V23|NO26
“Wright has interjected his military record for himself,” she says. “No other candidate did this.” As for McLeod and his wife contributing $10,000 to Democrat Rob Teilhet’s run for attorney general, she calls it “absolutely unacceptable,” given how a Democratic attorney general could affect the state’s ability to fight President Obama’s healthcare plan. Sheffield is equally hard on Allen, who also donated to Democratic candidates, in particular to imprisoned State Senator Charles Walker’s son, Champ. “I appreciate he’s a businessman,” she says. “He gets government contracts and there’s a political machine in place that makes that happen, but it’s inexcusable in my opinion.” Given the consequences, financial contributions, she says, should go beyond friendship and business relationships. “It’s the direction of this country,” she says. She characterizes Lee Anderson, the most established conservative in the race, as a career politician who has failed to distinguish himself despite his years in elected office. “If you’re not leading on issues in this state, if you’re not known for something substantial or fundamental — what are you going to do when you get to Washington?” she asks. “Talk about being a little fish in a big pond — casting a vote is not enough. You’ve got to fight for those things that are fundamentally important to you because that’s what being a representative is all about.” Part of Sheffield’s social media campaign rests on her policy statements, which she’s made available in video form. She hopes her relatively comprehensive statements will stand out from the shorter policy statements often employed on candidates’ websites. She has statements on jobs, education and national security, but she’s especially passionate about the idea of tax reform. “When Congress is changing the tax code every two months, small businesses cannot plan for that,” she says. “We could spend the rest of our lives tweaking our tax code and be almost no further down the road [to tax reform] than we are today.”
12 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Though she is supportive of both the Fair Tax and the 999 Plan, she stresses that the important thing right now is to make sure tax reform remains in the spotlight. While politically staunch, she’s also pragmatic enough to remain nimble. After a recent appearance on the Austin Rhodes Show, Sheffield quickly posted a policy regarding the Corps of Engineers’ management of Clarks Hill Lake that fell in line with the host’s position. “It was not, in all honesty, something I had taken and developed like some of those other issues, but I think in talking with him and him asking that question, it’s a complaint that I’ve certainly heard.” Though still considered a long shot, she remains optimistic that, compared to the three men, she is the candidate most able to go headto-head with John Barrow this fall. “You know what a liberal man fears the most,” she jokes. “A strong, conservative woman.” Barrow, she says, has been intentionally deceptive about his true position regarding the president’s policies. “I think it’s unacceptable for him to say that he’s working hand in hand with President Obama and then, when he comes to the district, he says he doesn’t necessarily support the administration,” she says. “He is a prime example of a career politician and why, I think, Congress has a nine percent approval rating.” She acknowledges Barrow’s ability to effectively walk the tightrope between a Democratic team player and an independent-minded voter, but continues to believe that the advantages lie with the Republicans when it comes to the general election. Not only was the district redrawn to give Republicans an eight percent advantage, she says the Democratic National Committee appears to be leaving Barrow unprotected, while the Republican National Committee has allocated $900,000 into the media market for the November election. “As a candidate, that’s almost a dream come true,” she says. “I do believe his days in political office are numbered, and I’m ready for that general election.”
28JUNE2012