SFGATE: Graham begs Fox News viewers in unusual plea for campaign cash
Published on September 26, 2020 at 04:24AM by Paul Farhi, The Washington Post
Lindsey Graham apparently needs money for his Senate reelection campaign. And so the South Carolina Republican has taken his appeal for funds to an unusual venue: cable news.
Specifically, Fox News. In a pair of interviews on the network on Thursday, Graham pleaded with Fox viewers for campaign cash, in an emotional appeal almost as weepy as Jerry Lewis in one of the later hours of his old charity telethons.
"I'm getting overwhelmed," he told prime-time host Sean Hannity. Then, he turned to Hannity's viewers, adding: "Help me. They're killing me moneywise. Help me. You did last week. Help me again."
A few hours earlier, on the "Fox & Friends" morning program, Graham delivered a similar message. "My opponent [Democrat Jaime Harrison] will raise almost $100 million," he said. "I'm being killed financially. This money is 'cause they hate my guts," he said, apparently referring to Democrats.
Politicians appearing on TV news often sneak in a reference to their campaign websites in an effort to attract supporters and their contributions. But such a direct appeal for donations, especially in a news interview on such a high-profile venue as Fox, is rare.
Fox has often been accused by critics of favoring Republicans, and President Donald Trump in particular. Frequent appearances on the network can help boost a candidate's profile and conservative bona fides.
But it doesn't regularly feature politicians using their airtime to advance fundraising goals. Graham's comments assume Fox's audience is sympathetic to him and supports his reelection.
As it was, Graham's reelection campaign wasn't even the intended topic when he was booked on Fox, according to a network spokesperson. The ostensible reasons for interviewing him were to elicit his comments on a Senate report about...
Comments
Post a Comment