Tuesday, October 11, 2011

“Joe” Tries for Another Fifteen Minutes

Fish, meet barrel

Just after America learned Sarah Palin won’t make a run for the White House, her old hunting buddy Joe the Plumber is closer to becoming Joe the Candidate for Congress.

Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher, who became an overnight sensation during the 2008 presidential campaign, said in a telephone interview Monday that he would decide by Oct. 25 if he will run for Ohio’s 9th U.S. House district.

Mr. Wurzelbacher, however, has filed a “statement of candidacy” with the Federal Elections Commission to run as a Republican for that congressional seat. The filing, made last week, means a campaign committee can raise and spend funds on his behalf.

Mr. Wurzelbacher does not even live in the 9th District; if he were to run in his own, the 5th, he’d be up against the lumpen Bob Latta, also known as Mr. Excitement. (Not really; he’s as boring as whaleshit.) Even so, he’d still lose.

I suspect that “Joe” chose to run (or was conned into it by his handlers) in the 9th because the Ohio legislature redistricted it into a sliver of land running along Lake Erie from Toledo to the suburbs of Cleveland; literally trying to marginalize Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D) and the Democrats. But this could be the best consolation prize the nutsery could come up with for her; it’s been a while since Ms. Kaptur, who is the longest-serving woman in the House, has had a chance to have fun beating a completely hapless opponent.