First good left-wing critique of Obama that I have seen for a while.  McCain tried to co-opt "Joe-the-plumber" as a metaphor for blue collar America.  That Joe isn't called Joe, isn't a qualified plumber, is delinquent in his taxes, didn't have plans to take over his bosses business, and would have to pay less under Obama's tax plan if he did is neither here nor there.  

Not even "Joe's" relationship to Keating of the Keating 5 is relevant.  What matters (to McCain) is that he claimed to be a plumber, and thus the opposite of the effete intellectual white collar urban middle class which McCain is trying to paint Obama as representing.  (The non real, not patriotic, anti-America that Palin is painting as the enemy of small town (white) real America).

McCain's claimed identification is of course a fraud, even more fraudulent than Joe turned out to be.  But the point is that McCain and Palin attempted it - and her very inarticulateness is evidence that she is "one of us" the blue collar working class.

Obama needs to demonstrate more cultural affinity with the (manual) middle classes that he extols.  Merely offering them a tax break won't cut it for them.  They may go with him now because the financial melt-down doesn't give them much option, but if the Dems want to match the 30 years of Reaganite domination, they are going to have to build more than a temporary tactical alliance with the blue-collar working class.

Vote McCain for war without gain