Linda McMahon Sticking With Strategy Of Targeting Women

Linda McMahon has had a political problem with some women.

In her 2010 race for the U.S. Senate, many women voted for Democrat Richard Blumenthal over McMahon, the wrestling entrepreneur from Greenwich.

In the current election cycle, McMahon has held a large number of meetings specifically with women. There are literally no men at many of the meetings.

In a recent interview with Capitol Watch, McMahon said she will continue that strategy throughout the summer and into the fall if she wins the August 14 primary against former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays of Bridgeport.

“I’m meeting with small groups – a lot of women’s groups,” McMahon said. “We have these conversations or coffees with Linda. We’ve done over 100, I guess, so far. We’re doing, sometimes, two a day. They’re very, very effective. You get up close and personal, and you really get to meet and sit down and talk to different women’s groups. We’ve been using a lot of social media to get that word out.’’

Concerning the future, she said, “We’ll continue all through the summer. Some of the groups are 70 to 75. Some of them are a dozen. … I’m on the road every day. Most of the time I get home around 10:30 or 11 at night. … I’ve toured over 125 small businesses. That really allows me to listen to the issues that small businesses have.’’

After spending $50 million of her own money in 2010, McMahon became a household name in Connecticut as her brochures filled up the mailboxes of many households. So, what is the difference the 2010 and 2012 races?

“From my standpoint, I clearly now have name recognition in the race,’’ McMahon said. “I really had to build that in the first race. Richard Blumenthal was clearly an icon in the state, who had over 20 years of political capital that he had built up around the state. The Democratic opponent, if it turns out to be Chris Murphy, has district recognition, but he has not run a statewide race. If he is the candidate, he has to sort of overcome that. Susan Bysiewicz was secretary of state. She does have statewide recognition. So, she doesn’t have to overcome that hurdle. I believe a lot more people have gotten to know me since the last race.’’

The Hartford Courant’s Daniela Altimari reports that McMahon’s name came up Thursday morning during a lengthy Democratic debate at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. When asked why they are undertaking the rigors of running for the Senate, both Bysiewicz and Murphy mentioned their children–and McMahon, the wealthy former CEO of WWE, a wrestling and entertainment company.

“I just couldn’t allow somebody like Linda McMahon to buy this election,” Murphy said near the end of the debate.

Bysiewicz added, ”I’ll be darned if I let someone who sells sex and violence and pornography for a living be our next United States Senator. … We have to send the right woman to Washington.”

But McMahon’s campaign issued a response soon after that included a picture of Bysiewicz at a WWE get-out-the-vote effort.

“It’s amazing how memories fade when you’re a professional politician. Susan Bysiewicz is no different,” said Erin Isaac, a campaign spokeswoman. “In this morning’s debate, Susan launched a misguided attack on Linda McMahon that was dishonest and disingenuous. You see, Susan Bysiewicz was not only a strong supporter of WWE’s “Smackdown Your Vote” campaign, she also participated in events at local high schools with the WWE and some of its stars.”   
 
Isaac noted that Bysiewicz had been quoted in a WWE press release at the time. The quote by Bysiewicz was: “The distrust and cynicism toward politics and government among young people represents a trend that must be challenged, and Smackdown Your Vote! is doing just that.”

Isaac added, “Surprisingly, Susan not only supported Linda McMahon’s appointment to the State Board of Education, she wrote a letter to the Governor advocating her appointment!”