Even though former Gov. Asa Hutchinson did not get much air time at the Republican presidential debate Wednesday, he accomplished what he needed to do: He made it to the stage, and he differentiated himself from the other candidates.
He got on the stage by getting 40,000 unique donors to his campaign, which the Republican National Committee specified as the minimum amount required. He did this over the weekend with the Monday deadline looming.
As explained by a Politico story, the key was his campaign paid hundreds of college students $20 for every donor they signed up, even if that donation was for only $1. The tactic was the brainchild of Austin Barbour, who helps manage a political action committee supporting Hutchinson. An unnamed Arkansas-based donor donated $250,000 to the effort.
Seven hundred people recruited donors. Barbour’s 18-year-old son recruited 100 donors himself. The tactic brought in almost half of the 40,000 donors Hutchinson needed.
Hutchinson was not the only candidate to find a creative way to qualify for the debate. Everything else he had tried hadn’t worked.
Regardless, he got on the stage, which was his goal. If he had failed to do so, especially after emphasizing its importance, there would have been calls for him to drop out. Prospective donors would have stopped donating. People don’t give $250,000 to support a losing campaign.
As for the debate itself, Hutchinson was on the edge of the stage and did not speak much. In fact, it was 19 minutes before he spoke, when he touted his classic conservative record in Arkansas. He said he lowered taxes, created a $2 billion surplus, shrunk the size of government and left it with 14% fewer state employees. As president, he said he would reduce the nondefense federal workforce by 10%. He spoke for exactly his allotted time of two minutes.
At 34 minutes, Hutchinson said he supported addressing abortion at both the state and federal levels. Again, he discussed his record as governor, saying he signed 30 pro-life laws and presided over a state described by Americans United for Life as the most pro-life in the country. He also said abortion policies should include a focus on compassion, adoption and maternal care. Later in the debate, he touted his computer science education initiative in Arkansas.
Hutchinson distinguished himself in two ways. His big moment came when the Fox News moderators asked who would still support former President Trump, who was not at the debate, if he were convicted in court. Debate participants were required to sign a pledge that they will support the nominee whoever that is. Trump did not sign it.
Some of the candidates raised their hand immediately. Some did it slowly and seemingly reluctantly.
The only two who said they wouldn’t were Hutchinson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. When given a chance to talk at 54 minutes, Hutchinson said Trump was morally disqualified from being president because of his actions related to the riot at the U.S. Capitol, and he may be legally disqualified. The comment drew some boos. The former federal prosecutor said he won’t support someone for president who has been convicted of a serious felony, which the Republican National Committee’s rules would allow.
This was important. He and Christie have been the two most vocal Trump critics, along with former Vice President Mike Pence, who has had to thread the needle on the issue because of his association with Trump. When the candidates had to make a spur-of-the-moment decision, Hutchinson stood strong on his convictions. Maybe some of the party’s anti-Trump activists and donors took note.
The other way Hutchinson distinguished himself was by not getting involved in a lot of the squabbling back and forth among the other candidates. It meant he didn’t get as much air time, but it reinforced his selling point as the drama-free adult in the room.
Will any of this actually help him get elected? He’s still a major long shot, which is why he was on the edge of the stage.
But at least he gave people a reason to consider him, especially if they’re looking for one.
Steve Brawner is a syndicated columnist published in 13 outlets in Arkansas. Email him at brawnersteve@mac.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stevebrawner.
