Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher May or May Not Be Registered to Vote

Last night's debate was highlighted by the story of Joe Wurzelbacher, or as John McCain called him "Joe the Plumber." McCain told the story of how Ohio resident Joe Wurzelbacher wanted to buy the business he had been working at for over a decade, but would be taxed higher due to Barack Obama's tax plan.

McCain tried to combine negative campaigning with a personal sob story in order to gain points and tell a sentimental story about an every day American, which is a common tactic. But the McCain apparently didn't take into account that Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher may or may not be registered to vote for McCain, or anyone else.

According to Politico.com, people with access to Ohio's voting files have said that Joe Wurzelbacher is not registered to vote. Bloggers who immediately tried to do research on Wurzelbacher, along with the rest of the national media, quickly jumped on this rumor, especially those in Obama's camp.

However, an article in the Toledo Blade contends that Wurzelbacher is registered to vote and has been for 16 years. Wurzelbacher allegedly voted in the Ohio primary for McCain and is a registered Republican.

Lucas County Board of Elections executive director Linda Home told the Blade that Wurzelbacher's name may have been misspelled in the voting database, which would explain the confusion.

The debate over "Joe the Plumber" and whether he is registered to vote is just one of the many details that bloggers and media pundits are trying to find out about him. Katie Couric was the first media personality to get to Wurzelbacher in an interview.

The pro-Obama supporters and bloggers got another quick talking point from the interview. Wurzelbacher met Obama on the campaign trail and told Couric that Obama performed "a tap dance...almost as good as Sammy Davis. Jr." The tap dance was most likely metaphorical, a la a tap dance around the issues.