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Photo by: The Associated Press. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown speaks after getting the endorsement from former New Hampshire governors, Steve Merrill, far left, and Craig Benson, far right, and U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, not seen, Tuesday, May 27, 2014 in Nashua, N.H. Brown is trying to unseat U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)[/caption]
Scott Brown’s Republican opponent in New Hampshire, Bob Smith, gets an A for effort with his spin on Brown’s Florida stock “scandal,” but a D for accuracy.
Brown resigned from the board of Global Digital Solutions Inc. and gave up his stock, which is now worth $500,000, since the company’s value has been cut in half over the past year.
By giving up the stock Brown is attempting to take the issue in the race for U.S. Senate in the Granite State off the table.
Yet Smith keeps pressing, telling Herald Radio his opponent has so much money that he can give up half a million dollars. He should park his truck and drive a Cadillac like other rich people, Smith insinuated.
“The issue is not that he did anything wrong, in the investment or anything like that, or resigning for that matter. The issue is when you walk away from $600,000 when the average New Hampshire resident is losing their health insurance and trying to make a living,” Smith added. “That kind of candidate doesn’t identify with the people of New Hampshire.”
The other paper in town tried to make Brown’s resignation from Global Digital the political gotcha of the week.
Not so fast.
From a strategic campaign perspective, I think Bob Smith is spot on. He’s trying to portray Scott Brown as the big Republican with deep pockets who doesn’t understand the concerns of residents from the “Live Free or Die” state.
The only problem is the spin and the reality don’t match up. Scott Brown is hedging his bets in order to become a U.S. senator. The stock could be worth nothing in the fall if this company doesn’t produce. He decided to invest in his political future instead.
Brown doesn’t want this board position and stock to be a campaign issue where he has to constantly answer questions about it. He’d rather focus on Obamacare and other problems facing Democrat U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
Everyone knows Brown came from a modest background, and he’s been able to make his own money through private ventures. It’s foolish to think that half a million dollars is not a lot of money to Scott Brown or frankly anyone. But in politics and in business you have to take bets in order to achieve your ultimate goal. For Brown, being U.S. senator is more important than $500,000.
A senior Brown adviser told the Herald Brown showed he’s “not going to let anything distract him from the issues that matter” and the job he covets.
Jaclyn Cashman is co-host of “Morning Meeting” on Boston Herald Radio.
Copyright © 2024 Jaclyn Cashman.
