In a recent French election a principal issue was the presence of Polish plumbers in France. Somehow, allowing non-French plumbers to work in one's home, particularly in a traditional home where the man of the house is away, was a major affront to French pride and a symbol of immigration policy going awry. There were TV ads with handsome French plumbers. There were protests in Poland about this affront to Polish men and workers. Then the election happened and everyone got back to their daily lives.
With John McCain, we have a Republican riff that shows how absolutely out of touch the Republican elite is with working Americans. Sure plumbers usually come across as pretty matter of fact conservative people doing hard work which is often unpleasant.
And they so they are likely receptive to social issues and patriotic tugs of the heart. But they are professionals who believe in the apprenticeship and licensing. They depend on consumers to pay them and they are whacked by the collapse of housing starts, so $250,000 in income in one year is a ridiculous aspiration for nearly all of them. They are straightforward - if a guy is concerned about higher taxes they assume he pays taxes. If Marie Antoinette really did say "Let them eat cake," then John McCain must have said "I meet lots of plumbers in Aspen and on the yacths of my friends."