Lessons from Cal

by | Nov 13, 2020 | 2020 elections, Editor's Blog | 13 comments

Cal Cunningham very likely cost Democrats control of the U.S. Senate. He was running against an unpopular incumbent and led by a significant margin for most of the race. In poll after poll, he outperformed Joe Biden, but when the votes were tallied, the president-elect outperformed him. The affair was the turning point. 

Had Cunningham’s affair happened before he was a candidate for U.S. Senate, he might be forgiven. Marriages have problems and infidelity is not uncommon. However, Cunningham intentionally set up a rendezvous months after he became the Democratic nominee and in the midst of a general election campaign in one of the most important races in the country. That indicates more than just poor judgment. It shows an arrogance and narcissism that’s probably indicative of some sort of personality disorder.  

Cunningham is a substance-free politician. In the primary against Elaine Marshall in 2010, I called him a “walking talking point.” I stand by that characterization. He didn’t bring any significant accomplishments to the race, other than one term in the state senate almost 20 years ago. His thin resume made his time in the Army reserve the centerpiece of his campaign, something that impressed Chuck Schumer more than the people of North Carolina.

Schumer and Washington politicians always think military credentials play well in North Carolina. The evidence doesn’t bear that out. If my recollection is right, the last veteran to win statewide office in North Carolina was Terry Sanford more than 30 years ago. Cunningham joins a long list of unsuccessful candidates who ran on their military background. 

In a state full of veterans and active duty service members, military experience is a great qualifier, but it’s not enough to be the basis of a campaign. In North Carolina, we have great respect for people who serve, but we also know that military experience does not necessarily make for better judgement, superior intelligence, or political savvy. What makes our veterans and military special is that they are just regular people, not necessarily exceptional ones, willing to put themselves in harm’s way for the good of the country. 

Cunningham brought nothing extraordinary to the campaign and plenty of warning signs of his narcissism. While he’s always kept himself visible in Democratic fundraising circles, he rarely offered any help to other Democratic candidates. Instead, his interest was self-promotion. He was in a video highlighting veterans for Barack Obama, but he was never doing any lifting for local candidates who needed a hand.  

To be fair, Cunningham was never the first choice of the political establishment. They wanted Josh Stein, Anthony Foxx or a woman to run for the seat. They dismissed Erica Smith-Ingram because of her weak fundraising and some personal baggage. Several other people auditioned for the spot, but Schumer and company settled on Cunningham because of his fundraising prowess. At the time, he was a candidate for lieutenant governor who had raised a lot of cash. That was his chief selling point.

Candidates who want to run for office should not wait for the blessing of the political establishment. In the current environment, that support can be as much of a liability as a blessing. If this cycle showed us anything, it’s that Democrats can now raise money directly from small donors and bypass the traditional fundraising networks. They may need establishment support in a competitive general election, but savvy candidates can certainly beat the establishment in Democratic primaries. Just ask Elaine Marshall.  

We can learn from the Cal Cunningham’s debacle. He’s a guy who has always wanted to be something more than he’s wanted to do something. In the future, Democrats should look for substance and accomplishments in their candidates. While military service is a great qualifier, it’s not the basis for a campaign unless the candidate’s military career shows exceptional leadership. North Carolinians have a better sense of the state than the Washington establishment. People who want to run for office should just do it instead of waiting for the blessings of would-be king or queen makers. With the right campaign and right profile, the resources will be there. Most of all, when you see a lawyer with a thin resume and boyish good looks who spouts talking points instead of speaking from the heart, run the other way. 

13 Comments

  1. Kay House

    Norma Munn, That’s a quotation from Joseph de Maistre, a Savoyard philosopher (1753-1821) translated from the French of his Letter #76 about the new Russian constitution. It is apparently attributed mistakenly to Alexis de Toqueville and Thomas Jefferson, probably because they read and quoted it.

  2. Norma Munn

    Interesting commentary. No, Schumer & CO. should never be choosing NC candidates.

    As for the polls, even my mistrust did not prepare me for the Collins/Gideon debacle. Nor did I expect over 72 million people to vote for a liar whose primary purpose in office is to make more money, tweet, fire people who point our his lies, and be on TV.

    I recall an opening sentence from a chapter in a some long forgotten book required for a philosophy class which seems to apply: “A people gets the leaders they deserve.” (If anyone recognized this and can identify it, please feel free. My memory may not be exact, but the meaning is definitely right.).

    It leaves me wondering if our problems are not more serious than we are acknowledging.

  3. mightymass222 (@mightymass222)

    cunnignham touted his military experience and how he ran into battle but . when he had had an affair in the middle of a senate run ( stupid, arrogant, reflects a damaged personality) and had to fight to win NC in his senate race, he folded and ran. a cowardly act followed by another. he stopped campaigning and just yelled. “i want health care for you. ” he acted like a coward. his true personality was on display and as bad and awful as tillis is , many saw him as better than cunningham. so thanks cal, you really fuc^ed up and we pay for it.

  4. Ruth Bromer

    I agree with Thomas Mills 100%. Yes the polls were way off, but I’ve been pretty angry for over a year since I found out that Chuck Schumer chose Cal Cunningham and told others to back off. It’s reasons like this that I don’t support the national organizations anymore.

  5. Lindsey Hedrick

    I agree with this article. Cunningham’s arrogance and his stupidity just before the election are unbelievable. I am still angry about that. I voted for him because anyone would be better for NC than Tillis, but his loss was his own idiotic fault.

  6. Siobhan Millen

    I agree the polls were off, but I think Thomas’s commentary is right on. NC voters are not wowed by a transparently ambitious white guy with military experience any more, if they ever were. We need to nominate candidates who are passionate about improving the material aspects of people’s lives. And a woman or a minority would be a plus. The days of the over-considered, safe, pre-digested candidate are numbered.

  7. George Greene

    Commentary like this makes me glad I’m not smart enough to become a commentator. Cunningham’s polls may have “turned”, but they didn’t plummet, after announcement of the affair There was ALSO a 7-point polling error in THE OTHER key Senate race — Gideon v. Collins in Maine — withOUT that excuse. All Democratic statewide candidates under-performed. Josh Stein wasn’t supposed to be this close. Cheri Beasley wasn’t supposed to lose. THE VOTERS are MORE to be blamed than Cunningham IF the affair caused the defeat, but I repeat, Sara Gideon didn’t have an affair, and she too “under-performed” the polls. This is just simplistic speculation.

    One thing I think we should all agree on, though, is that the DSCC and the DCCC Should Stay The Hell Out of NC primaries.

  8. Linda Watt

    So 2022 is coming up, and Burr says he is retiring. Who is out there who can win?

    • j bengel

      There’s been discussion about Jeff Jackson down in Mecklenburg Co. I get his newsletters (among others) and he seems like a standup guy. He’s another youngish white guy with a military background, but he does seem to back that with some substance. Not living in his district all I know is what I read, but if Burr were running I’m not sure I’d like his chances – insider trading charges notwithstanding (since they’ll be forgotten by then anyway). A race for an en seat, though, could be a different animal.

      • Ruth Bromer

        I know Jeff Jackson and he is really good. I see something big in his future.

        • Shirley

          He had better keep his pants zipped!

    • Chester Vogel

      Bishop Barber, Roy Cooper, or Josh Stein

      • Kay House

        I’m for Roy, if he’s willing to run while he’s finishing up his term as Governor! (We need to run Josh for Governor.)

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