Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher (/ˈwɜrzəlbɑːkər/; born December 3, 1973), better known by the nickname "Joe the Plumber", is an American conservative activist and commentator. He gained national attention during the 2008 U.S. presidential election when, during a videotaped campaign stop in Ohio by then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama, Wurzelbacher asked Obama about his small business tax policy, and Obama gave a response that included the statement, "when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody." Obama's response was seized on by conservative commentators, as well as by Obama's rival, Republican candidate John McCain, as an indication that Obama was interested in the redistribution of wealth, and had a socialist view of the economy. He is a member of the Republican Party.
As an employee of a plumbing contractor, Wurzelbacher was given the moniker "Joe the Plumber". The McCain–Palin campaign brought him to appear at several campaign events in Ohio, and McCain referred often to "Joe the Plumber" in subsequent campaign speeches and in the final presidential debate, as a metaphor for middle-class Americans.
Wurzelbacher became a conservative activist, commentator, author and motivational speaker. In 2012, he ran on the Republican ticket to represent Ohio's 9th congressional district in the House of Representatives, losing to Democratic nominee Marcy Kaptur.
Read more about Joe The Plumber: Early Life, Education, and Business Career, Post-2008 Career and Activism, See Also
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