In our Anecdotal Evidence column, movers and shakers share personal stories听of how intriguing (and often odd) presidential campaigning in their respective swing state can be.
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Jimmy Carter and his 8-year-old talk nukes at the breakfast table\
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Jerry Austin. Photo: Lars Gesing/CU News Corps
Jerry Austin 鈥� Veteran Ohio Democratic Consultant
鈥淚 ran the Carter campaign in Ohio in 1980, and we lost to Reagan. The only debate that happened in that campaign was in Cleveland, Ohio.
鈥淚t was the Thursday before the election. I had nothing to do with debate prep or anything. But I was invited into the holding room where all the Carter advisers were. They prepared him. A guy walked into that room. He carried a big book. I said, 鈥榃ho is that?鈥� 鈥楬is name is Stu Eisenstein, he is the issues guy.鈥�
鈥淪o I was sitting there, and the debate began. The first question came, and the guy does this, (starts clapping for about five seconds.) Carter finished his response. Obviously it was an anticipated question and a rehearsed response. It went on like that. These guys were high-fiving each other. All of a sudden, Carter said, 鈥楾his morning, I was having breakfast with my daughter Amy.鈥� Amy, who is eight. 鈥楢nd we discussed nuclear proliferation.鈥� All of a sudden, Eisenstein took the book and threw it against the wall. Everybody was beside themselves. I said, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 going on?鈥�
鈥淒uring debate prep, Carter wanted to talk about how he has a young daughter and thinks about the future. But his advisers told him, 鈥楴obody is going to believe you are talking to your 8-year-old daughter about nuclear proliferation.鈥� They thought they had talked him out of it.
鈥淏ut they didn鈥檛.鈥�
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You better trust the locals
John Green. Photo: Lars Gesing/CU News Corps
John Green 鈥� Political Scientist, University of Akron
鈥淚f you want to win Ohio, you have to spend time in the state, build an organization and craft a good message. What makes Ohio complicated is not those three things. It is how to actually do those three things effectively.
鈥淭here is a really famous story of when George H.W. Bush was running for president. His handler said, 鈥榊ou know what, we should go to Akron, and we should walk down Main Street.鈥� The Republican county chairman said, 鈥楢re you out of your mind? Do you know what Main Street looks like?鈥� In those days, it was a mess.
鈥淭he county chairman managed to talk the presidential campaign out of it. But when they were going back to the airport, they just happened to go down Main Street. President Bush turned to the county chairman and said, 鈥榃ow, you were really right.鈥�
鈥淲ell, why wouldn鈥檛 the local guy be right?!鈥�
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