Well, Republicans have been able to stave off Obama’s stimulus package so far. But navigating what’s next is going to take some real finesse. Outnumbered on Capitol Hill and facing defections by GOP governors, they need a real pro to help them with a game plan.
What to do?
New strategy
Maybe Republicans are following the strategy put forth by the authors of the best-selling book, “Made to Stick.”
The premise of the book is that you have to get creative to have a successful message. The more creative it is, the more “sticky” it is. And people remember “sticky.”
The authors say that people are much more apt to remember an urban legend (like the one about awakening in a bathtub full of ice only to discover one of your kidneys was stolen by organ thieves) than something more important like, as they cite, a new nonprofit financial strategy.
Household name
That’s why, perhaps, congressional aides in the U.S. House didn’t ask credentialed economists to attend a strategy meeting today. Or even well-known guys who talk about money like a Jim Cramer or Lou Dobbs.
They’re bringing out the big guns. Someone much more well-known. Someone the Republican nominee for president pinned his election on during the final month.
Yep. The former kind of plumber, kind of author, kind of war correspondent is now kind of an economist. Joe the Plumber.
Standing room only?
Politico got a hold of an email announcing the addition of Wurzelbacher (his real last name) to the agenda today. And the congressional aide sounded really excited!
“In case you weren’t planning to attend CWG tomorrow morning, you might want to reconsider because Joe the Plumber will be joining us!” Kimberly Wallner, an aide to South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, wrote in a message to her e-mail list yesterday.
A lot of chatter
No word on how successful the meeting was. But plenty of people in the blogosphere are commenting on it. And there seems to be some real bipartisanship going on. Both those on the left and right applaud the move.
From the right, AC W, says, “Before laughing him off as unqualified, I would argue that he could present the point of view of the average working guy. It’s a perspective many in Washington often forget.”
And from the left, Jay McDonough writes, “Seriously, I think Joe will be a great asset to the GOP. He’s a common sense guy, unencumbered by facts and data and ready and willing to speak his mind regardless of his level of expertise.”
What to do?
New strategy
Maybe Republicans are following the strategy put forth by the authors of the best-selling book, “Made to Stick.”
The premise of the book is that you have to get creative to have a successful message. The more creative it is, the more “sticky” it is. And people remember “sticky.”
The authors say that people are much more apt to remember an urban legend (like the one about awakening in a bathtub full of ice only to discover one of your kidneys was stolen by organ thieves) than something more important like, as they cite, a new nonprofit financial strategy.
Household name
That’s why, perhaps, congressional aides in the U.S. House didn’t ask credentialed economists to attend a strategy meeting today. Or even well-known guys who talk about money like a Jim Cramer or Lou Dobbs.
They’re bringing out the big guns. Someone much more well-known. Someone the Republican nominee for president pinned his election on during the final month.
Yep. The former kind of plumber, kind of author, kind of war correspondent is now kind of an economist. Joe the Plumber.
Standing room only?
Politico got a hold of an email announcing the addition of Wurzelbacher (his real last name) to the agenda today. And the congressional aide sounded really excited!
“In case you weren’t planning to attend CWG tomorrow morning, you might want to reconsider because Joe the Plumber will be joining us!” Kimberly Wallner, an aide to South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, wrote in a message to her e-mail list yesterday.
A lot of chatter
No word on how successful the meeting was. But plenty of people in the blogosphere are commenting on it. And there seems to be some real bipartisanship going on. Both those on the left and right applaud the move.
From the right, AC W, says, “Before laughing him off as unqualified, I would argue that he could present the point of view of the average working guy. It’s a perspective many in Washington often forget.”
And from the left, Jay McDonough writes, “Seriously, I think Joe will be a great asset to the GOP. He’s a common sense guy, unencumbered by facts and data and ready and willing to speak his mind regardless of his level of expertise.”
6 comments:
In the midst of a recession, I don't think our government should rely on the words of plumber with no expertise advice on the subject. I can understand that he provides the view point of the common man in the situation, but honestly, how far will that actually get us? It's not like Joe the Plumber actually has a substantial view point on our economic crisis, he just wants to be in the limelight.
At first this idea to bring "Joe the Plumber" into a congressional meeting sounds pretty silly to say the least. When you think about it though, it might not have been a bad idea. Maybe this is what Washington has been needing; the point of view of a real, hard-working American. The people in congress have a very biased view on true middle class workers. Maybe this will turn out to help. If not, there's no loss. Why not give it a try?
I have no idea how qualified "Joe the Plumber" is to give any kind of economic advice, but I do know one thing...if I ever met him, I think I would punch him in the face. I am so tired of hearing his name I can't even begin to explain it. This may be completely irrational, a huge overreaction, etc., but it is just a gut feeling I get about JTP. Nevertheless, if Joe is the bridge between Obama and the republicans, I suppose it is a good thing, as hard as it is for me to say.
I think Joe will help bring a sense of what is right for the common people of the U.S. to the GOP. But I kind of feel sorry for the guy. I'm sure he feels completely out of his league. I mean what does a plumber know about economics other than paying his bills and that people are choosing do-it-yourself repairs rather than him? Kudos to him for taking charge and speaking his mind, but one has to wonder, how long until he's had enough of the spotlight and decides to go home?
Oh, Joe the Plumber my hero. Oh my goodness every time i hear about him it makes me laugh. So anyway about Obama's new stimulous package. I really don't know what to think about it, it is a lot of money that we really don't need to be gambling with. They don't really know what will happen; if they just watch they are afraid of another depression, so they are trying to do a quick fix. Sometimes it's better to let things resolve themselves mabe if we as a country calm down and look out for our best interests it would all just fix itself. But i really don't know what to think about the economic "crisis" to me it's like global warming. Is it really happening or do we just need to worry about something we have little control over.
Haha well with that last name I'd take the nickname "joe the plumber" too. I think it's kind of sad that we need this guy to arouse excitement and agreement in our elected officials. I mean, I might be willing to speak my mind on these subjects with no expertise too, but that doesn't mean people should listen to me. We need a better bridge between the president and the republicans than this random guy with no real qualifications.
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