Thaddeus McCotter presidential campaign, 2012

McCotter 2012
McCotter logo.gif
Campaign United States presidential election, 2012
Candidate Thaddeus McCotter
U.S. Representative from Michigan
Affiliation Republican Party
Headquarters Livonia, Michigan
Key people Mark Corallo (adviser)
Christopher Marston (treasurer)
Christopher Rants (adviser)
Slogan Seize Freedom!
Website
http://www.mccotter2012.com/

The Thaddeus McCotter presidential campaign of 2012 began when Congressman Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan filed papers with the Federal Election Commission on July 1, 2011, announcing his intentions to run for the Republican Party's 2012 nomination for President of the United States. He officially announced his candidacy the next day at a rock festival outside of Detroit.

Presidential speculation about McCotter, who had served in Congress since 2003, began on Fox News' Red Eye w/Greg Gutfeld in April 2011. After entering the race, McCotter based his campaign on "five core principles" listed on his campaign website, and used the slogan Seize Freedom!, which was derived from the title of his 2011 book. During the campaign, he focused on government and Wall Street reform.

Commentators noted that McCotter's lack of name-recognition hindered his chances for nomination. He received less than one percent in presidential preference polls. After a last place finish in the Ames Straw Poll, and the failure to participate in any presidential debates, he dropped his candidacy on September 22, 2011, and endorsed Mitt Romney.

Background

Thaddeus McCotter began his political career in 1993, when he was elected to the Wayne County, Michigan Commission. Five years later, he left that position after winning a seat in the Michigan State Senate.[1] He remained in the Senate until 2002 when he was elected to serve Michigan's 11th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.[1] In Congress, McCotter was assigned to the House Financial Services Committee and served as the chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. In 2008, he was named head of his party's Fiscal Integrity Task Force, where he gained a reputation as a leading House opponent of pork barrel spending.[2] He was also a member of the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership.[3] McCotter voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,[4] but supported the bailout of the automobile industry. Additionally, he was viewed as a proponent of labor unions, supporting an increase in the minimum wage and advocating fair trade with China. Nevertheless, the Detroit Free Press described him as a "conservative's conservative"[5] and GovTrack labeled him a "far-right Republican".[6]

McCotter at the Republican Leadership Conference.

Speculation about a presidential run began several months after the release of his February 2011 book Seize Freedom! American Truths and Renewal in a Chaotic Age. The first instance occurred during the April 22 episode of Fox News' late night/early morning show Red Eye, on which McCotter was a frequent guest. Host Greg Gutfeld asked McCotter to enter the presidential race,[7] and five days later, political commentator S.E. Cupp listed him as a potential candidate in her New York Daily News column.[8] McCotter confirmed in May that he was seriously considering a run for the presidency. He told Politico that he felt most Republicans lacked enthusiasm for the current crop of candidates and he would soon make a decision.[9] The next month speculation increased as he attacked Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney during a visit to Detroit. McCotter made a connection between Romney and President Barack Obama, arguing that people "think Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama are not rivals [but] running mates".[10] Later that month, he addressed the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans and was entered into the event's straw poll. He received only two votes.[11] Around this time, aides said that McCotter was still undecided about a run,[12] though, he reportedly paid $18,000 for a prime hotel spot for the August 13 Ames Straw Poll.[11] He visited Iowa and announced that he would reveal his campaign plans prior to the straw poll.[13] On June 30, Politico reported that McCotter was ready to begin his campaign.[14]

Campaign developments

Announcement

McCotter plays guitar at his presidential announcement.

McCotter filed a presidential campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission (FEC)[15] and opened a campaign website on July 1, 2011. The website, which warned "your American Dream is endangered" was based on his book Seize Freedom! and listed "five core principles".[11] These included:[16]

Wikinews has related news: Congressman Thad McCotter to run for U.S. President

McCotter officially announced his candidacy at the WAAM-sponsored "Freedom Festival" in Whitmore Lake, Michigan on July 2. He explained, "what we need in Washington is someone who understands that the wave of the future is not big government, but self-government".[17] He played with his rock band at the event.[18] Upon his entrance, Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report rated McCotter's chances of nomination as "virtually impossible".[11]CBS News and other outlets commented on McCotter's lack of name recognition and described him as a "little-known" candidate.[19] Reportedly, after the announcement, he moved campaign funds of about $480,000 from his congressional to his presidential campaign account.[17] Political communications operative Mark Corallo was hired along with a core group of advisers that included Eric Uelind, who served as chief of staff under Senator Bill Frist, and former Iowa representative Christopher Rants.[19]

Campaign events

McCotter embarked on his first official campaign trip to the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire.[20] However, he received media attention for his hometown newspaper's reaction to his run. An editorial in The Oakland Press, based out of Oakland County, Michigan wrote that the idea of a McCotter presidency "isn’t a pleasant thought and is, in fact, a bit scary". The piece went further, adding that "the representative comes off as cold, arrogant and egotistical".[21] McCotter largely ignored the criticism,[22] and continued his campaign in New Hampshire, focusing on the "fundamental restructuring of government"[23] and his signing of the Pro-Life Leadership Pledge.[24] He hired radio host Chris Buck as the leader of operations in New Hampshire.[25]

S.E. Cupp extensively covered the McCotter campaign.

McCotter returned to Iowa in mid-July for further campaign events.[26] Around this time, Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post put McCotter's odds at winning the Ames Straw Poll at one hundred to one, last place among the candidates listed.[27] Furthermore, a Harris poll conducted July 11–18 found that 92 percent of voters were not familiar with McCotter, and less than one percent supported him when matched with his fellow presidential contenders. However, in a hypothetical head to head matchup with President Obama, McCotter received 43 percent, compared to 57 percent for Obama.[28] McCotter hoped to build support through Twitter, which he used to bypass the news media and connect directly with his supporters. Campaign spokesman Randall Thompson remarked that McCotter was "relying on social media" for his run and that "he’s developed a very loyal following".[29] On July 20, he participated in the first-ever Twitter debate with fellow candidates Gary Johnson, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum. At one point, moderator S.E. Cupp asked whether President Obama was anti-Israel, McCotter answered that Obama's "motivations are not the issue, the impact of his policies, both proposed and pursued, have strained our relationship" with Israel.[30] In late July, during the height of the debt ceiling crisis, McCotter canceled several appearances in Iowa and returned to Washington. He supported the plan of House Speaker John Boehner,[31] and voted in favor of the compromise bill. He was the only presidential candidate to approve the bill in Congress since both Bachmann and Ron Paul voted against it.[32]

McCotter speaking at the Ames Straw Poll in August 2011.

Ahead of the Ames Straw Poll, McCotter cancelled a scheduled campaign stop in New Hampshire to return to his headquarters in Michigan to coordinate the effort to be included in the August 11 Fox News debate.[33] The Los Angeles Times reported on a YouTube video filmed in a kitchen as part of the effort. It was laden with puns about food, and concluded with "Thanks, dude."[34] The newspaper later described the video as "unfortunate".[35] Despite the effort, McCotter did not reach the one percent polling threshold necessary to participate, and was excluded. He was the only candidate missing from the debate that had secured a spot on the ballot.[36] Before the straw poll, McCotter addressed voters in what Politico described as a "a slow, abstract, exceptionally sober speech". It drew little crowd reaction other than applause at the denunciation of the "regime in Beijing" and the proclamation, "I will not cede the 21st Century to a Communist, nuclear-armed dictatorship."[37] At the straw poll, he spent a large amount of time playing his guitar at his tent.[38] He finished last among ten candidates, receiving 35 votes or 0.21 percent. Based on the $18,000 he paid for campaign space, the result corresponded to $514 per vote.[39] Senior adviser Christopher Rants explained that the purpose of the straw poll "was not about votes, it was about introducing our candidate to the public in our first large forum... By any measure, we did that..."[40]

McCotter campaigns at the Iowa state fair.

Three days after the straw poll, McCotter wrote an article in the National Review outlining some of his economic plans. He advocated spending reductions, requirements for banks to keep at least twenty percent of assets available as capital, and incentives to reduce home foreclosures.[41] He campaigned in New Hampshire on August 19, and filmed "Conversation with the Candidate" for WMUR-TV. The next day, he attended a party with S.E. Cupp for the Seacoast Young Republicans.[42] He returned to Iowa for his last campaign stop in the state from August 24 to August 27.[43] At the end of the month, McCotter appeared on the Dennis Miller Show and talked about his exclusion from debates.[44] He failed to meet the debate requirements for both the September 7 MSNBC and the September 12 CNN debates.[45] For the MSNBC debate, a candidate had to show one poll with four percent support. McCotter argued that while he did not meet this, in a Quinnipac poll, he tied with Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman, Jr., both of whom qualified.[44] He continued his efforts to be included in the debates in September. In an interview with The Daily Caller he said the other candidates "don’t understand what’s wrong with the economy, let alone how to fix it", and that foreign policy is not discussed enough. He observed that since former United Nations ambassador John R. Bolton announced he would not run for president, foreign policy discussion ceased. McCotter hoped the next president would select Bolton as Secretary of State.[46] On September 9, McCotter made his last campaign trip to New Hampshire, attending events for two days.[42] Five days later, he was supposed to appear in Iowa, but had to cancel due to a vote in Congress.[43] Shortly thereafter, McCotter participated in the California Republican Convention. In a speech, he criticized President Obama, arguing, "No matter how many times his campaign clown car crisscrosses America, we know that the most prosperous and equitable economy in human history was created by you, the American people, not by bureaucrats in Washington."[47] At the event's straw poll, he received less than one percent of the vote.[48] He tried to gain entry into the September 22 Fox News debate, but reported via Twitter, "@Foxnews has kindly advised me I will be excluded from the Orlando GOP POTUS debate."[47]

Withdrawal

Wikinews has related news: Congressman Thad McCotter ends bid for U.S. president

On September 22, 2011, McCotter notified The Detroit News that he would withdraw from the presidential race. He explained that it "was sort of death by media" because of the exclusion from the presidential debates, and argued "if they keep you out of the debates, you are out of the conversation and you can't run."[49] He then released a statement in which he endorsed Mitt Romney for president, and called on the Republican Party to unite behind Romney as the "most electable" candidate. In the press release, McCotter also announced that he would run for re-election in his congressional district.[50]

On the withdrawal, pundit Bill Ballenger of Inside Michigan Politics said, McCotter "really had no business running for president. If he wants to have any political future, endorsing Mitt Romney now is the smart thing to do." McCotter's neighbor, former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox remarked, "He tried it out, obviously it wasn't working. And he's doing the rational thing and dropping out."[49]

Aftermath

A few days after the campaign ended, The Detroit News asked McCotter whether he enjoyed his presidential campaign, he replied, "No. It was the worst 15 minutes of my life."[51] Fundraising totals for the three months of McCotter's run were released to the FEC in October 2011. Overall, he raised $512,644.22, spent $511,135.38, and had a debt of $105,367.24.[52]

In an interview with GQ ahead of the Michigan primary, McCotter expressed concern that Republicans were underestimating the strength of Democrats, and that winning in the Midwest would be difficult because of their position on manufacturing and the Wall Street bailout. He maintained that though he disagreed with Romney on the auto industry bailout, Romney had the best chance to overcome the obstacles.[53]

References

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  2. ^ "Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.)". WhoRunsGov.com. 2010. http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Thaddeus_McCotter. Retrieved July 29, 2011. 
  3. ^ Malloy, Meghan (July 5, 2011). "Little known McCotter makes 2012 run official". The Iowa Independent. http://iowaindependent.com/58080/little-known-mccotter-makes-2012-run-official. Retrieved July 30, 2011. 
  4. ^ "Representative Thaddeus G. 'Thad' McCotter – Voting Record". Project Vote Smart. http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=19847. Retrieved July 29, 2011. 
  5. ^ Spangler, Todd (July 11, 2011). "Thad McCotter's White House bid: A long shot to keep an eye on". Detroit Free Press. 
  6. ^ "Rep. Thaddeus (Thad) McCotter". GovTrack. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400260. Retrieved July 30, 2011. 
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  8. ^ Cupp, S.E. (April 27, 2011). "Thaddeus McCotter, guitar hero and 2012 dark horse: A Michigan star rises in Washington". New York Daily News. http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-04-27/news/29494465_1_guitar-hero-president-obama-harvard-law-school. Retrieved July 29, 2011. 
  9. ^ Shultz, Marisa (May 24, 2011). "U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter considering a run for president". The Detroit News. 
  10. ^ Hurst, Nathan (June 9, 2011). "McCotter bashes Romney for anti-auto sentiments". The Detroit News. 
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  24. ^ Inglot, Sam (July 12, 2011). "McCotter signs ‘Pro-Life Leadership Pledge’". The Michigan Messenger. http://michiganmessenger.com/50774/mccotter-signs-pro-life-leadership-pledge. Retrieved July 30, 2011. 
  25. ^ Richardson, Darcy G. (July 13, 2011). "McCotter Appoints Campaign Director in New Hampshire". Uncovered Politics. http://www.uncoveredpolitics.com/2011/07/13/mccotter-appoints-campaign-director-in-new-hampshire/. Retrieved July 30, 2011. 
  26. ^ Jacobs, Jennifer (July 14, 2011). "Presidential candidate Thaddeus McCotter in Iowa Monday". Des Moines Register. http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/07/14/presidential-candidate-thaddeus-mccotter-in-iowa-monday/. Retrieved July 30, 2011. 
  27. ^ Cillizza, Chris (July 10, 2011). "2012 Republican presidential campaign: Who will Iowa’s Ames Straw Poll make, break?". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2012-republican-presidential-campaign-who-will-iowas-ames-straw-poll-make-break/2011/07/10/gIQAEWDk7H_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend. Retrieved July 30, 2011. 
  28. ^ "President Obama Would Lose if Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani Was the Nominee". SYS-Con Media. July 26, 2011. http://www.sys-con.com/node/1920941. Retrieved July 30, 2011. 
  29. ^ Weinger, Mackenzie; Andy Barr (July 7, 2011). "Rep. Thad McCotter finds friends on Hill". Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/58531_Page2.html. Retrieved July 30, 2011. 
  30. ^ Summers, Juana (July 20, 2011). "Candidates face off on Twitter". Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59516.html. Retrieved July 30, 2011. 
  31. ^ Summers, Juana (July 28, 2011). "Debt ceiling debate causes turmoil for 2012 hopefuls". Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/60183.html. Retrieved July 30, 2011. 
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  34. ^ Goldmacher, Shane (August 5, 2011). "Thaddeus Mccotter". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/05/news/la-pn-mccotter-video-bad-puns-20110805. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  35. ^ Memoli, Michael (September 22, 2011). "Long-shot GOP hopeful Thaddeus McCotter ends presidential bid". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/22/news/la-pn-thaddeus-mccotter-campaign-20110922. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  36. ^ Summers, Juana (August 11, 2011). "Barred hopefuls make debate plans". Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61098.html. Retrieved August 11, 2011. 
  37. ^ Burns, Alexander (August 13, 2011). "Thaddeus McCotter draws cheers with China attack". Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61305.html#ixzz1oyZIzx3E. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  38. ^ Noble, Jason (August 13, 2011). "McCotter finishes dead last, with 35 votes". Des Moines Register. http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/08/13/mccotter-finishes-dead-last-with-35-votes/. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  39. ^ Oliphant, James (August 13, 2011). "Ames Straw Poll: Final results". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/13/news/la-pn-straw-numbers-20110813. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  40. ^ "2012 Presidential Campaign Blog: Thad McCotter Statement On The Iowa Straw Poll. Will Continue To Build An Iowa Organization". blog.4president.org. August 13, 2011. http://blog.4president.org/2012/2011/08/thad-mccotter-statement-on-the-iowa-straw-poll-will-continue-to-build-an-iowa-organization.html. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  41. ^ "Thaddeus McCotter says lenders lose 30 percent on foreclosures". PolitiFact (Tampa Bay Times). August 23, 2011. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/aug/23/thaddeus-mccotter/thaddeus-mccotter-says-lenders-lose-30-percent-for/. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  42. ^ a b "Visits to New Hampshire by Rep. Thaddeus McCotter". Democracy in Action. Eric M. Appleman. http://www.p2012.org/chrnnewh/nhmccottervisits.html. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  43. ^ a b "Visits to Iowa by Rep. Thaddeus McCotter". Democracy in Action. Eric Appleman. http://www.p2012.org/chrniowa/iamccottervisits.html. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  44. ^ a b Oosting, Jonathan (August 31, 2011). "Thaddeus McCotter says he's been shut out of MSNBC presidential debate too". Booth Newspapers. http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/08/thaddeus_mccotter_says_hes_bee.html. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  45. ^ Camia, Catalina (September 7, 2011). "Three White House candidates didn't make cut for GOP debate". USA Today. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/09/gop-presidential-debate-missing-candidates-/1#.T17rbIFTCAg. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  46. ^ Pappas, Alex (September 9, 2011). "GOP presidential candidate Thaddeus McCotter on why he should be allowed to debate". The Daily Caller. http://dailycaller.com/2011/09/09/gop-presidential-candidate-thaddeus-mccotter-on-why-he-should-be-allowed-to-debate/. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  47. ^ a b Malcolm, Andrew (September 19, 2011). "Who is Thaddeus McCotter and why care?". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/09/gop-candidate-rep-thaddeus-mccotter-makes-his-case-in-la-ron-paul-tea-party-rally-social-security.html. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  48. ^ "Ron Paul Wins GOP Calif. Straw Poll; Perry Second". Newsmax Media. September 18, 2011. http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/Ron-Paul-California-straw/2011/09/18/id/411372. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  49. ^ a b "Congressman Thad McCotter ends bid for U.S. president". Wikinews. September 23, 2011. http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Congressman_Thad_McCotter_ends_bid_for_U.S._president. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  50. ^ "Thad McCotter Announcement That He is Withdrawing His Candidacy for the Republican Party Nomination For President of the United States of America". Blog4president.org. September 22, 2011. http://blog.4president.org/2012/2011/09/thad-mccotter-announcement-that-he-is-withdrawing-his-candidacy-for-the-republican-party-nomination-.html. Retrieved March 14, 2012. 
  51. ^ "Bonus Quote of the Day". Political Wire. September 24, 2011. http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/09/24/bonus_quote_of_the_day.html. Retrieved March 14, 2012. 
  52. ^ "October Quarterly (McCotter2012)". FEC. October 14, 2011. http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/493/11952614493/11952614493.pdf#navpanes=0. Retrieved March 14, 2012. 
  53. ^ Cogan, Martin (February 28, 2012). "Primary Day in Michigan: Thad McCotter Is Worried His State Is Still Obama Country". GQ. http://www.gq.com/news-politics/blogs/death-race/2012/02/primary-day-in-michigan-thad-mccotter-is-worried-his-state-is-still-obama-country.html. Retrieved March 14, 2012. 

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