5 donors supporting long-shot candidates

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The Hill :

An Arkansas poultry tycoon sends a $3 million check to Mike Huckabee's super-PAC. A Louisiana shipping magnate gives $1 million to the group supporting Bobby Jindal. And a cowboy hat-wearing evangelical multimillionaire says he will "definitely" spend more of his money on Rick Santorum.

 

A small number of wealthy conservatives are funding candidates whom conventional wisdom gives no chance of becoming the Republican presidential nominee in 2016.

 

The Hill dug into the records of these donors in an attempt to find out what motivates their lavish support for long-shot candidates. What emerges is a complicated blend of ideology, faith, business interests and what appears to be genuine personal affection.

 

Candice Nelson, a professor of government at American University who studies campaign finance, said she has seen no evidence that these large gifts to struggling candidates have been motivated by favors owed.

 

“I think it’s ideological,” Nelson said. She also mentioned a personal thrill that comes with proximity to power. “Nobody really thinks Huckabee or Jindal is going to win the nomination… [but] it’s sort of a heady thing to be on a first-name basis and getting phone calls from people who are running for president.”