'Joe the Plumber' may run for Congress. Could he win?
鈥�Joe the Plumber鈥� wants to be 鈥淛oe the Congressman,鈥� apparently. Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, who became an accidental stand-in for the middle class in the 2008 presidential campaign after an encounter with candidate Barack Obama, has filed papers to (possibly) run for a House seat in northern Ohio.
Of course, he doesn鈥檛 actually live in the congressional district in question, at least not now. And a political race might reawaken some old controversies, such as whether Mr. Wurzelbacher was ever technically a plumber at all. But, hey, if you don鈥檛 throw your monkey wrench into the ring, you鈥檒l never know glory, right? Or something like that.
Wurzelbacher rose out of ordinary-guy obscurity three years ago tomorrow, on October 12, 2008. Obama was touring Wurzelbacher鈥檚 working class neighborhood in Holland, Ohio, chatting up neighbors, when Wurzelbacher confronted the candidate about the impact of his proposed tax policies on small businessmen.
鈥淚鈥檓 getting ready to buy a company that鈥檚 making $250,000, $280,000 a year. Your new tax plan鈥檚 going to tax me more isn鈥檛 it?鈥� said Wurzelbacher, who described himself as a plumber.
Overnight 鈥淛oe the Plumber鈥� became a conservative hero. He made appearances on everything from the 鈥�CBS Evening News鈥� to Fox News and eventually campaigned with GOP candidate John McCain in Ohio.
However, the lamestream media quickly discovered that 鈥淛oe the Plumber鈥� was really 鈥淛oe the Unlicensed Plumber.鈥� Wurzelbacher explained that he鈥檇 thought it was OK to work under the license of his boss. Nor was Wurzelbacher really about to buy a plumbing business, as he鈥檇 implied to Obama. He鈥檇 discussed it once, years ago, when interviewing for his job.
Joe wrote a quickie book published in 2008, 鈥淛oe the Plumber: Fighting for the American Dream鈥�, in which he criticized candidate McCain, among other things. Following the election he faded into semi-obscurity, among other things working as an occasional motivational speaker and appearing at tea party events.
Now he鈥檚 filed to run as a Republican in northern Ohio鈥檚 ninth congressional district. That doesn鈥檛 mean he鈥檚 running for sure. He鈥檒l decide that by later this month, according to his consultant Roman Schroeder.
Conservative activists have been recruiting Wurzelbacher for the effort. Redistricting has thrown two Democratic incumbents, Dennis Kucinich and Marcia Kaptur, against each other for this seat. Perhaps Wurzelbacher could sneak out a win if disillusioned supporters of whichever Democrat does not make the general election just stay home on election day.
But would Wurzelbacher have to move first? The Toledo Blade reports today that he actually lives in Ohio鈥檚 5th District, which has a Republican incumbent.
Wurzelbacher himself says that .
鈥淚 live in Ohio and that is what it comes down to. Legally, as long as you live in the state one year and are a registered voter, you can run anywhere you want,鈥� Wurzelbacher told the Blade.
Wurzelbacher has already set up a which solicits donations for his campaign.
, Wurzelbacher touts GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain鈥檚 鈥�9-9-9鈥� tax plan, criticizes Obama鈥檚 health care law, and says Hank Williams Jr. should not have had his song yanked as the 鈥�Monday Night Football鈥� theme after Williams compared Obama to Hitler, among other things.
鈥淗ow 鈥榖out we start getting rid of the things that don鈥檛 work (I don鈥檛 mean congress). Dept. of Educ., Energy, Interior, etc. ... The states need to step up and shoulder those responsibilities or dare I say it, the 'Private Market'," writes Joe the Possible Candidate.
