When The Senator Drops In

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When The Senator Drops In

By Craig Altschul
February 28, 2008

No politician can pass up a good photo op and a ready gaggle of potential voters with outstretched hands. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole is expected to win her election bid for a second term in November (she picked up 53 percent of the vote in 2002). But, she made it a point to pop into the Sugar Mountain base lodge in Banner Elk a weekend back.

The popular senator spent some time with resort guests, posed for a photo with the Sugar Bear mascot, and presumably enjoyed a bratwurst lunch (has to be better than the usual rubber chicken circuit, right?). She also met with the local press corps, all drawn to the ski resort for the meet, greet, and quote.

Marketing Director Kim Jochl, a former member of the U.S. Ski Team, told The Industry Report, they had just a few days advance notice of the visit. The stop at Sugar was an opportunity for Sen. Dole to tout how important she felt the tourist industry was to the state's well-being. Not a bad subject.

Kim followed the visit with a news release quoting owner and ski industry veteran Gunther Jochl as saying "What an honor it is to host such an accomplished and graceful lady." We carried the cute photo and story on our OnTheSnow.com front page Feb. 27. We presume many other outlets carried it as well.

This is a busy election year. Much of the campaigning will be done during the spring, summer, and fall prior to the November voting. Still, the Dole story feels like a win-win. She gets what she wants, the mountain resort gets visits by media and attention, and the state's tourism industry gets a boost from a powerful politician.

Ski resorts long have been magnets for pols on vacation. That's often caused security headaches. Remember the Warren Miller movie with Jackie Kennedy skiing with the unsmiling, snowplowing Secret Service men at Sun Valley? "We know who you are," Miller chided. How about Vail, with President Gerald Ford and his family, Vice President Walter Mondale, Sen. (and presidential candidate) Jack Kemp? The Kennedy Clan at Waterville Valley in the Tom Corcoran days. The tragic death of Bobby Kennedy's son, Michael, at Aspen. The slew of entertainment and sports celebrities?

What do these visits mean at your resort? Have some stories to tell? Advice to give. Blog away. We are convinced, by the way, Sugar Bear is going to vote for Libby if he makes it out of hibernation by Nov. 4.

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