Posted by What they know on 10/30/08

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Small and larger business community increasingly see Obama
as the answer to the economic woes

By Ken Dilanian, USA TODAY
October 28, 2008

"I would rather pay a little higher tax on a higher profit
than a lower tax rate on lower profits."

WASHINGTON — Dan Cooper, a proud member of the National
Rifle Association, has backed Republicans for most of his
life. He's the chief executive of Cooper Arms, a small
Montana company that makes hunting rifles.

Cooper said he voted for George W. Bush in 2000, having
voted in past elections for every Republican presidential
nominee back to Richard Nixon. In October 1992, he
presented a specially made rifle to the first President
Bush during a Billings campaign event.

This year, Cooper has given $3,300 to the campaign of
Democrat Barack Obama. That's on top of the $1,000 check he
wrote to Obama's U.S. Senate campaign in 2004.

He also likes Obama's message about "the retooling of
America, which involves the building of middle-class jobs
and helping American small business be competitive with
those overseas."

Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt noted that unlike Obama, McCain
accepts money from federal lobbyists.

"Our campaign has been funded by more than 3.1 million
Americans who gave an average of $86," he said.

Mary Kay Cashman runs a Caterpillar franchise in Nevada.
She has given $68,600 to Republican candidates over the
years, including $2,000 to Bush in 2003. This year, she
changed her registration to Democrat to caucus for Obama in
the Nevada primary.

"There's an abundant amount of evidence that the status quo
isn't working and the direction needs to be changed," she
said. Asked why she didn't support Democrat Al Gore in 2000
or Kerry in 2004, she said, "There are personality traits
that are required in a leader, and neither Gore nor Kerry
had those."

Bill Struve runs a small business in Wilmington, N.C., that
develops metal clay, which is used in making jewelry. He
said the only time he hasn't backed a Republican for
president is when he cast a vote for independent Ross Perot
in 1992. He has given Obama $2,300 this year. "The
Republicans have … lost their footing on economics," he
said.

Bob Clark of Missouri and Victor Hammel of Pennsylvania are
CEOs of large businesses who tend to back Democrats but
also donate to Republicans. Clark runs Clayco, a St. Louis
real estate development firm. Hammel leads J.C. Ehrlich, a
pest-control company based in Reading, Pa..

They are the types McCain had hoped to attract. Instead,
Clark, who raised thousands for Bush in 2000, has raised
more than $500,000 for Obama. And Hammel, who regularly
gives money to Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, has donated
$2,300 to Obama.

"Barack is definitely more liberal than I am," Clark
said. "But I'm willing to compromise on some of those
issues for what I think is the greater good."

Hammel said, "I would rather pay a little higher tax on a
higher profit than a lower tax rate on lower profits."

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