Following the Flock

Gary Pearce posted on June 19, 2012 10:07

Political reporters are like flocks of birds. One bird flies to a wire, and every bird flies to the same wire. One national political reporter writes a story about Obama’s problems in North Carolina, and every national political reporter writes the same story.

The latest story to cause the Obama campaign heartburn came from the Tampa Bay Tribune: “North Carolina poses uphill battle for Obama, though Charlotte is DNC host city.”

It’s a familiar litany: unions complain about holding the convention in Charlotte, gay-marriage amendment passes, Governor Perdue is unpopular, the legislature went Republican, N.C. Democratic Party is in turmoil, John Edwards is John Edwards and – the money shot – “pundits have become increasingly skeptical about President Barack Obama's Tarheel (sic) State prospects.”

The story digs through the numbers from 2008: Obama carried the state by only 14,000 votes, African-American turnout was high, Obama did well with independents and white women, but now the excitement has faded, hope and change seem far away and can he do it again?

But there’s one thing all these birds miss. Suppose the Obama campaign goes out and gets 100,000 new voters: young people, Hispanics and African-Americans. Suppose, in other words, his team does again what it did in 2008: expands – and reshapes – the electorate.

Nobody thought they could do it then. Don’t sell them short now.

Posted in: General, North Carolina - Democrats , National Democrats

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# Carbine

Tuesday, June 19, 2012 11:00 AM

When a Democratic political consultant uses the phrase "go out and get" new voters, I think everyone knows what that means. That's why they're fighting so hard to sustain governor Dumpln's veto of voter ID. It is, frankly, their only hope.

# dap916

Tuesday, June 19, 2012 12:08 PM

I've seen a lot of coverage of late about how some leading democratic senators and congresspeople aren't planning to come to Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention because of the non-union labor being used there and because of this state being a "right-to-work" state and, as you've said Gary, the issue of passage of the Marriage Amendment identifying "marriage" in North Carolina as being between a man and a woman. Somehow, these politicians believe that if they come to North Carolina for the convention, they're somehow sanctioning those things North Carolinians believe that are anti-liberal/progressive. What a foolish bunch. Tells us what kind of idiots we have representing us, doesn't it? They're more worried about keeping their own job than they are participating in their party's once-every-four-year presidential election national convention. Might piss off a voter back home, and votes to these people is ALL that truly does matter, after all.

I'm with you, Gary. Republicans can't count out Obama losing North Carolina. I'm a republican so I don't think he's going to pull it off, but we've got a long way to go to November. I don't think Hispanics will do it for him, actually. I mean, unless they've changed the law recently, a person still has to be a citizen to vote here, right? I mean, illegal Mexicans are coming here in big numbers, but unless there's some fishy stuff going on in some counties, they won't be voting for ANYONE. And, my take on the black vote is that not all those African Americans that were so involved and energetic in 2008 will be as motivated this year in North Carolina. I mean, sure, Obama has blamed and blamed and blamed the horrible economical situation in the African Community on Bush and republicans and a lot of the blacks buy that rhetoric...but not all of them anymore. Obama made some promises he hasn't come through on for blacks...especially in employment numbers.

But, who is to know what will happen between now and Nov. A lot, I'm sure.

Following the Flock

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