosh, you libs really need a reality check.

Why not answer the question?

Because I don't work for Fox News, so I don't see why I have to answer for their reporting. Whenever the New York Times gets a story wrong I don't see bloggers demanding an explanation from Brian.

Bubba,

Fox News is standing by their reporting and have said it really was McCain campaign officials that told them about Sarah Palin's lack of knowledge about the wider world.

I don't see any reason for you to say Fox News is suspect in their reporting.

I find it odd that the same liberals who continually claim that Fox News is always wrong are now trying so hard to convince me that they are right. Go figure.

A Republican came up with "Joe Six-pack" then a marginally smarter Republican said "Let's make it Joe the Plumber to be politically correct". They ran with that as their slogan and ended up doing a face plant. Classic Republican stupidity at it's finest.

Fux News made alot of money over the years telling these Republican (deleted) they are right. Now the truth is so glaring even Fux News can't fake it anymore.

Bubba,

I have never said that Fox News is always wrong. But you made a factual error when you said the Palin Africa thing was a hoax.

The only hoax was the people that falsely took credit for being the source.

You shouldn't blame Fox News for your candidate's failings or the infighting of the McCain campaign.

What is your obsession with Fox News? My goodness.

Like I said from the beginning, this story was just too good not to be true, and liberals have been going crazy with the allegation because it is something they desperately want to believe. Even the notoriously liberal NY Times has debunked the story. Which is why it is amazing to watch liberals like yourself actually try to prop up a discredited story from the hated FOX NEWS because it supports your propaganda.

Brian, as far as I can tell your entire line of reasoning is that Fox News stands behind the story, therefore it must be true. But, honestly, this wouldn't be the first time that a news organization continued to stand behind a story long after it was obvious to the entire world that the story was false. Last I checked Dan Rather is still sticking by his "fake but true" memogate story. The LA Times never retracted their largely discredited hit piece on Arnold Schwarzenegger on the eve of his election as governor. The NY Times never retracted their story alleging an affair by John McCain, a story that was widely ridiculed by just about every other media outlet. It is absurd for you to argue that a story is true by virtue of an organization refusing to retract the story. That doesn't even pass the laugh test.

Palin thought she was not being recorded and she did have some issues with her geography. Let it go BK.

Bubba,

I don't know if you read my comments but Fox News said their source was a McCain staff person. Someone else claimed to be a McCain staff person and pretended they were the anonymous source. They were not the anonymous source. That is the only "debunking" that happened.

From the start I said it was likely a McCain staff person embellishing the story. I didn't say the real staff person was completely honest. But instead of any criticism of Palin or McCain's staff you want to blame the media.

The comedians you linked to do nothing to disprove the story.

Once again Brian, you need to stop obsessing over Fox News. There were numerous news outlets that reported on this story and most have already dismissed it as a hoax. Besides, any informed person takes political news stories during an election cycle with a grain of salt anyway. Though I find it simply incredible that a liberal like yourself keeps citing Fox News as the source of your information on a political story. That is simply hilarious!

However, I will respond to your argument about the McCain staff person source. It doesn't really matter whether the information came from a hoax or a campaign staffer who "embellished" the story. In either case the story lacks credibility because it cannot be verified as being the truth. Any source who lies or embellishes a story is not credible, therefore the story is not credible. Either way it is a bogus story, so who cares what Fox New has to say about it?

My point has always been that you said it was a proven hoax, but it isn't a proven hoax.

You want to blame Fox News and say they made it up. That's expected from a Palin supporter. Just another person blaming the media. I think it was infighting inside the campaign that caused the story to be leaked to Fox News. I doubt they made up a source and fabricated the story to make Palin look dumb. I would expect that of liberal partisans but not Fox News.

Brian, the burden of proof for any news story is on the news organization reporting it. In this case, by your own admission, the Fox News source is not credible because there is are strong indications that their supposed source may have "embellished" their story. Therefore it is not a trustworthy source. Meanwhile, other news organizations have reported that it most likely a deliberate hoax. Whether the story came from an intentional hoax, or from a source who "embellished" a story, in either case the story has no credibility and has to be assumed to be false. Even if the actual source was a bitter campaign staffer who was trying to smear Palin, the story would still be a hoax.

hoax
1. An act intended to deceive or trick.
2. Something that has been established or accepted by fraudulent means.

Also, I didn't say that Fox new made up the story. I said that they failed in their duty to establish that their source was credible. I also pointed out that there is a long history of news organizations stubbornly backing a story even after it started falling apart.

What I do find amazing is how you keep pushing forward a discredited story from a news network that liberals like yourself despise. Apparently it is OK to advance a knowingly false story so long as it fits your liberal agenda.

Bubba,

Let me be as clear as I can for you.

I am blaming the McCain staffer for telling the story to Fox News.

You seem to be defending the campaign and blaming the media.

The people that claimed falsely to be the source were not the source for Fox's story. A McCain staff member was that source.

I find it odd that you are blaming Fox News with no blame being given to either Sarah Palin or to the McCain campaign.

In your world, Fox News was out to get the McCain campaign.

I never said Fox News was out to get McCain. READ MY LIPS: The Fox News story is not credible because their source is not credible. There isn't much more that you need to know. It doesn't matter if the story came from a campaign staffer who told a tall tale, or if it came from somebody constructing an elaborate hoax (as reported by other news organizations). Either way the story is false. Get it? The story is simply not true. It doesn't matter if it was reported by Fox News, the NY Times, or the Ventura County Star. Just because a liberal like yourself wishes for the story to be true does not make it so. And just because Fox News broadcasts a bogus story doesn't mean I should automatically believe it.

Was it a bitter McCain staffer who originated the story, or was it a deliberate hoax? Who knows? Who cares? It simply doesn't matter because either way THE STORY IS NOT CREDIBLE.

Do I blame the media? The fault I find with the media is that they often rush to broadcast a story before verifying the facts and establishing the credibility of their sources. I don't believe that bad news stories are intentional, but it is usually the byproduct of bad journalism.

The real issue here is why you continue to insist on citing Fox News for the purposes of advancing a knowingly false story.

Bubba,

When did I say the story was true?

I said I believe it really came from the McCain campaign and it was the result of their bickering.

Brian, all I have said from the beginning is that the story isn't true. If the story isn't true it is, by definition, a hoax, regardless of the source. Simple as that.

Jeez guys - here's the Fox recording.

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sarah-palin-did-not-know-africa-is-a-continent

And from ABC News:

Palin Aide: Campaign Drove Wardrobe Controversy

However, Stapleton told ABC News the Fox News report on Africa and NAFTA was taken out of context. She explained that during a briefing session, someone asked Palin to explain the McCain-Palin stance on an issue, and as she was responding, "in the middle, she said 'country of Africa' and somebody instantly wrote it down and said, 'Oh, my God, she thinks it's a country.'"

But "she knows it's a continent," Stapleton said. "It was just a human mistake, just like Obama saying 57 states. I don't think anyone ever doubted that Obama knows there are 50 states."

As I said ealier, let it go.