Business of politics keeping candidates busy

SANDPOINT — Even neophytes to the political world realize it takes much more than good ideas and a hard work to get elected to political office.

Politicians need money, and lots of it.

After all, money and politics have always been inextricably linked. It takes money to run for election, and once elected it's a politician's job to decide how and when to spend taxpayer dollars.

Politics is business, and, in some ways, campaigning for office is akin to running a small business.

The politician, like the business owner, must bring in a steady flow of cash to stay afloat. The business owner manages his team of employees, while the politician manages his team of volunteers. Both must decide when and where to advertise, and both have to cater to the public if they hope to stay in business.

Democratic candidate Steve Elgar, who is running for a seat in the state House of Representatives, said that the correlation between business and politics has not escaped him.

"We make a budget based on previous practices and estimates. We make a schedule — I've got a whole timeline of what's going to happen by such and such day. We map all this out and the dollars associated with it, and that gives us a fundraising goal and it always tells us what we can't afford, just like a business would do," Elgar said.

This is Elgar's third attempt at unseating incumbent Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, but he said his previous efforts helped hone his current campaign.

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"The first time I did it I had no clue what I was doing — I spent my money too early and I needed to find more at the end. I just did a poor job. It was total naiveté on my part, but you learn from that," Elgar said.

For his part, Anderson agrees that a key to success in politics is meticulous campaign management.

"You have to set a budget and work a plan and try to determine how much money you need to be successful. Any extra is always appreciated, but you just have to set your budget," Anderson said.

A budget can fluctuate wildly during any given year or election cycle, which makes rigorous fundraising paramount to winning a close raise. By now it's not news that the national economy is on life support, but Elgar, who's wracked up more than $50,000 in campaign contributions, said he didn't notice any drop off in funds due to the lagging economy.

"Most of my contributions are $50 or $100 from individuals, and I don't think the financial crisis has hurt that too much. Ninety-six percent of my money comes from individuals, not PACs or lobbyist," Elgar said.

For those politicians running for reelection, like two-term Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, experience plays a factor in campaigning. As President George W. Bush might say, this is not Broadsword's first rodeo, which gives her a decided advantage over her challengers.

"It costs about $45,000 to run in my district. That's what I do most campaign years," Broadsword said. "So I set up a prospective budget early on, assuming I get the money I need."

Broadsword picks through her proposed budget with a fine-toothed comb, going as far as budgeting for the candy she tosses to kids at the 10-plus parades she attends every year.

While money is a key driver for a campaign's success, candidates are sometimes forced to take a different approach to running for office when they financially can't compete with their political rivals.

Democrat Tom Hollingsworth raised $8,020 in his bid to upset incumbent Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, who has collected nearly twice as much money. To make up for the lack of money he has for advertising, Hollingsworth has made an attempt to speak with as many possible voters as he can, even if it means hanging out in Wal-Mart's parking lot.

Part of his low fundraising total is deliberate, according to Hollingsworth, who said he is frugal with money and hates asking others to fund his campaign.

"It's sounds like I'm talking like a politician, but I mean it. I'll be just as careful with taxpayers' dollars as I would with my own," Hollingsworth said.

They might not agree on too many political issues, but Eskridge echoes Hollingsworth's views about asking for money.

"I'm not a hard solicitor of money," Eskridge said. "I hate to ask for it. It's hard to even write a letter, which is why most of my contributions come voluntarily."