The Credibility Gap
by Eric Johnson (Originally published May 3, 2012) After the Republican candidates for the 12th Congressional District received their updated financial numbers, things changed for Wright McLeod. “This time, when I went to D.C. to meet with the Political Action Committees (PACs) and the lobbyists, they were inviting me to come over,” he says. “The last time, I was cold calling them.” Those numbers, which included the first quarter of 2012, have McLeod leading the pack in total money raised at $284,000. Developer Rick Allen was second with $268,000, followed by farmer Lee Anderson with $210,000 and attorney Maria Sheffield with $114,000. While raising money doesn’t guarantee votes, it does create a sense of presence and possibility for less established candidates needing validation. “I’m a legitimate resume, but until we posted some strong fundraising numbers, I’m just another nice guy with a good resume,” McLeod says. “Now, I’m a nice guy with a good resume with the best numbers. The game changed just a bit.” And it’s not just the amount of money raised that has caught people’s eyes, it’s the amount he’s spent. “One thing I agree with,” he says. “Right now, the barometer is how much you can raise and how little you can spend, so even though the natural tendency is to want to get out there and spend, that’s absolutely the wrong thing to do.” ThoughSheffieldspent the least at about $12,500, many don’t view her as a credible candidate. Not only did she have residency issues, but outside of a $100,000 loan, her fundraising has been practically nonexistent. Of the more established campaigns, McLeod has spent the least at $85,000, whileAndersonhas spent nearly twice that at $161,000. The gamble there is whether or not voters make up their minds early or late in a campaign, and McLeod, a former commander in the Navy, is betting the latter. His motivation for getting into the race? His kids and their future. “If we don’t get the fiscal house in order, it’s over,” he says. “It’s probably not going to be over in my lifetime, but unless something gives, my children will have a fraction of the opportunities that I’ve had.” He’s one of those guys who speaks slowly, yet never seems to get interrupted, and of the all the Republicans, he feels he’s the most electable. “I look at it this way — in the general election, Congressman Barrow has got enough money to run an incredibly efficient campaign,” he says. “He is articulate, he is smart, he is savvy.” In other words, a formidable opponent. “The only thing that guy’s got against him is eight percentage points (the number the Republicans now outnumber the Democrats in the newly drawn district). Other than that,” he says, “he’s got every advantage in the world, including someone at the head of the ticket that will drive the turnout in his district.” The candidate who goes up against all that has to be tough to attack as well as strong, he says. “Of the four, the guy I want to meet the least if I’m John Barrow is Wright McLeod,” he says. “How does he attack me? Does he make me out to be the establishment Republican candidate? I’m not. Does he make me out to be a super rich white guy? You can make me out to be white, but the super rich doesn’t cut it.” The other knock against him, that he’s a lawyer, is neutralized by the fact that Barrow is too. “But he can attack Rick as being a one percenter and he can attack Lee as being part of the old guard Republicans.” Sheffield? He’s not really sure she needs to be attacked, but in spite of the fact that he, Allen and Anderson are all from the northern part of the district, McLeod thinks the race will be won in the south, among the rural folk who get together and discuss the issues. And while that might favorAndersonon paper, McLeod feels he’s been making the right connections with those people. “I don’t think I’m the dark horse anymore,” he says. You Might Also Like:
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