Joe the Plumber represents something more than just a regular, hard-working American who doesn't like the redistribution of wealth. He represents the real split between Americans in the modern era: the leeches and the workers.
This is not a difference in how people live their lives, but it is more a difference in the mentality they have. Leeches can have jobs and work hard and raise families, much like workers, but the real difference is that the leeches look to other people to provide them with income and benefits while the workers only accept such things an agreement from their employer, if they are not self-employed.
You see, your job is not actually your job, unless you are self-employed or at the top of the corporate ladder. This is not an opinion, this is a fact. If your employer didn't want you to work there, then it suddenly isn't your job anymore, right? The ownership of a job belongs to the company you work for.
But leeches see it a difference way. Many of them believe that their job is an entitlement and that they will be repayed if they remain loyal to the company. And yet, most of the time, these kind of things fall flat. There is no reason to remain loyal to one company or another, no matter how personal you get with the people you work with.
Right now, I am transitioning into a new job at another company. The commute will probably be a bigger headache, but the job offers me more money and better benefits. The job I have now has run its course. I'd like to stay, but I don't see them giving me a raise to what my market value is worth anytime soon.
I am a worker. Workers, you see, don't look for an easy out or a get rich quick scheme. They work hard and behave like they are self-employed, even if they are not. Joe the Plumber didn't get where he did by believing that his job was owed to him. He merely found a job he loved, I assume, and worked hard to become a self-employed entrepreneur who happens to make six figures. I hope to achieve the same level of success some day as well, but for now, I'll stick to learning what I can about my particular career field. Knowledge is the chief currency in economics. The more you know about a specialized field in demand, the more you can make, provided you are able to properly market your skills and knowledge.
Leeches also fail to understand the above stated fact. They think that because they breath, they get whatever benefits and pay they "deserve." This is the divide that is seen every time there is a Presidential election. The majority of those who voted for Barack Obama were leeches and the majority of those who voted for McCain were most likely workers.
Workers these days need to fight back and fight back hard. A good way to start is to kick a leech in the groin, if he is a man, and slap her, if she is a woman. Then tell them that you're tired of hearing about their shit and that they need to find a way to make it on their own.
People are wholly undependable most of the time. This is why rational self-interest is a virtue.