Barbour: Native son leaves void
President Barack Obama will have advantages in the race, most notably in money and incumbency.
None of the GOP challengers has similar name recognition and clout (though Donald Trump and Sarah Palin certainly have name recognition).
But, no one has Barbour’s persuasive skills when it comes to cash.
Under Barbour’s direction, the Republican Governors Association amassed a record-setting $117 million last year. As Nathan Daschle, then the executive director of the Democratic Governors Association told The Los Angeles Times: “He just shattered our perceptions of what we thought was possible. We had always kept relative pace with them until Haley Barbour came around.”
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich may have gotten the credit for the GOP’s Contract with America taking over Congress in 1994, but Barbour, as Republican National Chairman, was the man behind the curtain breaking records for funding the elections.
Clarion Ledger
4/29/11
