Is Sarah Palin really a Joe Six-Pack? Am I?

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There has been a lot of buzz about Sarah Palin’s references to Joe Six-Pack and how she is one, and how government has to be on the side of Joe Six-Packs.

Palin, of course, is the Republican vice presidential candidate who is like a gift to the brilliant Emmy-winning Tina Fey.

By the way, Palin isn’t bothering to identify with Soccer Moms, probably because she figures she has that vote locked up. My problem is when I think Joe Six-Pack, I think Homer Simpson (sorry, Homer).

Despite that, I started to wonder if I’m a Joe Six-Pack too, like Sarah. I watch a lot of sports. I might have a beer while watching, though never canned beer because the taste just isn’t the same. I bring out the chips and salsa. I sometimes end up multi-tasking during the game, particularly if it’s a blowout. I don’t sit in a recliner while watching. I went to college. Hmmmmm. Guess I don’t fit the cliche.

AP investigative reporter Sharon Theimer riffed on the subject and asked the appropriate probing question: If there truly is a Joe Six-Pack out there somewhere: Is he single?

But is Sarah really a Joe Six-Pack? Well, let’s examine that cliche a little more. If she answers ‘yes’ to at least 7 of these questions below, then maybe she is the cliche after all. Bottom line, though: I want politicians to stop using sports cliches to get votes. It degrades sports fans.

Are you a Joe Six-Pack?

1. Do you set everything aside on a Saturday or Sunday to watch the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA on your hi-def TV?

2. Do you drink at least six cans of beer while watching the game?

3. Is the beer you drink a low-calorie beer?

4. Do you have beard stubble because you just didn’t want to shave as part of your Game Day ritual?

5. Are you more than 30 pounds overweight?

6. Does your significant other bake things or buy things for you to eat on Game Day but doesn’t really love football, just you?

7. Did you skip college because, well, why do you need college?

8. Are you male?

9. Do you know the complete starting lineups of the teams you are watching, and their stats?

10. Are you trying to get the Joe Six-Pack vote because you know down deep the guys who might fall into this category could never vote for you because you’re a woman?

-- Debbie Goffa