Joe the Plumber wins GOP post

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Joe the Plumber, who became a conservative star in the 2008 presidential campaign by confronting then-candidate Barack Obama, has been elected to a GOP party post in Ohio.

Samuel Wurzelbacher, to use his real name, was elevated by Republicans as the symbol of middle-class America confronting the policies of the Democrats, especially on taxes. The name Joe the Plumber became a rallying cry at Republican rallies as the McCain-Palin ticket sought to ignite its base.

Wurzelbacher was elected as a GOP committeeman, one of 400 who oversee the GOP in northwestern Ohio’s Lucas County. He won his spot by a 38-23 vote Tuesday in his suburban Toledo precinct.

On Oct. 12, 2008, three days before the final presidential debate, Obama toured Wurzelbacher’s neighborhood. Wurzelbacher, who had been playing football with his son in his frontyard at the time, questioned Obama about the Democrat’s tax plan and whether it would destroy the American dream.

He earned his name Joe the Plumber from his job and his desire to open a small business, a dream that could have been jeopardized by a tax increase.

Obama explained that taxes would be going up but, in his description, said, ‘It’s not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they’ve got a chance at success too.’

It was that comment that threw fuel on the fire for Republicans who argued that Democrats and particularly Obama wanted to redistribute wealth in the United States. The charge that Obama was a ‘socialist’ resurfaced among conservatives during the healthcare insurance overhaul debate.

Since his campaign appearance, Wurzelbacher has written a book and spoken to conservative gatherings.

-- Michael Muskal

Twitter.com/LATimesmuskal Photo: Samuel Joseph ‘Joe the Plumber’ Wurzelbacher walks through the crowd at a tea party event March 27, 2010, in Searchlight, Nev. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images