The Independent View: Super PACs’ New Role, Organizing Voters

In previous election cycles, super PACs, which can raise unlimited donations from corporations and individuals alike, largely channeled money from wealthy donors into political advertising. But now they are branching out into what had seemed a fundamental function of a campaign committee, organizing voters one at a time.

The practice of having super PACS, which can be entirely financed by a single billionaire, take over such operations allows campaigns, which may raise only $2,700 from any one donor, to outsource the costly, labor-intensive work of recruiting activists and building lists of supporters.

It could also allow second-tier candidates to be more competitive, prolonging the nominating process. And in the general election, a Republican nominee whose organizing is paid for by a super PAC might level the playing field with Democrats, whose allies in labor have traditionally given the party an edge in mustering volunteers to help turn out voters.

But there are risks to outsourcing a field campaign. Candidates, who are legally forbidden to coordinate with super PACs, are in danger of being cut off from their most ardent supporters as they head into caucus and primary elections.

“As a campaign, you have absolutely no idea” how you’re doing, said Nick Ryan, the president of a super PAC supporting Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor. “That would scare me to death. You’d be disconnected from the very base of your campaign, the people who are most passionate about you.” Still, Mr. Ryan hesitated to rule out any grass-roots campaign work aside from recruiting volunteers to support Mr. Huckabee.

In Iowa, where Jeb Bush faces stiff resistance from conservatives, a senior Republican strategist said that before Mr. Bush announced his candidacy, his team discussed leaving some of the field organizing to a super PAC established by his aides. That would spare Mr. Bush’s campaign some embarrassment should he perform badly in Iowa during the caucuses by giving his campaign distance from the effort.

So far, only super PACs supporting Republicans appear to be organizing the grass roots, although outside groups that back Democrats, including labor unions and nonprofits, have long performed tasks like registering voters and canvassing neighborhoods.

“It’s no surprise that super PACs would at some point evolve into the organizational side of politics,” said Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to Mr. Paul. He called it a predictable outgrowth of an era that since 2002 has banned unlimited donations to party committees, and in which wealthy donors have re-channeled support to outside groups, which are less accountable.

The group organizing for Mr. Paul, Concerned American Voters, has pledges of “multiple millions” from wealthy donors in Silicon Valley, said Jeff Frazee, its president. It has had 40 full-time field workers in Iowa since June 1, knocking on doors during the day and making phone calls at night.

But that effort illustrates the potential for duplication and clashing agendas between super PACs and campaigns. Mr. Paul already had a network of activists in Iowa, many of whom supported campaigns by his father, Ron Paul. Asked about the super PAC, the campaign’s state director, Steve Grubbs, said in a text message: “Not commenting on this. Wish I could.”