Al the Shoe Salesman

The Obama Campaign has found its “Joe the Plumber” in a new web ad: his name is Al the Shoe Salesman!



There are similarities, both real and imagined, between these two icons. Joe represents the American worker who is fearful of paying more taxes under Obama’s plan, as we have seen John McCain point Joe out, ad nauseam, since the last debate, not to mention Frank the Fireman, Sally the Seamstress and Bob the Butcher. Al also represents the American worker, and the Obama campaign has give him the tools to determine for himself which candidate’s plan is better for his unique financial situation.

I logged on to taxcut.barackobama.com to see for myself just how the candidates compare. Entering three sets of hypothetical situations, here’s what I found:

Annual Income $30,000
Filing Status Married Filing Jointly
Dependents 2

Obama Savings $1,000
McCain Savings $342

Annual Income $30,000
Filing Status Head of Household
Dependents 2

Obama Savings $500
McCain Savings $680

Annual Income $40,000
Filing Status Married Filing Jointly
Dependents 2

Obama Savings $1,000
McCain Savings $680

Annual Income $40,000
Filing Status Head of Household
Dependents 2

Obama Savings $500
McCain Savings $945

Annual Income $50,000-75,000
Filing Status Married Filing Jointly
Dependents 2

Obama Savings $1,000
McCain Savings $645

Annual Income $50,000-75,000
Filing Status Head of Household
Dependents 2

Obama Savings $500
McCain Savings $270

It should be noted that under the Obama plan there is also the possibility of $4,000 tax credit to pay for college expenses and a 50% tax credit for up to $1000 for retirement savings. The site does not indicate whether similar savings are available under McCain’s proposals.

This site can be an effective tool for voters who want to see for themselves which candidate’s plan might be better for them.

Al the Shoe Salesman, of course, is actor Ed O’Neill who played Al Bundy on Fox’s 1987-1997 sitcom Married With Children. He is not really a shoe salesman. There’s the other similarity, as we quickly learned, Joe really isn’t a plumber.