Farming for dollars
by Chris Bull, senior political correspondent
If money is the lifeblood of American politics, then Bob Farmer is the Democrats' arteries, veins and heart.
The openly gay Farmer is national treasurer for John Kerry's presidential campaign, which has raised a whopping $204 million. That cash infusion has allowed Kerry to level the playing field, at least financially, against President Bush, a prodigious fund-raiser in his own right.
Farmer, 65, brings a wealth of experience to political fund-raising. He served in the same capacity for the Democratic presidential campaigns of John Glenn, Michael Dukakis and Bill Clinton, who sent him to Bermuda as U.S. envoy and became his golfing partner.
In 2000, at his Miami Beach condo, I conducted Farmer's first coming-out interview. At the time, he was disappointed that he had not been asked to lead Al Gore's fund-raising team.
This year, as Kerry's campaign swings into the home stretch, Farmer is back in top form. Bull's Eye spoke to Farmer about gay dollars, same-sex marriage, his kickboxer boyfriend and his double dates with his old friend, John Kerry.
Kerry has raised a lot more money than expected.
In August 2000 we laid down a business plan at my place in Miami. The goal was to raise enough to win the primaries and then allow him to compete in the general election with the Bush fund-raising machine. I set up an office and apartment in Washington, D.C. Since then I've had 2,300 meetings across the country. I can now say that we will be able to compete financially with the president up to Nov. 2.
What's the key?
We owe a depth of gratitude to Howard Dean. He brought a lot of people into the process. He showed us how to use the Internet as an effective fund-raising tool. It helped that he made the decision to opt out of federal matching funds, which would have limited our fund-raising. When we were struggling to raise money in the primary, Kerry took a big risk in loaning the campaign $6 million of his own money. Of course, much has been made about the wealth of his wife, Teresa Heinz. But to Kerry, that money was his kids' inheritance.
Jeff Trammell in 2000 got all this going when Al Gore asked him to raise money in the gay community. Andy Tobias did a terrific job as Democratic National Committee treasurer. Like a lot of minority groups, we realized that one of the best ways of making a difference was through political donations. This is a sign that we are becoming more mature and politically sophisticated. I remember being in Dallas with a fund-raiser who said that he now ranks the gay community as one of the four legs of the Democratic stool, along with Jews, liberals and business.
You've been doing this since 1982 with John Glenn. How has the business of politics changed?
Who'd have guessed how much all of this would have changed in 20 years? We've made so much progress as a community, but we are up against a president who wants to take us back to the past. This is a choice between a president who will fight for us and one who uses us as a wedge to fire up his base.
What can you tell us about John Kerry that we don't already know?
I've known John for 30 years now. He's a close personal friend. Plenty of people have surmised this already, but I can tell you firsthand that he's the least bigoted person I know.
John is a lot like Clinton. He's a policy wonk who loves the political process. His passion is politics. A few months before he announced his candidacy, I had dinner with him at the Palms here in Washington. I said, "John, what do you need this for? You have a great life, a beautiful wife, a prestigious job, plenty of money. You have your athletics. Why do want to spend the next couple of years getting beat up, losing your privacy? It will be a living hell."
He said, "These guys in the White House are going in the wrong direction." It's really that simple with him.
You've described your coming-out experiences with other national figures. Did you have one with Kerry?
He's one of the people you don't have to tell. He just always knew. I got to know him best when I was finance chair for Michael Dukakis and he was lieutenant governor. We'd have dinner once a week. He was single then, and he'd bring along a lady friend. I'd be with my partner, Tim McNeill. We spent a lot of time together. Before he was sworn into the Senate, we chartered a boat and spent a week in the Caribbean with him. Spending time with him just feels natural.
Kerry has a picture-perfect gay-rights voting record in the Senate. Is it frustrating that the focus is often on his opposition to same-sex marriage?
We have a situation where the other guy is trying to use us as a wedge issue in this campaign. There just isn't any choice between these two candidates. I mean, even the Log Cabin Republicans can't bring themselves to endorse Bush.
But Kerry isn't connecting to gay voters like Clinton did.
Clinton is one of the most extraordinary politicians of his generation, of any generation. He connected to voters across the board like nobody ever has. When you are voting for president, you want someone you can respect and who has a plan to make the country a better place. That's what we have here.
Have you ever spoken to Kerry about his opposition to same-sex marriage?
John knows where I am, and I know where he is. We don't talk about it. I'm not a policy person.
What explains his position?
It's a generational thing. Even I don't feel as strongly as many younger gay people about the issue. Of course people should have equal rights and civil unions. But I'm going to be 66 in a few days. It just doesn't seem like a front burner.
Kerry is struggling at the polls.
In August we spent no money, and the Swift Boat sleaze people attacked us hard. Everyone knows that George Bush is no damn good, so all he can do is attack the other side. Now that we are back on the air and we have plenty of money, I think you will see the Bush bounce collapse.
The Swift Boat attacks reminded a lot of people of the way GOP operatives used Willie Horton against Michael Dukakis in 1988. You were in that campaign.
It's definitely Willie Horton revisited. All I can say is that they seem to sink to new lows I couldn't even imagine.
For many years Massachusetts was your home. It may well be the most pro-gay state in the country. But in national politics, it's the GOP whipping boy.
Really the state is a microcosm of the nation. We have people across the spectrum, including Republican governors for the last 12 years. But there is widespread respect for equal rights, something the rest of the country should emulate.
Now Kerry has the money. But can he win?
It all boils down to one point: Whoever gets the base out wins. We have to get out the gay community. We have to reach all our friends and colleagues.
Are you enjoying this campaign?
I'm a little old, so I think this will be my last. Campaigns are for young people. At one point I was flying all around the country meeting potential fund-raisers for a couple of weeks. When I got home I went to bed for 24 hours. I haven't seen too much of Tom.
Tom?
Tom Winston is my partner. He's 35 -- the former three-time kickboxing champion of Ireland.
You had a Clinton ambassadorship. Bush named an openly gay man, Michael Guest, to one as well. So the president couldn't be all bad, right?
I'll leave that for others to decide. My job isn't to search high and low for things George Bush has done well.
If Kerry does win, wouldn't you be in a great position for a high-level post?
I would serve, if asked, where John thought I could be helpful.
How about becoming the first openly gay cabinet member?
Wherever John thought I could be helpful.
Bob Farmer. Look him up. |
