An article which appeared in the Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, edition of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette provides a great deal of detail about the national political process which helps explain why we “little people” have so little influence in the process of electing our leaders. The article was written for the New York Times by Jim Rutenberg and Jeff Zeleny prior to the Florida Republican presidential primary and after Mitt Romney had lost in the South Carolina primary by a double-digit margin to Newt Gingrich.
The article details how the Romney campaign brain-trust developed a new, more aggressive campaign strategy. The intent, according to the article, was to make Gingrich angry and goad him into angry responses to attacks about his past and his character. All of this was the result of Romney’s team waking up to the fact that Romney could lose in Florida unless they projected him in a new combative role in the debates and in his campaign stops.
He hired a new debate coach to help him assume a new role as the campaign’schief attacker. His campaign manager and a team of Romney researchers gleaned information from every available source to find any negative information about Gingrich’s years as the House Speaker, his resignation, even his investments. All this information was then made available to Romney’s Super PAC, the various news media sources and used by Romney in his personal campaign ads, his debate preparation and his speeches. The specific details of all this is the kind of thing we see on television or read about in a newspaper or magazine. What scares me is the amount of money being spent to keep this type of campaign strategy going.
The high caliber campaign manager (listed as Matt Rhoades) doesn’t come cheap and research teams cost money. Even if they have other jobs - Bain Consulting?
someone is paying thema salary somewhere. The new debate coach likely is getting paid and all the traveling staff that prepares Romney’s schedule, makes hotel reservations, contacts the news media and arranges for air travel and bus transportation, cost money. Regardless of Romney’s $20 million plus income, campaign contributions provide a significant amount of the funds.
The funds are particularly important for television ads which run into the millions of dollars when you try to cover an entire state.
My point in this is quite simply that you and I, the average person living in Benton County, are not likely to be in a position to contribute enough money to affect a multi-millionaire candidate at this level in any significant way. Romney’s campaign needs millions - large million dollar contributions get attention, not small ones. The Ron Pauls and Rick Santorums can benefit by multitudes of small contributions because they rely more on volunteers whose primary contribution is to enthusiastically support their cause and their efforts helpbring in small donations.
Unfortunately they cannot compete in the “buying of the nomination” with those having seemingly bottomless campaign finances.
Even Newt Gingrich’s $10 million gift from the Las Vegas couple doesn’t go far when he is trying to defend his past Congressional record and attack Romney across the entire state of Florida.
I don’t know how we can hope to influence the national picture from here in northwest Arkansas. Ultimately we here in Arkansas will vote based on information we have gleaned from various sources provided by the contributions of the “high rollers” - business people, Hollywood stars and celebrities from various careers. Our best option is to pray for guidance - for how we should vote and for guidance for our nation, regardless of the outcome of the primaries.
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Editor’s note: Leo Lynch, a native of Benton County has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. He is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace.
He can be contacted at [email protected].
Opinion, Pages 4 on 02/08/2012