Joe Wilson's "You Lie!" Will Haunt Him

It's great when someone messes up and you can criticize and malign their character for one moment of weakness, and most of all, feel with all due satisfaction how much more superior you are to them because you would never ever do anything that stupid.

Yes, it's a wonderful feeling.

I'm certainly enjoying that feeling right now as I think and read all the news articles and analyses about Joe Wilson and his heckle, "You lie!" heard all around the country.  There's even a website that sprung up to ridicule Wilson's annoying ways called joewilsonisyourpreexistingcondition.com.  The site has such tidbits as "Joe Wilson didn't refill your Brita pitcher" and "Joe Wilson said that you looked fat in that dress."  It's quite amusing.

So Joe Wilson has gone and made himself a scapegoat, perhaps even hurting himself in the process (it's said his Democratic opponent, Rob Miller, has received $400,000 for his 2010 campaign against him since his outburst), and all because of two little words uttered at an inappropriate moment.  My bad, I mean, "screamed" at an inappropriate moment.  Kind of reminds me of another Joe who got into an exchange with Obama and made headlines.  Joe the Plumber.  Not like I want to remember that guy, but I did want to point out the similarities.  Like this guy is also named Joe.  This guy also accosted Obama.  This guy also thinks he knows it all.  What is it with guys named Joe who like to confront Obama?  Is it because they are jealous that their name is so plain compared to his?  Although, to be fair, Joe the Plumber's real name is Samuel.

Whatever happened to him anyway?  No one cares anymore.  Once his fifteen minutes of fame were up, people brushed him aside.  I strongly suspect that the same thing will happen with this Joe, Joe Wilson.  He's becomes a caricature, or an actor's worst nightmare, typecasted.  People who oppose him will always see him as an inconsiderate jerk.  People who support him will probably treat him like a punchline at parties, "Say that line again, Joe.  Come on!  Say, "You lie!" again."  Think Gary Coleman and his line in different strokes, "What you talkin' about, Willis?"  Or the ever brilliant Simpsons, wherein Bart in one episode became a one-line hit for saying, "I didn't do it."  It ring so true to this moment.  Joe Wilson has become the one-hit, "You lie!" man.  And sadly, that's all people will ever see him for.  Some people might support him and think he's cool, but they'll abandon him as soon as the next new rabble-rouser comes along to divert their attention.  But for Joe Wilson, he's lost credibility, respectability.  He might even lose his house seat come next year.

That's what happens when you let your emotions overwhelm you.

As for Obama.  He got out of this looking like a sleek shiny new penny, as he always does.  He stays cool under fire, as he did in this situation, responding calmly, "That's not true," and going on with his speech.  That man, I must say, is a great leader, a great role model.  I mean, if my president has to go head to head with some of the most intimidating and powerful leaders in the world, and he does, I'd rather have a president that can look coolly in the eyes of the other man/woman and say, "That's not true," than a man who angrily points at him/her and yells, "You lie!" on national television.  But that's just me.  I'm sure people who like to point and yell side with Joe Wilson on this debate.

If only they realized their anger shows weakness, not strength.

Anyone can give in to anger.  It takes a strong person to hold himself back and control the situation.  As Obama did.  In this encounter, Obama won not just because he acted coolly, but because he came off the better man, and it raised the curiosity of more people to watch a speech they might not have in the first place.