Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Finding the funds to run
By Jason Reed
Oregon Daily Emerald U. Oregon
May 20, 2008

Political campaigns today can seem more like advertising strategies or celebrity news reports than opportunities for candidates to share their platforms.

But this year, while a hotly contested presidential race has grabbed the nation's attention, some local campaigns in Eugene, Ore. are taking drastic measures to get noticed.

Local candidates generally agree that spending $100,000 will make a candidate viable.

"It's pretty much the guideline. If you don't raise this kind of money, you're not competitive," said Phyllis Barkhurst, campaign manager for Rob Handy, a county commissioner hopeful who has almost reached the $100,000 mark, according to the most recent figures from the Secretary of State's Office.

Former Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey is currently running against incumbent Kitty Piercy. So far he has spent more than $240,000 to win a position that has an annual salary of less than $20,000.

"You just cannot run a campaign without spending money. If you haven't got the money to compete, you won't win," Torrey said.

So what is it that candidates are hoping to get from emptying their war chests?

It's different for each candidate, Torrey said.

Lesser-known candidates need to get name recognition, while those who are already well known need to distinguish themselves from their opponents.

"Some people don't know the names on the ballot, and just knowing one of those names gives people comfort in choosing the person," Torrey said.

The most expensive way to get name recognition is in television ads. Torrey said he spent $2,000 to run a commercial during American Idol.

A lot of voters don't watch television, however, and Barkhurst said she had to find a way for Handy to reach each demographic.

He knocked on nearly 14,000 doors this primary election to reach voters, and followed that by sending out mailings, putting up billboards and staking lawn signs around town.

"The goal is to get five-to-seven contacts with every voter," Barkhurst said.

"You have to get the right mix to get the victory," said Marilyn Milne, a public relations firm owner and a Piercy campaign volunteer.

According to Milne, money is being shelled out depending on who the audience is and how one reaches those voters.

In the Ronald Reagan era, Republicans learned they could win a race by campaigning with a business-style approach, combined with pockets of money, she said.

Piercy has spent almost half what her challenger Torrey has, and her campaign manager Ashley Miller said their camp has tried to budget effectively instead of emptying their pockets.

Lawn signs are cheap, Miller said, but they give people a sense of inclusiveness when they stake that sign in their yard.

While Miller said volunteering gives the most bang for the buck, Milne said the exorbitant spending has taken away from the grassroots efforts of volunteering, which is at the heart of democratic campaigning.

Milne added that "candidates can just buy TV ads or hire people if they have the money."

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