Columnist Jeff German: Did Dario make the right call?

Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2002 | 11:20 a.m.

Dario Herrera says it's pumping up his struggling Democratic campaign for Congress against Jon Porter.

Republicans call it an act of desperation for a candidate who's running out of money and trailing their favorite son by double digits in the polls.

And one veteran political strategist says it has potential to become either the dumbest or smartest 11th-hour election ploy he's ever seen.

We're taking about Herrera's call during live televised debates with Porter on Friday and Sunday for voters to reach out and touch him through his cell phone.

Though it looked a bit juvenile, it came across as a good debate stunt that separated Herrera from the mudslinging in the race for Nevada's 3rd Congressional District.

Herrera seems to have figured out that negative campaigning is not helping him overcome Porter's lead in the polls.

The ploy, part of his strategy to go positive the rest of the campaign, may be coming too late to make up the difference by Nov. 5, but then Herrera probably has nothing to lose.

Herrera held up the cell phone during the debates, blurted out the number, 561-9300, and encouraged viewers to give him a buzz and chat about any issues in the race, even those driven by Republicans about his alleged ethical lapses.

Since then he claims to have taken more than 500 calls, including one from a columnist, who was shocked to reach him at 561-9300 Monday morning on the first try.

And the columnist didn't even have to ask, "Can you hear me now, Dario?"

"I wish I would have thought of this sooner," Herrera said during the 15-minute conversation, which was interrupted several times when the candidate broke away to answer other calls coming in on the phone.

Herrera insisted that most of the calls have been positive, but he acknowledged there have been negative ones, too, like those inquiring about his much-criticized inside efforts to obtain a consulting contract from the Las Vegas Housing Authority.

Many callers have stuck to the issues and asked constructive questions, such as where he stands on protecting Social Security, lowering the cost of prescription drugs and bringing military action against Iraq.

One man telephoned to resolve a bet on whether Herrera actually would answer the phone himself. Another called to ask a question just before casting an early ballot over the weekend.

Herrera said his campaign acquired the phone last week prior to the debates.

"We asked for the plan with the most minutes," he joked.

That would be 3,000 minutes a month for $159 a month, according to his staff.

Herrera prefers not to look at this as a political stunt.

He said it's part of his push the last two weeks to go directly to the voters.

Team Porter, however, isn't impressed with the strategy.

"It's a gimmick by a desperate campaign," said Mike Slanker, who is running Porter's campaign. "He's made mistakes, and that's all he's got left."

Herrera's biggest mistake, Slanker said, was blowing most of his money in August and September on television ads rather than saving it for the last month of the race.

Porter is outspending Herrera $750,000 to $400,000 on campaign spots this month, Slanker said.

Don Williams, a veteran political strategist who's not involved in this race, said Herrera could be making the "dumbest political mistake in the history of the world" by giving out the phone number.

"Anybody with any brains would keep that line tied up so he couldn't get anything done," Williams said.

On the other hand, Williams added: "If his opponent is dumb enough to let him get away with it, it's going to be a good move."

Whether it will be good enough to put Herrera over the top on Election Day remains to be seen.

If Herrera can cut through the crazies, conspiracy nuts and GOP operatives and continue to reach voters, then it has potential.

The voters, after all, rarely get this kind of opportunity to talk directly to a congressional candidate.

It may be an act of desperation, but that doesn't mean it can't work.