What A Difference One Word Makes During Election Season

If anyone in Guilford County politics needed a lesson on the difference that a single word can make – well, they just got one thanks to Jeff Phillips, the Republican candidate for the District 5 seat on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.

The word at the heart of the matter is "endorsement," and the controversy began last week when Phillips posted on his campaign website and his Facebook page that Sixth District Congressman Howard Coble had endorsed him in the District 5 commissioners race against Democratic Commissioner Paul Gibson.

In addition to posting the endorsement claim online, Phillips' campaign also sent out a mass email touting Coble's endorsement.

But there was one problem: Coble hadn't endorsed Phillips. In fact, Coble had specifically struck the word "endorse" from a statement Coble had agreed to sign. Phillips had submitted the suggested statement to Coble for approval after Coble agreed to make a positive comment about Phillips.

Over a month ago, Phillips approached Coble and asked him for his endorsement in the District 5 race – a big political prize, since Coble is widely respected and since he's stingy with his political endorsements.

Though Coble wouldn't endorse Phillips, he did agree to be photographed with Phillips and he also agreed to sign a positive statement about him.

When Phillips approached Coble and asked him for a statement of support, Ed McDonald, Coble's chief of staff and press secretary, told Phillips to "Send something over" so Coble could consider the statement and revise it as needed.

The statement Phillips sent for Coble to sign said that Phillips was an informed candidate who had the best interest of the county's citizens at heart. It also said Coble endorsed Phillips – however, Coble struck the language about endorsing Phillips out and made some other revisions in the text.

This is the statement that was finally agreed upon: "As a resident of Guilford County, I know that the same spending and debt problems that exist in Washington are here, locally, in Guilford. I know Jeff to be knowledgeable about the issues, disciplined in his solutions to the problems we face, and caring of the citizens he will represent as Guilford County Commissioner. Congressman Howard Coble."

That message, along with a picture of Coble and Phillips shaking hands, was posted on Phillips' website. The headline that was posted over the comment announced that Coble "endorses" Phillips.

After Coble made it known that he had not endorsed Phillips but instead had merely offered a nice statement about him, Phillips changed that headline to "Congressman Howard Coble Comments on Phillips Candidacy."

About the same time the supposed endorsement was posted on Phillips' website, the email was also sent out stating that Coble had endorsed Phillips.

That email has a picture of Phillips by himself at the top, and, in big letters, it has Phillips' name along with the phrase "Limited Government."

The email reads:

Dear Friends,

It is with with [sic] great honor and sincere appreciation that I have received the endorsement of Congressman Howard Coble.

Please go to the following link to see Congressman Coble's comments about me and my candidacy for Guilford County Commissioner.

Congressman Coble Endorses Phillips [These four words are a link to the picture of the two men shaking hands and Coble's statement about Phillips.]

Thank you for your support!

Best Regards, Jeff Phillips

Republican Nominee

Guilford County Commissioner, District 5

A News & Record article also stated that Phillips had told that paper in an interview that he was very pleased to have Coble's endorsement.

After Coble's positive statement showed up on Phillips' webpage, and in a link in the email that Phillips sent out, Coble's office was questioned about the endorsement, and Coble said he had not endorsed Phillips.

Phillips said he misunderstood. He said that he mistakenly believed that he had been endorsed by Coble. Phillips said he was also responsible for conveying that belief to his campaign staff, and he added that there's no one to blame for the confusion but himself.

"The buck stops with me," Phillips said. "I take full responsibility on the part of my campaign. I've apologized to Ed McDonald, to Howard Coble, and I've corrected it on my web site."

When asked about the fact that Coble had specifically removed the word "endorse" from the agreed upon statement, Phillips said he was aware the word "endorse" had been taken out, but he added that, despite that, he still mistakenly believed that Coble had endorsed him and he shared that belief with his campaign staff who handle the website and other political messages. He reiterated that the responsibility for the misinterpretation rests entirely on his shoulders.

"I had a volunteer who helps with postings," Phillips said. "He used the word 'endorsement' in the title [on the website]."

Phillips said that, once he found out there was an issue, he contacted Coble.

"I called Coble's office immediately," he said.

Phillips said that, after that conversation, he "made adjustments" in the message, removing the claim that Coble had endorsed him.

"They were satisfied," Phillips said.

Phillips added that the basic message remains the same.

"Nothing has changed about his opinion of my knowledge and stance on the issues," Phillips said.

He also said he's sorry about the situation, and he said that Coble and McDonald were in no way responsible for the misunderstanding.

"My campaign made an error and I fixed it as soon as I found out about it," Phillips said.

McDonald said this week that he's not sure how Phillips got the impression Coble was granting him an endorsement – especially since the endorsement reference that Phillips had sent in the initial statement had been taken out by Coble.

McDonald said Coble's camp made its position clear.

"I made copies of everything," McDonald said.

McDonald said the first statement Phillips sent said that Coble was "proud to endorse Jeff Phillips."

"I showed it to Howard and he said, I don't want to use 'endorse,' but the rest is fine," McDonald said.

He said that, last week, he flew in from Washington and when he landed he was getting calls about Coble's supposed endorsement of Phillips.

McDonald said he was perplexed because he and Coble had been very clear that Coble had not endorsed Phillips.

"Jeff Phillips knew what the agreement was," McDonald said.

McDonald added that, on a personal note, he was somewhat surprised Coble was even willing to offer the statement of support that he did – given that Phillips had run against Coble in the Republican primary for the Sixth District congressional seat in 2010.

"Two years earlier, Jeff was trying to kick him out of office," McDonald said.

McDonald added that, if it were him, instead of Coble, he doesn't know if he would be quite as willing to even make a public statement on behalf of Phillips.

"I would find it difficult to be as magnanimous as Howard Coble," McDonald said.

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McDonald also said Coble's office had been getting negative feedback from some people who were upset that Coble refused to endorse Phillips. He said he thinks a lot of that has to do with a division in the local Republican Party.

In Guilford County – as well as across the nation – there has been a rift in the Republican Party in recent years between old line Republicans and Tea Party advocates.

"I've worked for Coble for 28 years," McDonald said. "It's the same fight 28 years later with different names and different people."

In Guilford County, over the past three years, the most prominent incarnation of Tea Party politics has been Conservatives for Guilford County (C4gc). Phillips has worked closely with that group, but he has stated that he wants to run a broad-based campaign that focuses on all types of Republicans and others concerned with the future of the county and the country.

Phillips said this election is too important nationally and locally for Republicans to be fighting internally.

In the primary race this year, some C4gc members were upset that Coble endorsed District 6 Republican primary winner Hank Henning over Jeremy Williams, who has been an active member of C4gc.

McDonald said he thinks that rift is playing a role in this controversy.

"It all goes back to Hank Henning," McDonald said.

Gibson said that, weeks ago, after Phillips spoke with Coble about getting a positive statement, Coble let Gibson know he was going to allow Phillips to use a picture of the two as well as a statement.

"Howard said at that time that he wasn't endorsing him," said At-large County Commissioner Paul Gibson, Phillips' opponent for the District 5 seat.

Gibson said he didn't have a problem with Coble making a positive comment about Phillips, and Gibson said he conveyed that to Coble.

Commissioner Billy Yow, who, like Phillips, ran against Coble in the Republican primary for the Sixth District congressional seat in 2010 – and also in 2012 – said that, when it comes to endorsements, it's well known that Coble maintains a sharp line between endorsing a candidate and offering a positive statement.

"He makes it very clear," Yow said. "Howard's position is, I will get you a letter, but I will not say 'I endorse.'"

Yow said that, in this case, it's no surprise Coble wouldn't endorse Phillips because Gibson and Coble are both longtime politicians who have to work together.

"They go back many, many years," Yow said of Coble and Gibson.

McDonald made the same point; he said Coble and Gibson have "worked together for 40 years."

Yow said that a similar controversy arose years ago when former Guilford County Commissioner Phyllis Gibbs was running for office. Yow said Gibbs said she had gotten Coble's endorsement, but then she later had to walk that claim back.

Yow said that, if Coble endorses you, you know it. He said Coble makes it clear and always has.

"He's consistent in what he does," Yow said.