Two of my guilty pleasures are Snoopy’s hot dogs and Chick-Fil-A. So what’s a good Democrat to do when the Snoopy’s owner attacks President Obama and Chick-Fil-A’s owner condemns gay marriage? I’m reminded of McDonald’s some years back. The founder and owner, Ray Kroc, was a big buddy and big contributor to Richard Nixon.…
Read MoreA Democrat concerned about Obama’s allegedly anti-small business statement (“you didn’t build that”) asks: “What did he really say? The quote sounds bad.” It does indeed, and Republicans have jumped all over it. Obama made the statement on July 13, in a campaign speech in Roanoke, Va. Here’s the full quote: “If…
Read MoreThe Republican (Civitas) poll says Pat McCrory leads Walter Dalton 47-37. The Democratic (N.C. Citizens for Progress) poll says McCrory’s lead, once 12 points, has been cut in half – from 46-34 in April to 45-39 in July. So what does this really tell us? First, McCrory’s five-year campaign has given him an…
Read MorePat McCrory and Walter Dalton are debating whether North Carolina lost its competitive edge. The question is: Who are we competing with? And is competition just about taxes? Rob Christensen’s N&O story Sunday asked whether we’re still a “Dixie Dynamo.” But some people who work in economic development think that’s too narrow. We’re not…
Read MoreGun rights vs. gun control: Except for race, it is the starkest divide in America today. The Batman killings revived the familiar debate. One side says, “When are we going to do something about the easy availability of guns and bullets in America?” The other says, “If somebody had been packing a gun in…
Read MoreThis presidential campaign has a hint of 1980. A Democratic President is running for reelection in a bad economy. Americans are feeling down. The President’s poll numbers are worrisome. He is criticized as weak and disconnected. The Republican is veteran campaigner who lost the nomination four years ago. He’s attractive, but his record…
Read MoreYears ago, Congress passed a law saying able-bodied people who receive welfare should work for their benefits. That sounded fair. And reasonable. After all, sometimes even the hardest working folks land hard in a place but, when they do, requiring them to work in return for a helping hand is better for everyone. However…
Read MoreThis is why people turn off television news. A couple of weeks ago, Rep. Becky Carney’s miscast vote led to enactment of the fracking bill. This week, WSOC-TV in Charlotte breathlessly reported: “Now, for the first time, Rep. Becky Carney is telling only Channel 9 what went wrong.” Not exactly, WSOC. Rep.…
Read MoreThe Democrats’ treasure chest has vanished. Year after year in elections, Democrats like Jim Hunt and Marc Basnight had war chests brimming with cash. Bev Perdue defeated Pat McCrory last election by outspending him by $7 million. But now the Democrats’ larder is empty. Phil Berger’s outraising Martin Nesbit (Basnight’s Senate heir) seventeen to one…
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