Ben Tribbett over at Not Larry Sabato instigates a worthwhile conversation about running for public office and the amount of money it takes:
I see Republican bloggers… attacking Jim Webb for saying this:
“Webb said the need for campaign money has been the biggest surprise of his campaign for the U.S. Senate”
What’s the problem with saying that? When I wanted to run last year, I never did a fundraiser, but 53 people handed me checks at different events over the two weeks I was running. My opponent was able to write himself a personal check larger than all 53 of those contributions combined. The fact is politics is slanted to the old, the wealthy and the powerful, and Webb is exactly right for what he is saying.
I somehow don’t see Harris Miller making that sort of comment, but that’s an old axe. Heh.
All things aside, Ben is 100% correct about this. Rasing money for a political campaign is the toughest thing to do, and for potential candidates for public office, you’d be surprised at the ceiling. Money still comes in checks of $100, $500, or $1,000 — and the small checks count just as much as the big ones.
Now go out and raise millions knowing that.
Candidates new to politics are often shocked (1) by the negativity in politics, and (2) by how hard it is to fundraise to keep your race going. When I ran for House of Delegates, I had three weeks raise $30,000. In the end we raised $90,000 in just three short months. Looking back, it was a phenomenal acheivement, VCAP or no, but the fact that a candidate must absolutely spend so much time fundraising is a drain without question.
People blast politicians all the time for being gladhanders, but put yourself in Webb or Allen’s shoes. The challenger has it far easier in this regard. It’s tough, but then again this is why politics and running for public office isn’t for everyone. No small reason why Republicans and Democrats in the end can disagree so vociferously on issues, yet in the end share a drink (in Virginia anyhow).
UPDATE: Welcome to the big leagues, Secretary Webb.