Archive for 2008
Raleigh City Council District D
Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker’s close amigo City Councilman Thomas Crowder has a plan to raise ‘Impact Fees’ – and it should warm the hearts of the Mayor’s developer-contributors downtown. Instead of raising the fees (taxes) on everyone Crowder wants a tiered plan. Which means different fees for different folks. Who pays more? And who pays…
Read MoreDemocrats: Marching Off the End of the World?
Itâs hard not to like Barack Obama. Or admire his success. Or perseverance. Or eloquence. But Iâm beginning to have a feeling of déjà vu. Every two decades or so the Democratic Party erupts and gives birth to a candidate who sets Democrats all aquiver in the pits of their liberal souls. Remember Eugene McCarthy?…
Read MoreA New Democratic Scandal
If the News & Observer is not careful pretty soon folks on Governor Easley’s Board of Transportation are going to be calling it a Republican newspaper. The N & O has grabbed a tiger by the tail. A few years ago the legislature passed a law requiring DOT Board members to report how much money…
Read MoreA Bit of Stress for Democrats
There are more cross currents in the Democratic Presidential primaries than a hurricane. It’s got everything. Race. Sex. Money. Brittany Spears must be next. Let’s – gingerly – explore race. Hispanics vote for Hillary (or, more to the point, against Obama) two to one. Asian-Americans vote for Hillary (and against Obama) eight to one. African-Americans…
Read MoreCamelot Dreams
Even the most secular Democrats fervently await the Second Coming. Of John Kennedy, that is. Barack Obama is the latest in a long line of latter-day JFKs. There were Bobby and Teddy, of course. Also, Gene McCarthy, George McGovern, even Jimmy Carter, Gary Hart, Joe Biden (1988 model), Bill Clinton and John Kerry (who had…
Read MoreMcCain vs Huckabee
Mitt Romney has ‘suspended’ his campaign – which in plain English means he’s struck the flag. Romney out-fundraised, out-spent, out-organized and ran two or three times more ads than any other candidate. But there are campaigns – and candidates – who never find their message. And Romney was one. He was a governor with a…
Read MoreRun This Ad Tomorrow
The News & Observer reports how the candidates for governor are spending their money. Republican Fred Smith led the way spending the most, including $360,000 to publish his book, A Little Extra Effort, $100,000 for Lee Greenwood to write a song about him and $90,000 for barbecue. The second biggest spender, Bill Graham, spent $1.5…
Read MoreOn To North Carolina
Mark Johnson writes in today’s N&O and Charlotte Observer that it’s a mathematical certainty North Carolina’s presidential primary will count this year. But that doesn’t mean it will be decisive. Or that all Tar Heel Democrats will be happy about it. Take Richard Moore and Beverly Perdue. Suddenly, their calculus has a big X Factor.…
Read MoreA Brave New World
As CNN’s Jeff Greenfield said so memorably late on Election Night 2000, we have now left the gravitational pull of earth. This presidential race has defied all predictions. Especially the prediction that it would all be over after Super Duper Tsunami Tuesday. Instead, we now boldly go where no race has gone before – or…
Read MoreMoore of the Same in Gov’s Race
Three recent developments in the Governor’s race sharpen the perception that Beverly Perdue’s campaign is not in the same league as Richard Moore’s. First was the Perdue debacle over Randy Parton. Then Moore came out against Duke’s Cliffside coal plant. Perdue panicked, then meekly took the same position. (But neither candidate, as The N&O pointed…
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