By Aleasha Sandley, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
ANDERSON — Although Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama’s campaign has broken the presidential campaign fundraising record, more Madison County voters have put their money behind his opponent, Republican nominee John McCain.
The county had 13 campaign contributors who donated $1,000 or more to McCain’s campaign, as opposed to six who did so for Obama, according to opensecrets.org, the Web site for the Center for Responsive Politics.
For Anderson business owner John Raine, McCain was the natural choice to make decisions that would back his business, Raine Inc., which makes military field gear and law enforcement equipment.
“There’s a silent partner to business,” said Raine, who donated $2,000 to McCain’s campaign. “He wears a top hat and he’s called Uncle Sam. That’s why I have to get involved. I don’t want to but I have to, because it’s a huge component of running a business these days.”
Raine, whose business has 14 employees and has been in Anderson since 1994, said he has donated every election cycle for the past 20 years.
“I always try to support candidates that are strongly pro-free enterprise, someone that’s going to protect the traditions of what has made America great,” he said.
Raine also has gotten involved with the National Federation of Independent Business, a small business advocacy organization. He tries to communicate with local politicians about small business issues and also gives his support to Indiana governor candidate Mitch Daniels and others who support free enterprise.
Summitville resident Lisa Dykhoff is just as adamant about supporting her choice for president, Obama. Dykhoff contributed $1,600 to Obama, according to opensecrets.org.
Always a voter, Dykhoff got involved with campaign contributions in 2004 in support of Howard Dean. When her daughter, Jillian, graduated from Indiana University and went to work for the Obama campaign, he became Dykhoff’s candidate of choice.
“Barack Obama became our candidate very early,” she said. “I have just been more and more impressed with him over time. He’s been steady and a sober voice through hard times. I’ve also been more impressed with his attempt to bring more people into the process and widen the election map to more of the entire country as opposed to the normal swing states.
“Who would have ever thought that (Indiana) could possibly be choosing the next president of the United States?”
Dykhoff has been working since 2004 trying to turn Indiana to a blue state, helping with Statehouse races, as well as the presidential election. This year she has supported Democratic candidates Barry Welsh for the U.S. House of Representatives and LeeAnn Mengelt for the Indiana House District 35 seat. She also has donated to governor candidate Jill Long Thompson.
“It does make you feel like you have ownership in not just the outcome of the race but in how that person governs,” Dykhoff said. “I thought it was a good investment in democracy.”
In the presidential race, Obama had raised $603 million and McCain had raised $358 million as of Oct. 20. Obama had raised $901,991 in Indiana, about 0.58 percent of his total funding. McCain had raised $527,607 in the state, about 0.67 percent of his total.
In the Indiana governor’s race, Daniels raised about $8.4 million, while Thompson had come up with nearly $4.1 million, according to indianacampaignfinance.com.
Anderson doctor Saiful Kabir said he had been donating to political campaigns for 10 to 15 years, but his $2,000 donation to Obama’s campaign this year was his first gift to a presidential candidate.
“It’s more than supporting really,” Kabir said. “This is more than voting. You just want to make sure the party or candidate you’re supporting, make sure he wins. To win elections you need financial support.”
Donors to presidential, gubernatorial campaigns ($1,000 or more)
• John McCain (president)
Jeanne Bowen, William Hardacre, Fred Spottsville, William McManigell, John Raine and Doug Shuck, all of Anderson; Ralph Amos and Michael Kluth, both of Alexandria; John Weber and Jay Ricker, both of Pendleton; Brian Reichart, of Frankton; and David Brasher, of Ingalls. (Source: opensecrets.org)
• Barack Obama (president)
Jared Jones, Thomas Hamer, Saiful Kabir, Robert Beck-Coon and Ronald Wolff, all of Anderson; and Lisa Dykhoff, of Summitville. (Source: opensecrets.org)
• Mitch Daniels (governor)
Bobbette Snyder, Jeanne Bowen, John Paugh, Larry Contos, William Van Ness and William Hardacre, all of Anderson. (Source: indianacampaignfinance.com)
• Jill Long Thompson (governor)
None. (Source: indianacampaignfinance.com)
