Via one of my favorite bloggers, Reihan at The American Scene: Patrick Ruffini offers a pretty interesting denunciation of what he calls the “Joe-the-Plumberization” of the Grand Old Party, addressing the Right’s “lack of confidence” in a clearer way that I’ve seen anywhere else thus far. Politically, I disagree with a number of assertions in his article, but in terms of what the GOP needs to work on (i.e. not Joe), he strikes me as pretty insightful. What do you people think? Regardless of your opinion on conservative politics, do you think our friend Joe is a valid spokesman for the Right, or, as Ruffini argues, is he simply a symptom of a larger problem?

ETA: Conor Friedersdorf argues on the same blog something that had bothered me about Ruffini’s analysis: the assumption that areas dominated by liberal influence are necessarily populated by people looking to put politics first is erroneous. If that makes sense. Basically, what HE’s trying to say is that conservatism, to make inroads, doesn’t need to wear its politics on its sleeve as a manifestation of its confidence. I still think that Ruffini’s argument that the Right has essentially lost confidence (and shouldn’t rely on Joe the Plumber) is a strong one, but Friedersdorf makes a good point in saying that there are different ways in which confidence can be shown (and that making overtly “conservative” media isn’t the best place to start).

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