Archive for 2007
Edwards Plummets, Romney Soars
John Edwards has been counting on Iowa to be the spring-board for his Presidential campaign. He’s led there all year. But, last week, without warning the Presidential quicksand shifted beneath his feet. He plummeted from first place to third, dropping fourteen points (in the University of Iowa poll) from 34% in March to 20% now.…
Read MoreWho’s With Pelosi?
Who’s With Pelosi? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be in Raleigh today, speaking at Meredith College. The question is: Who will be with her? That is, which Democratic politicians will be there to have their picture taken with the San Francisco Democrat – and who will duck it? Specifically, will either Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue…
Read MoreJohn Drescher Stakes His Ground
The appointment of John Drescher as Executive Editor of The N&O means the paper will be led by a newsman who knows North Carolina politics and government. Drescher wrote a great book about the 1960 Terry Sanford-Beverly Lake race for Governor. He is the son-in-law of Phil Carlton, one of Jim Hunt’s oldest friends. Drescher’s…
Read MoreJohn Edwards Iowa Blues
When John Edwards boasts he will win Iowa because he’s ‘got more feet on the ground’ (meaning volunteers) than Hillary and Obama it’s a sure sign his campaign is on life support. Edwards has run head-on into three brick walls. Money. Money. And Money. Obama and Hillary each have $30 million more than he does…
Read MoreMeeker’s Mantra
Not long ago the American dream was to own a home with a yard on a tree lined street in the suburbs. Now that’s called ‘sprawl’ and Mayor Meeker and the urban correctness crowds have a solution. It’s called – glowingly – density. What it, in fact, means is high-rises crammed with apartments and condominiums.…
Read MoreCounting Her Lucky Stars
The Democrats usually don’t experience much stress when it comes to recruiting candidates. They’ve got two behemoths running for Governor. They’ve got candidates running against Congressmen Robin Hays and Walter Jones. And they’ve even got a candidate running for Congress in the Tenth District – where a Democrat hasn’t been elected in forty years. But…
Read MoreSubsidizing Singapore
The flap over the state giving $40 million in incentives to Senator Tony Rand’s – one assumes – friends at Goodyear Tire and Rubber just took another strange turn. After Rand’s bill – giving Goodyear a good-sized chunk of state pork – passed it was promptly vetoed by Governor Easley. Then the legislature returned to…
Read MoreKay and the Gay Factor
A Democrat poses this question about Kay Hagan’s run for U.S. Senate: “It is going to be interesting to see how voters respond to Hagan’s candidacy and whether she can dance around the question (or put it to bed) of whether she is running b/c Neal is gay. If you think back to the Sanders/Gantt…
Read MoreThe ACLU Speaks Out on Foot Tapping and Hand Gestures
A few years ago, I made an issues ad criticizing then State Representative Richard Morgan. Of course, Richard didn’t like being criticized any more than anyone else – so he filed a complaint with the State Board of Elections claiming the group airing the ad was violating state elections law and to make a long…
Read MoreThe Real Issue for Perdue and Moore
If Richard Moore and Beverly Perdue stop sniping over resumes, degrees and ages, they will see the real target in the Governor’s race. And they can remind voters why North Carolina needs a Democratic governor next year. Republicans always say that North Carolina’s schools are failing. Their solution, always, is to starve the schools of…
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