After one stop where he was absent when John McCain introduced him, Joe the Plumber showed up Thursday afternoon and shared the stage with the Repulbican presidential nominee at his second stop in Sandusky, Ohio. Behind schedule on a Buckeye State bus tour and anxious to make up time, McCain cut the time of his regular stump speech to single-digit minutes but saved time to introduce Joe, whose real name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, to an estimated crowd of 8,000 gathered in the town square. After some prodding by McCain, Wurzelbacher briefly addressed the crowd.

"Alright guys, I didn't prepare anything, the only thing I've been saying is just get out and get informed. I mean, really know what you're talking about when you're talking about it," he said. "Don't take everyone's opinions. I came to my own opinions by research. Get involved in the government, that way we can hold our politicians accountable and take back our government. It's all ours."

McCain introduced Wurzelbacher at the bus tour's first stop in Defiance, Ohio. However, Joe was a no show.Campaign officials in Defiance said Wurzelbacher was scheduled to appear on the bus tour's last stop of the day.