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The Optimist

By Gary Pearce March 21, 2013

Bowater, as his friends call him, is a local Democrat – and an incurable optimist. While Republican preen and strut with power and Democrats wring their hands with worry, Bowater remain serenely sanguine.   One friend finally reached his limit – with the Republicans and with Bowater’s rosy view. He demanded, “What makes you so…

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The Leaked Plan – Part III

By Carter Wrenn March 20, 2013

Half-way through her plan Jessica Laurenz started to make a list of the building blocks she would need to build a campaign. She ticked off, ‘A brain trust, research, relentless media, year-round voter registration, a vibrant multi-racial organizing infrastructure and statewide field organizing.’   But, then, she missed a piece: Obama.   Four years ago,…

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Fighting Fracking

By Gary Pearce March 20, 2013

Opponents of fracking in North Carolina may have two powerful allies: the free market and politics.   John Murawski wrote in The News & Observer that “booming shale gas production in the Northeast” could give energy developers one less reason “to take financial risks to explore North Carolina’s virgin gas deposits in Lee, Moore and…

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The Leaked Plan – Part II

By Carter Wrenn March 19, 2013

The poll young Sean Kosofsky and Jessica Laurenz took told them three stories: That President Obama’s mantra – ‘Democrats are for middle class families while Republicans are for the rich’ – had permeated the political atmosphere across North Carolina. That President Obama’s plan to expand Medicaid – the plan Republicans in the state legislature just…

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The Singer or the Song

By Gary Pearce March 19, 2013

Senator Phil Berger says national Republicans have a messenger problem, not a message problem. Democrats might well hope he believes that.   After attending CPAC – the right-wing Woodstock – Berger told Travis Fain at the Greensboro News & Record: “It’s not just a communication problem. Sometimes it’s the individual messengers … (and) some folks…

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The Leaked Plan – Part I

By Carter Wrenn March 18, 2013

In his novel Intruder in the Dust, William Faulkner wrote if you have something outside the ordinary to do and it’s got to be done quickly, don’t waste time on the men – go get the women and children. Thirty-seven years ago, here in North Carolina, we built Ronald Reagan’s first Presidential campaign around women…

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Undo and Recycle

By Gary Pearce March 18, 2013

A TAPster and veteran of the Raleigh scene says “undoing” and “recycling” are the GOP trademarks thus far.   Last week, he noted: “The GOP focused on un-doing the deal on the Dix property, un-doing the state’s renewable energy policy and un-doing other done deals like the death penalty moratorium.   “In their zeal to…

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Got Tickets?

By Gary Pearce March 15, 2013

A long-time Raleigh lobbyist recalls the days when legislators helped themselves to ACC tournament tickets – courtesy of lobbyists and special interests.   Every year about this time, the demand was so strong that lobbyists felt like Ticketmaster or StubHub.   One mountain legislator – a Democrat, I should add – was especially insistent. He…

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Best in Blogs

By Gary Pearce March 14, 2013

Carter and I finally got elected to something ourselves – sort of. Talking About Politics was named one of the best North Carolina political blogs by The Fix at the Washington Post.   Best of all, we were nominated by readers. We thank you.   Also named from here: @NCCapitol; Progressive Pulse; Watauga Watch; The…

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Does This Work?

By Gary Pearce February 23, 2025

Does a message about “workers,” “working families” and “working-class voters” really work for Democrats? Or does…

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Out of Touch

By Gary Pearce February 20, 2025

I’ve resisted the temptation to rail every day about Trump’s cruelty, corruption and incompetence – and…

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Jeanette Hyde

By Gary Pearce February 14, 2025

Jeanette Hyde went from Miss Yadkin County to Madam Ambassador. Hyde, who died Monday at age…

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