Archive for March 2008
Primary Winner?
The Obama bandwagon slowed down this week. It’s tough being out front and taking incoming fire. And the shelling will get worse as more people see the videos of Obama’s pastor. The Clinton campaign still has hope. But, for all their kitchen sink strategy, there’s one argument they haven’t used: When you look only at…
Read MoreA Strange Definition of Republican
When former House Speaker Richard Morgan filed to run for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Republican Ed Kennedy reared back and hurled a mud ball at him, then someone posted it here on Talking About Politics. To call Mr. Kennedy’s letter to Mr. Morgan mean-of-spirit understates his eruption. He had an arm-waving tantrum. Calling Richard Morgan…
Read MoreDemocratic Train Wreck
Democrats spent 40 years engineering the perfect presidential nomination system. Instead we engineered a perfect train wreck. We now are in perfect position to blow an election that should be ours. We have two strong, popular candidates for the nomination. Neither has put the race away. They are tired, frustrated and getting madder at each…
Read MoreEasley Steps Back
Governor Easley has taken two steps back – and one step forward – in his confrontation with The News & Observer. Last week, the Governor poked a stick in the N&O’s eye at a press conference – especially when he evaded Pat Stith at the Capitol. He also maintained – evidence to the contrary –…
Read MoreThe Mystery of the Missing Aides
Follow this. The governor orders the press spokesman (Debbie Crane) at the Department of Health and Human Resources fired. But tells his press office to say her boss, Dempsey Benton, was the one who made the decision to fire her. Because she’s dishonest. Secretary Benton then tells the press the only reason he fired Crane…
Read MoreMcCrory and the Basketball Arena
Watching Fred Smith zing Pat McCrory in the governor’s campaign is getting to be entertaining. At a debate last Saturday, railing against illegal immigration, GOP frontrunner McCrory said the federal government should build a $150 million prison in Charlotte to lock the rascals up. Then he added that there are so many illegal immigrants in…
Read MoreGo Negative, Young Men
The Richard Moore and Barack Obama campaigns have more in common that just that Moore endorsed Obama. Both seem to be debating the same question: Attack her? Obama’s debate is more open in the national media. His campaign clearly was thrown off balance by Clinton’s “kitchen sink” attacks. Now they’re trying to decide whether –…
Read MoreSex in China – Denver Prostitute Visits Raleigh
According to the newspaper last Monday morning a sexual revolution is underway in China. Quote: ‘The simple but tidy rooms in the no-tell hotels in the Beijing University district pulsate with sex.’ Now, there are a billion people in China. And they’ve just discovered sex? It seems they’ve known quite a bit for quite a…
Read MoreThe Governor Slips Out the Side Door
It’s hard not to like Mike Easley. The Governor is personable. Charming. Doesn’t have the vice of taking himself too seriously (unlike most politicians). And has a fine-honed sense of humor. But, oddly, at times, he acts as if he is unusually detached from the government he is running. And, with the latest scandal, it…
Read MoreThe Tina Fey Effect
The “butterfly effect” of chaos theory – “a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil and a hurricane hits Florida” – applies to politics as well. This year it is the “Tina Fey Effect.” That is, the Democratic presidential race remains unsettled because of the Hollywood writer’s strike. While the writers struck, political comedy on TV…
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