“We have been very fortunate in our recruiting efforts. There will be a number of credible Republican challengers running for Congress next year that happen to have access to personal financial resources. They are in position to run strong, well-financed grass-roots campaigns next year in some of our top targeted districts.”
–Ken Spain, National Republican Campaign Committee spokesman
When the polls don’t look so hot and when the money runs out, who do you turn to in order to rebuild? Why, the grassroots, of course.
Facing a potentially crippling financial disadvantage against their Democratic counterparts, the NRCC is turning to their “base” — of insanely wealthy people — in order to kill two birds with one stone: plug some crucial recruiting holes where more established candidates have taken a pass, and help lessen the committee’s load by opening up their own bank accounts in a gambit to make these seats competitive.
Let’s take a look at some of these brave rank-and-file Republicans, who put down their ruby-studded walking sticks and answered the NRCC’s call to wage caviar-powered grassroots campaigns against Democrats this next year.
So who is the NRCC looking to tap here? Look no further than the defense industry, a key “grassroots” constituency in the Republican Party. Their ranks have produced Christopher Myers, a vice president at Lockheed Martin and “a real man’s man“. Allen may have had the moderate creds and a proven ability at winning blue areas in a district that Al Gore won by 11 points in 2000, but Myers has the fat stacks of war booty that he can put to good use. A no-brainer.
- CT-05: Put yourselves in the NRCC’s shoes here. Let’s say you’ve already recruited a fresh-faced state Senator, David Cappiello, considered a up and comer in local circles, to take on freshman Democratic Chris Murphy. He’s raised some respectable cash and seems presentable. The only snag?