Joe the what?

Most Americans agree when asked do you mind paying a little more in taxes to fund some social safety nets that catch people who have fallen on hard times. Some of these social programs are Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, and Welfare.

The generous spirit of America is boundless. What American in their right mind wouldn't want to help children, the elderly, or those of us down on their luck? However there are a few who neither have the compassion or generous spirit and would like to see these programs ended. But how do you ask someone to de-fund a program that has popular support and moral authority? You change the framing of the question!

Since the term was introduced into the lexicon by Ronald Regan "Welfare Queen" has had a largely pejorative connotation. Regan painted a picture of women taking illegal handouts from the government while they "made babies" and drove around in Cadillacs. The idea that people would sit at home and cheat hard working Americans understandably infuriated people. As his example he used a "woman" from the South side of Chicago, which is largely black portion of the city. This further deepened people's resentment since there was a widely held generalization that blacks are "lazy and shiftless" Regan never produced the name of this woman and it has been widely regarded that she was a fictional character. Not unlike "Joe the Plumber"

As most of you know by now Joe is not a licensed plumber, is not buying his bosse's business, is not named Joe. However none of this has stopped him from debating tax policy or endorsing candidates. Joe is a cartoon, and resembles the working class as much as Gayle Quinnell represents "all" McCain supporters.

However the truth about Joe is....his real name is Sam.....he's booked a publicist...is trying to get a record deal, and he was once a "Welfare Queen" himself! Oh my God....a Republican Hypocrite?

So it turns out that when Plumber Joe was a child, he was on welfare, not once, but twice, and he credits it with helping his family ultimately lead a middle-class life style. He defends having received welfare by saying that he's subsequently paid into the system.

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Also "Joe" is living off the sweat of others because he hasn't paid his fair share of taxes.

Fortunately in this election "Straw Men" like "Joe the Plumber" and "The Welfare Queen" were largely ignored!