Here at Scorecard, we’ve interviewed many prospective candidates for Congress — some who have become politically savvy after years of elective experience, some who come out of nowhere to become credible candidates, and some who just simply have no chance of winning.
And while we’ve never met Asheville city councilman Carl Mumpower, who’s running against Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), we’re guessing that he is in a league all of his own.
A week after suspending his campaign because of his party’s insufficient commitment to conservatism, Mumpower said his own county party is disassociating themselves from him — a rare occurrence.
Source: Real Clear Politics
Commentary
Aside from the fact that Josh Kraushaar doesn't even know what county Mumpower is from (here's a hint...Asheville is in Buncombe County), it does seem that everyone on the national scene, and quite a few locally have given up on Mumpower. I just hope to God that he didn't make the colossal error of meeting with Ron Paul in Boone Friday night, as my operatives in the Ron Paul r3VOLution tell me he wanted to do.
I would like to see Mumpower get out and campaign, and see some advance notice of where is going to be and when.
Nearly all the Republican candidates seem to have this problem, Pat McCrory has been in the area several times without advance warning. Charles Taylor was the same way. He'd show up somewhere, then you'd read about it in the paper a few days later.
For example, Kay Hagan was in the area this weekend, and I was notified of her itinerary ahead of time. She was in Brevard and Sylva yesterday, and will be in Andrews and Bryon City today. [Kay Hagan Schedule] It was too bad that I couln't attend either of those events and get some video to post. [Elizabeth Dole Schedule]
In the NC Governor's race, compare the two calenders of Pat McCrory and Bev Perdue.
The Shuler people certainly get the word out when he is going to be in the area before he goes back to his home in Tennessee, where he is the second representative of the Second Congressional District. His Campaign Website is down at the moment, with the notice that a new website will be coming soon.
This is something I have been wanting Republicans to get involved in, the interactive nature of the Internet beyond mailing lists. The Mumpower Campaign is very good about using that tool. There isn't even a calender on the website, though.
I look forward to covering the NC-11 Campaign, but it is beginning to look like if I want to know ahead of time where a candidate is going to be...I'll be recording a lot more Democratic Events than I will be Republican Events.
Republicans are going to have to get away from this clique thinking, where only the inner circle and trusted supporters know where you are going to be and when. I would not have been able to record a lot of the events that I attended if I had not been "on the inside" to a certain point, and received notices from the various campaigns, or those carrying water for a certain campaign.
Republicans need to see the possibilities instead of the limitations.
I'll let you know if this post gets me thrown overboard.
Campaigning in secret will not get you elected.
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