Decades ago I attended a meeting on redistricting over at State Republican headquarters and a bright, sharp young man whipped out a stack of maps of Congressional Districts and happily announced he had figured out a way to create three minority districts in North Carolina. Then he whipped out more maps of State House…
Read MoreState GOP Chair Robin Hayes says President Obama carried North Carolina in 2008 because of simple political mechanics. He told McClatchey reporters: “The president and his group did a much better job of organizing through the Internet, through social networking, through every possible means to identify and get their folks to the polls. They…
Read MoreDuke Energy plans to build a new nuclear plant and to pay for it it’s sponsored a bill in the legislature to raise electric rates, which it says is reasonable because nuclear power plants are good things and a public benefit so why should it have to borrow money on Wall Street for its plant?…
Read MoreThose six words may be the most brilliant I have ever read about political and media strategy. I found them in Jeff Greenfield’s new book, Then Everything Changed. The book is an interesting foray into “alternative history,” based on real events: What if JFK had been assassinated in December 1960, before taking office? What…
Read MoreI’m told that flustered Democrats in the legislature don’t seem to understand they’re not still in charge – and don’t know how to act as the minority. They could take a cue from no less a message maven than Senator Chuck Schumer of New York. This week, according to The New York Times,…
Read MoreA TAPster (bartender, two cold ones here) offers this thought-provoking caution: “Carter’s brief blog about legislators carrying guns is scary on many fronts. It’s probably only a matter of time before a gun battle breaks out in the legislative cafeteria when a lawmaker tries to take the last piece of fried catfish from a hungry…
Read MoreUnderstanding politics – if you follow the words – is pretty straightforward. Right now, we’re bombing Qaddafi’s army which is pretty clearly a war but President Obama’s press spokesman says it’s not – he says it’s something called a “time-limited, scope-limited military action.” (Last week he called it an even blander ‘kinetic military action.’)…
Read MoreA Civitas Institute critic of Smart Start has twisted himself into an interesting position. In an N&O op-ed, Andrew Henson acknowledges that “early child care investment has proven to have an effect on children’s lives and should be a key priority for the legislature.” He then proceeds to argue that Smart Start, which…
Read MoreThere was an article in the New York Times the other morning by a fellow named Max Boot who works with the influential Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Boot’s got the war in Libya all figured out. He says he’s wanted the United States to attack Libya for weeks and finally Obama’s done exactly what…
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