My late father John, who knew a few plumbers from a life on construction sites, was a plasterer by trade. He learned the trade growing up in Ireland, worked in England in the Thirties, and returned to his birthplace just as America entered World War II. After combat service in the Pacific, he returned to the post war building boom along with millions of veterans. He was a union man, and always voted Democratic.
Dad saw creeping de-unionization, and the word "non-union" always carried in our household a connotation of undercutting union wages, cutting corners on quality construction, and a sense of selling out to bosses. The union brought stability, better working conditions, and a network of solidarity. It helped build America's middle class. I grew up thinking that medical care was a given; only now do I realize how fortunate we were to have the services of "The Medical Center," as Philadelphia's union facility was called. How many million Americans dream of such access to generalists, specialists, pharmacy - all under one roof and a "benny" of union affiliation?
In his later years, my father kept a photo of President Bill Clinton on his night table, his last reminder of a life where Democratic was synonymous with pro-worker. As I spent time with him on visits from overseas, I wanted to rant with him on the downward plunge America had taken under Bush, but his fading memory wanted to focus on other things. In a way, maybe it was just as well that he was spared the painful realization that much of what he had worked for was rapidly slipping away. Like the plaster that he had carefully applied in a lifetime of hard work, chipped away by people who gladly took the votes of "Joe the Plumber" and then blithely made policies that served the interests of the 0.02% of Americans who wouldn't be caught in the same zip code as a plumber. Letting America's infrastructure crumble, and making life rich and easy for the investor class - my father was spared knowledge of the route America had taken under the Republicans.
Today Paul Krugman in the New York Times writes about "The Real Plumbers of Ohio," whose lot is a far cry from media and McCain-hyped "Joe," whose real name is Samuel, and who may not even be a plumber (I hope someone is checking a Karl Rove connection here). Where plumbers, like other Americans, have fallen behind in so many ways. Maybe that's why real plumbers - in the person of their union president - have endorsed Barack Obama, and have said that McCain's approach "washes the middle class down the drain."
The Joe the Plumber saga is just the latest manifestation of what in earlier times were Nixon's hard hats, of Reagan Democrats, of brush cuttin' Bush. It works - but only if you don't think. Which is why we have Joe on endless loops, and Sarah cuttin' it up with Tina Fey. Imagine: a week ago Governor Palin was sanctioned for abuse of power in Alaska by a bipartisan commission, but you'd never know that from the coverage of her SNL appearance. Change the subject. We are dealing with world class spinners, and in the few weeks remaining in the race, the one thing that is a sure bet is voters will be distracted from the real issues.
At least Colin Powell's Obama endorsement dominated Sunday's political talk shows. A serious break, in the midst of drivel.