OHIO TREK Fingerhut follows line of political walkers

Some experts say if the stunt is perceived as being 'hokey,' it can backfire.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrat Eric Fingerhut's 335-mile trek across Ohio follows in the footsteps of politicians who proved three decades ago that there's power in walking the walk.
Look at Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, whom voters chose as governor after his 1,000-mile hike across the state in 1978, or Lawton Chiles, who is remembered for his 1,003-mile jaunt across Florida that propelled him to the U.S. Senate in 1970.
But in today's era of Internet savvy voters and televised campaigns, political observers are skeptical that tactics such as Fingerhut's cross-state walk still work -- or whether it will help him overtake incumbent Republican Sen. George Voinovich.
By walking across one's state -- or flying in hot air balloons, going to state fairs or holding hunger strikes -- candidates are trying to show voters that they'll go the extra mile, but they run the risk of appearing "contrived or hokey," said Robert Schmuhl, who teaches classes on personality and politics at the University of Notre Dame.
"Whenever someone in politics does something that the public perceives as a stunt, the backlash ends up making it not worth it," Schmuhl said.
Didn't help him
Earlier this year, Dan Barrett marched 582 miles across North Carolina as part of his long-shot gubernatorial race against five more-seasoned Republicans. He promised to be the "people's governor," but the expedition garnered him less than 5 percent in the state's primary election.
In a more evenly matched race in 2002, former U.S. Rep. Jill Long Thompson walked 100 miles across her Indiana district. Still, the contrast between the Democrat and her Humvee-driving opponent wasn't enough to win her the election.
"When Lawton Chiles walked across Florida, it was pretty novel. Not many people had done that, so it attracted a lot of attention," said John Green, director of the University of Akron's Ray C. Bliss Institute for Applied Politics.
It also worked for Democrat Dan Walker, who copied Chiles and in 1972 walked 1,200 miles across Illinois to win election as governor. Doris "Granny D" Haddock gained national fame five years ago when the 94-year-old walked 3,200 miles across the country as a crusader for campaign finance reform.
"When candidates perform these stunts, a lot of times it helps them, but it depends on how it's carried out," Green said. "Sometimes, they look like idiots and they backfire. Other times, they don't get the media attention they want."
Other factors
Ross Baker, a Rutgers University specialist on Congress, said the success also depends on who the candidate is running against and what they need to win the race.
"If it's an open seat and the candidate is not very well known, it does raise that person's visibility," Baker said.
Running against a well-funded incumbent such as Voinovich is a different story.
"People really need a compelling reason to throw out a popular incumbent," Baker said. "A cross-state walk raises your visibility, but it doesn't clinch the deal. It's a technique, not a position."
Fingerhut, a state senator from Cleveland, is betting that enough Ohioans want a change that his journey will energize voters to go out to the polls on Nov. 2 and elect a senator who's willing to "walk in their shoes" and listen to their ideas.
"People are very smart. They are not going to vote for me because I walked across the state of Ohio, they are going to vote for me because they are looking for new leadership," he said, adding that before him, no politician in recent history had walked the entire state.
Kucinich bowed out
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, attempted a cross-state jaunt when he ran for governor in 1986, but about halfway through, he quit the walk and dropped out of the race.
"I understand what we're up against," said Fingerhut, who by June 30 had raised about $862,000 to Voinovich's $7.9 million.
"You have a senator that obviously pleases the interest groups in Washington ... so for people to hear me, they are going to have to hear me in a different way, meet me in a different way," he said.
Voinovich spokeswoman Marcie Ridgway said the former Cleveland mayor and two-term Ohio governor has spent more than 30 years listening to Ohio voters. Fingerhut's 22-day walk is like taking a crash course to learn about the state, she said.
Voinovich is planning his own excursion across the state -- by bus.