Archive for October 2014
The Jamie Kirk Hahn Foundation
I miss Jamie. I miss her smile, her laugh and the parties she threw. This campaign season, I’ve missed her political smarts and fundraising skills. A lot of candidates could have used her. So this weekend I’ll join a lot of people – many who knew her and miss her and many who didn’t…
Read MoreOdd and Odder
If you think about it DENR’s proposal was pretty odd. Last winter, when tons of water from a coal ash pond poured into the Dan River, there was consternation and gnashing of teeth. The U.S. Attorney started investigating. The Governor ordered every coal ash pond cleaned up. The legislature said Amen. Then, with…
Read MoreNot Funny?
America’s Great Ebola Freakout has produced some good lines: “I wasn’t afraid of Ebola here until McCrory’s press conference lineup today reminded me that he, Wos and Tata are the ones protecting us from it. God help us.” “Sarah Palin demanded today that President Obama protect America and invade Ebola.”
Read MoreOctober Surprises
First ISIS. Then Ebola. Now men marring men and women marrying women. What’s next? “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!”? More to the point, will video and big Page One pictures of newlywed men kissing each other sway this election? Consider three things here. First, yes, Amendment One passed…
Read MoreWake Tidal Wave?
As Halloween and early voting draw near, we political wizards examine entrails, cut up bats’ tails and consult the moon and stars to predict what will happen. (Translation: We trade rumors about polls, rumored polls and rumored rumors.) Sometimes, you seek signs in what candidates do. Take Thom Tillis. He increasingly looks like…
Read MoreDebating Debates
The after-debate on who won is more interesting than the debates themselves. You can rely on the partisans to declare victory. The media focuses on substance, issues and fact checks, none of which anybody is interested in. The stories are predictable: Candidates “clashed…traded jabs… repeated talking points…didn’t say anything new…etc.” This year the…
Read MoreAnother Debate
Here’re the three tartest comments I heard about the Ellmers-Aiken debate. “He has the silliest pompadour since Jim Hunt.” “She was catty.” “The person on stage most qualified to serve in Congress was David Crabtree.”
Read MoreStates’ Rights Redux
Some North Carolina politicians sound today just like their predecessors in the 1950s, railing against the Supreme Court and rallying behind “state’s rights.” Then it was racial discrimination. Today it’s same-sex marriage. Then – as today – the politicians were on the wrong side of history. They say the state’s ban on gay…
Read MoreGood Reads
Writing isn’t ditch-digging. But, take it from me, writing a book is hard work. So I admire people who do it. And I encourage you to check out…correct that: I strongly urge you to BUY and READ three new books by three great North Carolinians. The books are “Billy Bowater” by E.C. (Redge) Hanes,…
Read MoreThom’s Not Their Cup of Tea
Thom Tillis is getting the worst of both worlds. The Tea Party doesn’t think he’s one of them, and voters think he’s too close to the Tea Party. The right-leaning Washington Times quoted one Wilkes County Tea Party leader, Joe Greene: “He’s an establishment Republican. That’s why I’m opposed to him. A lot of…
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