If you’re a die-hard Donald Trump supporter, you will spend most of the 4-day Republican convention in Cleveland listening to the speakers at the podium.
If you’re a struggling GOP candidate for U.S. Senate, you will barely step foot in the Quicken Loans Arena and instead go from event to event shilling for campaign contributions from the delegates.
A reporter for the Center for Public Integrity talked with Louisiana Senate candidate Rob Maness, a retired Air Force colonel, in Cleveland on Sunday about his schedule for the coming days. Maness said that he hopes to attend about 35 fundraisers, parties and meet-and-greets before the convention is gaveled to a close.
For Maness, one of several Republicans vying to succeed outgoing GOP Sen. David Vitter, the nominating convention is all about the money. And Cleveland represents the biggest assemblage of GOP donors anywhere in the nation.
“Look, everyone you want to see is all here at once. I’m just hoping we get in touch with the right folks here. It saves a lot of time and effort,” he told the Center’s Dave Levinthal.
What about the party platform? The rules fight? The nominating speeches extolling Trump?
Maness smiled and said, “Everything is about fundraising.”
