The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Corey courts conservative media to build support
With little money to challenge the popular incumbent Sen. Chris Murphy, longshot Republican Matthew Corey is appealing to national conservative media in the hopes of attracting out-of-state contributions and support.
“We have to nationalize this race to get attention,” Corey said in an interview Tuesday.
Corey traveled to Washington D.C. last month to speak to conservative pundit Ann Coulter at her book signing. A few days later, Coulter, who was raised in New Canaan, tweeted her support for Corey urging “Nutmeggers” to vote for him because “It’s so embarrassing having someone as dumb as Sen. Murphy represent a big state like CT. He’s more like a tiny state’s US Sen [sic], after a one-off election.”
The event was sponsored by Breitbart News, a farright website that published a glowing profile of Corey on Aug. 21. The story portrayed him as an avid second amendment supporter challenging Murphy, an incumbent who is known nationwide for his strong stance on gun control. Corey plans to return to Washington again soon, he said, this time for an appearance on the conservative cable network One America News.
“We made a lot of media connections,” Corey said of his earlier trip to the nation’s capital. “I don’t believe local media will help us out much.”
Corey’s national media strategy that could increase his name recognition and help boost his fundraising with out-of-state contributors, political experts said.
“This is a media strategy that we are seeing in Texas,” said Hilary Fussell Sisco, a Quinnipiac University professor of Strategic Communications. “That’s what Beto (O’Rourke) has basically done and we will now see if that is successful or not.”
O’Rourke, a Texas Democratic Congressman who is challenging Republican U.S Sen. Ted Cruz for his seat, has produced viral videos and earned dozens of national media stories and television appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. O’Rourke is the fourth strongest fundraiser of all Senate candidates this year, including incumbents.
But experts said a national media strategy should be used to bolster — and if successful, fund — local campaign work like door knocking.
“I would caution a candidate against spending too much time doing what (Corey’s) doing and forgetting that winning an election is not about how much money you raise, but it’s about the ground game: Can you turn out voters on election day?” said Gayle Alberda, a Fairfield University political science professor and former Republican operative.
Corey knows his race is an “uphill battle,” he said.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Murphy’s seat as solidly Democratic. An August Quinnipiac poll found Murphy would beat Corey by a 28 point margin if the election were held that day.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has not provided Corey any resources to challenge Murphy, Corey said. In late July, Corey had less than $8,000 in campaign cash, according to latest campaign finance filings.
Although Corey may have garnered more contributions after winning his primary in August, Murphy has over $8.5 million in his campaign war chest, filings show. Murphy started running two television commercials last week, while Corey is still trying to put together a social media advertising campaign.
Appearances in conservative media outlets are unlikely to persuade the unaffiliated voters Corey would need to win, Alberda said.
“The type of voters he appears to be targeting is the base,” she said. “In the general election, the strategy is to move away from your base, because you secured that base in the primary process, and target the independent and unaffiliated voter.”