Joe the Plumber bests snake in the grass Diane Sawyer

I'm linking this interview b/c Diane Sawyer's demeanor is that of a snake. Her actual questions are completely fair, and are, in fact, good interview questions. However, notice her demeanor!

Diane Sawyer has prepared for this interview very carefully, and with malice. She is going to destroy Joe the Plumber via revealing him to be either a fraud, a Republican operative, or an ignorant Middle American simpleton. She will get him. Of that she has no doubt.

In support of her intention, I fully suspect she has enticed a meat and potatoes American onto her show on the pretense that America wants to know about his human interest story, and that she - Diane Sawyer - would sooo appreciate his help and cooperation for the sake of her show; and that she will be, in his interview, the warm and gushing Diane Sawyer who was once an American sweetheart and remains a sexy woman. She has used her femininity and his ingrained chivalry as part of her enticement strategy.

During the interview, Diane's exterior is all warm and smiley and gushy and "I used to be an American sweetheart"-y. Behind that facade, she bares her snake fangs and strikes, strikes, and strikes again. Joe is not the first non-media savvy middle American whom Diane Sawyer has snake-ambushed(snake-bushed?). The old sweetie pie girl has played this game many times.

I'm offended that such treachery represents the way many (most?) professional journalists have conducted their entire careers. This is not honorable.

Joe foils her plan. How?

First, in an age of digital camera and video, regular Americans are less nervous in front of cameras. Joe is natural and poised in front of the camera. He knows who he is. He has seen himself on videotape before. Being on Good Morning America is not something which flummoxes him.

Second, in an age of 24 hour cable news, Joe is more media savvy than the regular Americans Diane Sawyer was ambushing 10 years ago and 30 years ago. I'm offended at Diane Sawyer's snakiness, yet Joe the Plumber is no victim. I suspect he suspected Diane Sawyer might try something like she did. He is not caught unaware.

Third, Joe is not a Repub operative (or, if he is an operative, he is not yet caught).

Fourth, Joe has reasoned his way to conservative economic belief, and is able to express the intellectual connections which got him there. Since Joe has well-founded reason on his side, and Diane Sawyer has one inch deep liberal cant on her side, Joe carries the day. Bravo.

Diane Sawyer can take her snake fangs and go straight to snake hell.


Update: Joe is a registered Republican. I don't see that this is significant. If Joe is found to be a Repub campaign worker, that could be spun (even though it would not invalidate the principles Barack elucidated in "spread the wealth").

Update II: Oppo internet research going crazy! Joe Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, must be destroyed! This is actually a good sign for McCain. This reaction indicates a left side fear of Joe the Plumber. Blogs are saying Joe Wurzelbacher is a relative of Robert Wurzelbacher, and Robert Wurzelbacher is Charles Keating’s son-in-law. Viola! Republican plot! Ergo, the facts of what Obama said and believes do not matter! I'm bad at predicting voter reaction. Maybe this spin will work in Barack's favor, or not. I don't know.

Update III: Joe tells Katie Couric how he came to ask Barack the question; makes an innocent observation which will inevitably result in Joe's being slandered as a racist:

Obama came to my neighborhood and my son and I were outside tossing the football, and all of a sudden he showed up, and there went our football tossing for a while. And, you know, neighbors were outside asking him questions, and I didn't think they were asking him tough enough questions, so I thought, you know, I'll go over there. You know, I've always wanted to ask one of these guys a question and really corner them and get them to answer a question of--for once instead of tap dancing around it. And unfortunately I asked the question but I still got a tap dance. Do you - almost as good as Sammy Davis Jr.

The long knives are out for Joe. He is too effective a spokesman for regular Americans who believe in smaller government. Before the left is done, they will slander Joe as a separatist who should be living in a cabin in Montana surrounded by guns, dogs, canned food, and apocalyptic literature. The property's septic system will work perfectly.