While you may have stressed over How To Pick A Domain Name, sometimes it takes a completely random act of fate to make a name into a huge thing.

In the third 2008 presidential debate, there were numerous references to “Joe the Plumber”, which was in reference to a plumber named Joe Wurzelbacher who had asked Senator Barack Obama a question about taxes last Sunday.  (video here)  Mr. Wurzelbacher became a centerpiece of the debate, and his fame has quickly shot up.  As people flocked to the Internet to look up Joe the Plumber, they actually ended up at JoeThePlumber.com, owned by a plumber named Joe Francis of Amarillo, TX.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Mr. Francis’ website received thousands of hits by the next day, over 100,000 emails, orders for tshirts, and an offer of $800,000 for his domain name.

Yes, $800,000… that wasn’t a typo.

While there have been some crazy prices paid for domain names, this one is one of the silliest in my opinion.  Joe the Plumber is hot as a catch phrase right now, but once the election is over no one will even remember it was ever said.  How anyone could expect to make a return on their investment in the amount of time left is beyond me, but oh well.

Always pick an easy to remember domain name when setting up your website… and then hoe a presidential candidate says it over and over.