How did Joe the Plumber's story start? Like this :
How was it used in the debate by John McCain?
Joe the Plumber was exemplified as the hard working entrepreneur which would be hit hard by Obama's tax plan : tax cuts for people earning less than $250, 000 a year, and a higher level of tax ( 39% from the current 36%) for people making more than this threshold.
Sen. McCain used this example repeatedly during the debate and thus attracted a lot of attention on Joe Wurzelbacher. The McCain campaign has released a web ad on "Joe the Plumber".
What I found very effective was John McCain's use of Obama's expression " spread the wealth around", which is certain to make all conservatives cringe and to help paint Obama with a very liberal near socialistic brush.
In fact, it has emerged that Joe the Plumber is not called Joe but Sam and is not a fully licensed plumber. But perhaps more significantly he is very likely to benefit from Sen. Obama's proposed tax cuts, since he works in a very small business ( he is the only employee and works alongside the owner) and does not make more than $250, 000 yearly. He also owes back taxes.
You are probably wondering what this means about the McCain campaign's ability to vet and select the examples they showcase. The polical blog Politico offers an interesting analysis of how they are operating.
Meanwhile the right wing National Review Online is certain that there is a coalition of the Left (Democrats+media+blogs) against Joe the Plumber and that discrediting that man is the work of the Obama "thug-machine". The NRO beleives that this incident offers insights into the way the Obama campaign operates, by dismissing or smearing their contradictors.
For a humourous take on the Joe the Plumber story and the debate in general, check out Jon Stewart's Daily Show.
Emotions are riding high, about as high as the stakes for this election.
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