In October 2008, Barack Obama was campaigning for president in suburban Toledo, OH when he met a man named Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher. You may have heard about it. Here’s what happened.
What you just saw was a private citizen of the United States expressing his opinion to a man who aspired to the White House. Remember this, because we’ll get back to it in a minute.
Here’s how the NY Times reacted, a week after Barry met Joe:
As it turns out, Joe the Plumber, as he became nationally known when Senator John McCain made him a theme at Wednesday’s final presidential debate, may work in the plumbing business, but he is not a licensed plumber…
His full name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher. And he owes back taxes, too, public records show…
Mr. Wurzelbacher has provided only vague information on his and the company’s finances since talking to Mr. Obama…
According to public records, Mr. Wurzelbacher has been subject to two liens, each over $1,100.
Why, Joe the Plumber wasn’t even a licensed plumber. He owed thousands of dollars in taxes. He refused to disclose details about his finances. And his real name wasn’t even Joe! Clearly, this man was a public menace. Thank goodness the NYT and all their pals were able to save Obama from this nefarious “plumber.”
Fast-forward eight years. On Friday night, VP-elect Mike Pence attended a showing of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton. He was confronted from the stage by the cast. Here’s what happened.
Once again, we see a private citizen of the United States expressing his opinion to a man who aspires to the White House. This time, the dissenter’s name is Brandon Victor Dixon. (I don’t know if he goes by Brandon or Victor, but it doesn’t matter because he’s not some loser in Ohio.)
And here’s how the NY Times reacted:
A surprising confrontation erupted on Saturday between President-elect Donald J. Trump and the cast and creators of the Broadway hit “Hamilton,” setting off furious debate over American principles like free speech, respect and the ability to challenge authority in the Trump era.
President-elect Trump demanded an apology from the cast for making a rare, politically charged appeal from the stage on Friday night to Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who was in the audience, urging him and Mr. Trump to “uphold our American values” and “work on behalf of all of us.”
Challenging authority is suddenly in fashion again. Weird, right?
Here’s what’s making the NYT so very, very concerned about free speech under President-elect Trump:
The Theater must always be a safe and special place.The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2016
The cast and producers of Hamilton, which I hear is highly overrated, should immediately apologize to Mike Pence for their terrible behavior
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2016
Oh my goodness. Donald Trump is cracking down on dissent. By digging up Dixon’s tax information and releasing it to the public? No, by sending out some stupid tweets!
Whether you’re a blue-collar schlub from Ohio or the next President of the United States, the worst thing you can do is express your opinion about being lectured by liberals. They’d really prefer it if you’d shut up.
Notice that in both of the above clips, the lib did all the talking and the midwestern dude didn’t get a word in edgewise. Funny how that tends to be the case, ain’t it?
In 2008, the Democrats pursued a plumber from Ohio like a fugitive because he threatened to keep them out of power. And now, after eight years of refusing to listen to anybody who disagrees with them, the Dems have suffered a stunning electoral loss. Now, dissent is patriotic again. Speaking truth to power is cool again.
Decades of relentlessly scolding and maligning Flyover Country has led the Democratic Party to ruin. So of course, their response is to scold and malign Flyover Country some more.
This is why you lost. But at least you’ve got your new everyman hero: Brandon the Actor!
NOTE: If you agreed with anything you just read, you’re a racist. And probably a sexist and a homophobe too, just for good measure. Your opinion doesn’t matter, until the next time you’re in a voting booth.