Last night during the final presidential debate  at Hofstra between Barack Obama and John McCain, a new American star was born: Joe the Plumber. One might even call the debate Joe’s coming out party, a party graciously hosted by republican John McCain as Joe Six Pack’s fifteen minutes of fame dwindles and America looks for a new addition to the farcical political cast of characters.

During the debate, Joe the Plumber was mentioned twenty-three times, many more times than that other Joe, you know, Obama’s running mate. Indeed the real winner of last night’s debate was the Ohio plumber, Joe Wurzelbacher, who recently asked Obama at a rally if it would be detrimental for him to purchase his business under the democrat’s tax plan.

McCain appropriated Joe the Plumber throughout the debate, even addressing him through the television (Joe wasn’t actually at the debate), by saying, “Joe, I want to tell you, I'll not only help you buy that business that you worked your whole life for and be able -- and I'll keep your taxes low and I'll provide available and affordable health care for you and your employees.” It was a bit awkward to watch as it felt like intruding on a tete a tete between John and Joe.

Later, in case Senator Obama was about to forget what the debate was really about (Joe the Plumber), the senior senator gave him a reminder:

OBAMA: If I can answer the question. Number one, I want to cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans. Now, it is true that my friend and supporter, Warren Buffett, for example, could afford to pay a little more in taxes in order...

MCCAIN: We're talking about Joe the plumber.

 

OBAMA: ... in order to give -- in order to give additional tax cuts to Joe the plumber before he was at the point where he could make $250,000.

McCain went on to let America know that he’s such a regular guy (just like Joe!) that he watches television, and to prove it, he cited the recent Arizona Cardinals last minute victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Eventually, after mentioning Joe the Plumber a good several times, John McCain referred to Wurzelbacher as his “old buddy Joe the Plumber,” though I’m not sure that the two have even met or that Joe wants to hang out watching the Cardinals beat the Cowboys at one of McCain’s eight homes, while Sarah Six Pack hands her special needs baby off to her pregnant teenage daughter to mind and McCain gives his best attempt at wit by sputtering "Hey Joe, you're rich! Congratulations!"

Really though, how could McCain and Joe the Plumber be friends when McCain has used him like a celebutante to name-drop at the door of a club called the White House in order to gain admission?