GOP candidates lag in money, visibility

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CORRECTION

A front-page story Sunday about the Republican primary for governor listed an incorrect location for a debate between the candidates. The debate Saturday will be at High Point University.

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The Republican candidates for North Carolina governor are going to unusual lengths to get attention.

Fred Smith is sending his autobiography to households across the state. Bill Graham has created what he calls "Graham's Orange Army." And Bob Orr has been holding court every Tuesday morning at Big Ed's restaurant in downtown Raleigh for his "pancakes and politics" breakfast.

But, so far, the reaction of most Republican voters has been a collective shrug. Most of them have not made up their minds, polls show. And those who have are evenly divided among the three candidates.

The candidates are also having difficulty raising money for the primary, which comes in May. The two Democratic candidates, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue and State Treasurer Richard Moore, have raised $8.4 million. The three Republicans have raised $486,000.

"The Democrats are the 'A' movie, and the Republicans are the 'B' movie," said Carter Wrenn, a veteran GOP strategist. "It's kind of shocking how much the Democrats have out-raised the Republicans."

But some Republicans cite two reasons their situation is better than it appears: Democratic scandals in Raleigh and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Tom Fetzer, a strategist for Graham, says Clinton would be a drag on the state Democratic ticket if she won the Democratic nomination for president.

"If past history is a guide, she is going to get 40 percent of the vote in North Carolina," Fetzer said of Clinton. "When Republicans get in the high 50s or the low 60s, the Republicans wreak havoc."

The Republican candidates will meet for their first debate Saturday at Elon University.

"It's so open at the moment and there are so many undecided, the campaign essentially hasn't started, whereas the Democratic campaign has been going for a while," said Andy Taylor, a political science professor at N.C. State University.